Comments on: Weaning A Toddler

By: Lisa Eskenazi

Lisa Eskenazi — Mon, 20 Nov 2017 01:17:20 +0000

How might you adjust this advice for complete weaning? My 2 year old nurses before bed nightly and sometimes for naps. I am ready to quit completely. I am also nursing my three month old. Thank you. I’ve read both your books and love your podcast.

By: Mary

Mary — Sat, 03 Dec 2016 07:35:08 +0000

I’m so glad to see that I am not the only one that is struggling in this area! My daughter is 21 months old, and I have been trying to wean her since she turned one year old (I was just really ready physically and emotionally), however she has been very resistant to give up nursing before naptime, bedtime, and middle of the night feedings, because she relies on nursing to go to sleep. We have talked about it many, many times over the last few months, but she is not willing to even TRY to fall asleep without nursing. I’ve developed a nursing aversion, and it is just driving me crazy.

I’d like to add that in addition to only nursing to sleep, she will ONLY nap in my arms (absolutely can NOT transfer her to her crib without her waking up and having to start all over again), and she has been doing this SINCE BIRTH, and I am slowly going mad! I can definitely relate to the feelings of anger, frustration, depression, and resentment. I have spent hundreds and hundreds of dollars working with sleep consultants trying to find a no-cry way to get her to sleep without nursing, but nothing has worked. 🙁 ANY and all advice and ideas would be greatly appreciated! Thank you so much.

By: Corynne

Corynne — Thu, 12 May 2016 03:47:11 +0000

I have been nursing both my 3 and 1 year olds for the past year. A couple months after my daughter was born I developed a strong nursing aversion to my son alone. He was night weaned almost completely before she arrived (his own doing) but we ended up cutting back dramatically after the aversion started. Though it has improved some over the last few months, I still cringe a little inside when he asks to nurse. When I tell him that it bothers me and hurts me he says “no it doesn’t!” And if we talk about stopping all together he gets very sad. I’m a little bit sad myself about ending our breastfeeding relationship, but also hate feeling resentment towards him for wanting something so natural. Perhaps the hardest part is worrying what, if anything, it will do to his feelings for his sister who still cosleeps and nurses on demand. I think the answer is likely that I need to be more confident in my own decision to wean, but am I being overly concerned that this will affect their sibling relationship? Any advice appreciated!

By: Lindsey

Lindsey — Wed, 11 May 2016 05:54:03 +0000

My son is 21 months and still nursing. I just want to say that getting sore nipples is due to the child’s latch, not their teeth. If my son is latching in a way that rubs or chafes, I insert a finger into the corner of his mouth to break the seal and say, “you have to latch properly. That doesn’t feel good when you do that.” Then, he latches on properly. Or, if he latches poorly, I immediately do it again and say, “not like that.”
You’ve got to wean when you’re ready to. But, I hope that eases the process! Best of luck.

By: Lindsey

Lindsey — Wed, 11 May 2016 05:49:26 +0000

In reply to janet. Thanks for commenting, Janet. Sounds potentially dangerous to me if the child falls over and hits their head or bites onto the nipple in the process!

By: Anna

Anna — Tue, 29 Mar 2016 14:04:55 +0000

In reply to Daisy. Hi Daisy, how did things progress with the mornings and earlier wake up times? Very similar situation here... Would love any advice. Thank you.

By: Emily

Emily — Sun, 10 May 2015 06:58:22 +0000

Hello from Ireland! My third child is 18 weeks and a frequent feeder at night. I’m exhausted to be honest and I’m back to work. I love feeding her and hope to keep going but I will need more sleep. Bree I’m interested in how you set boundaries at 6 months. The exhaustion has made me a cranky mum to my 5 and almost 3 year olds and that’s not fair.

By: Fay

Fay — Sun, 10 May 2015 05:12:51 +0000

Love this advise. I had a ery hard time when I weaned my twin toddlers when they were 28 months due to my pregnancy. My nipples were extremly sensitive and it was so painful to continue nursing. My girl twin still asking me and saying that she is a baby now she wants it and there is still milk in the boobs. Sometimes she asks for it for hours that breaks my heart.. Maybe I did wrong when I said she is not a baby anymore and moms milk for babies and there is also no milk left. She still wants to look at them and kiss them better and lay down on them. That seems to makes her feel better. I dont know if I should let her to do this. The other day I was changing myself and she said put some cloths on you. as if it is painful to see something booby. My boy seems to manage better. But he wants to do the same like her sister. I dont know what is gonna happen when they see the newborn is nursing?

By: Sara

Sara — Sun, 10 May 2015 03:40:01 +0000

Hi! I can totally relate to Shereen’s letter. I’m going through something very similar, but my son is 4 and has a vaccine injury. (I know, not going there)
Anyway, he hasn’t been a good sleeper since he was 5 months old, actually he’s NEVER slept through the night, not one time. He would wake up in hysterics every night.. Like night terrors but every single night. No medical explanation from many pediatricians, etc., except Schubert med doc had lots of different suggestions and reflections.
Anyway, my son is still nursing, and I now have a six month old daughter. We tried to wean when I found out I was pregnant, but he was having none of it, and it actually made him super panicky and anxious about milk in general. Bummer. As we got closer to due date and belly got bigger we decided we had to night wean. I explained to him that we needed to do it, and mostly used the “it’s not my rule, it’s theirs” excuse, that his dentist said and his doctor said it was time to stop during the night. We also used bribery!!!!!!! Oh my god. I can’t believe we resorted to that. But, since we’ve never done it before, it worked. He was night nursing free for a month and a half before baby was born, but he still was waking up multiple times a night, then as soon as she was born, he’d hear her nursing or wake up while I was nursing her and want milk. We cosleep too and so if I said no to milk at night while she was having it, he’d scream at the top of his lungs. He knew that would make me give him milk so he didn’t wake his sis. Smart. Well they both got sick and sleep was miserable so we backslid on the night nursing and then it wouldn’t go away again. Bribery only worked that one time.

So, fast forward til a week ago.. Sleep is miserable still. Hubby sleeps but not me between the two of them nursing. I’m deprived and feeling very depleted after four years of this. I talked to a friend who is into essential oils and she suggested a few for sleep. I got them, tried what she suggested, and boy oh oh would you believe it??? He has been sleeping through the night, every night, for the past week.
Whoa.
Seriously.
So, try the essential oils! I got Cedarwood, I out one drop on a finger and rub it into both his big toes. Then I put White Angekica on his shoulders and do the same, the rub down his spine and his brain stem. I put lavender on his pillow, and when he’s sick I put lemon oil on his spine and feet. Be sure to dilute with any other oil so the effect isn’t too strong.
Good luck, and thank you for your wonderful blog, Janet!!!!

By: Daisy

Daisy — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 21:12:07 +0000

My little man is 2 and a half and we agreed to limit nursing to just before bed and in the morning for my own sanity almost a year ago. This has been going great and he’s even mostly happy to have someone else to put him to bed without it and sleep through the night as usual. We made a decision to go with baby led weaning when we started introducing solids etc and perhaps naievely I had thought that my baby would have weaned himself by now. So we’re still going, but I getting to the stage where I’m a little over it especially early in the morning, where he throws himself round the bed as I’m trying to wake up enough to see to him. Especially as wake up time is getting earlier and earlier over the last few weeks. When we talk about the possibility of stopping the ‘buba’ he makes it very clear he’s not happy with that and tells me he’s still a baby. Any suggestions??