I weaned my almost 19 month old about a week ago. I was fully intending on holding on to the nursing experience before bedtime for as long as it was working but for about three nights in a row my husband put him to bed, and he did not put up any fight whatsoever...so I figured, okay, this is it, let's be done with it then. I'm 39 and we want to have another child, so that was my primary reason for weaning him. My period does not return until I completely stop nursing and I cannot get pregnant (so experience tells me) until that happens. So, here we are, one week after weaning and he is askng to be nursed every now and then. Some days he doesn't mention it at all, and other days he does once or twice. Of course, it breaks my heart when he asks for it but at this point I'm not resuming. I'm just wondering if/how long your little ones continued asking to be nursed? Thanks.
Mine didn't but the weanings were child-led, at 3 years for one, and 13 months for the other. Cuddle and snuggle.
There were a couple of times DS asked me and I simply told him "Momma's milk is all gone! You drank it all!" He got that because if he would eat a cracker or yogurt (one of his faves) and ask for more, I would show him it was all gone and that he ate it all.
A lot of times when a toddler asks to nurse, they might be thirsty, but I think it is more that they want that 1:1 pure cuddle time with mom. Maybe try offering him something else to drink, but hold and cuddle him close while he drinks it.
I think it sometimes is harder on us than it is on them to stop, and say "no more". I am sure there are kids out there who have a tougher transition, but my experience was pretty gradual/subtle/smooth. Then if he asked for it and I told him that he drank it all, he was satisfied with that.
My son did 17 months, I just distracted him with something else. after about a week or so he let it go. Here and there he would reach, that is when we would go do something else.
My daughter gave up, before we started nursing. So I basically pumped and bottled her.
I am currently going cold turkey with my almost 3 year old. It breaks my heart when she asks, and then looks so sad when I tell her no. We've gone 2 and a half days so far, and I want to give in so bad just to have that "one more time" but I can't. :( I don't know how long it will take, but I just wanted to let you know I am with you.
I remember going through a several week weaning cycle, where my last would ask to nurse every 3 or 4 days. And we would. And then nursing was officially over. Honestly, my 2nd baby I weaned at 2 years, my 3rd baby weaned at 3 years. Both continued to ask, when they remembered nursing especially while cuddled close, reading a book, or snuggling before bed. They only asked during those sleepy times or times needing comfort. I recall my last asking on and off for over a year. And each time I would just redirect, or hug tightly, so she wouldn't feel rejected.
You're situation is more 'cold turkey', in that I nursed every few days for several weeks. It is heart breaking at one level, but if you want to conceive again at 39, you have to be more consistent with your plan.
GL! And I was 41.2 years with my last baby! And she's perfectly healthy!
All 3 of mine did ask.. but once we were done, I always said no. It was too hard to go back and forth...
Mine only asked for a day or two.... my daughter asked the most, and probably for a couple of weeks (she was 17 months). I just said no, let's go read a book. snuggle with your blanket. have a drink of water. etc.
It was hard, but if you want to have another baby, you made the right choice for your family.
Good luck!
I weaned both my boys at 19 mths. Yes, they did ask for maybe a week or two but then never again. We read a LOT of books and snuggled instead. It's just a stress reliever or closeness they needed and you can find another way to provide that. My heart goes out to you though! My oldest was looking at a picture book that had a lamb and mommy sheep. I had always told him the lamb was nursing. He would look at the pic and then at me and ask ? Nur? So heartbreakingly sweet!
I stopped at 25 mths and it wasn't totally planned. I was wanted to, and talked to a friend who then proceeded to tell my dd that mimi milk was all gone...she drank it all. I had to run with it then. It took over 2 wks for her to stop asking. She nursed a lot still at that point for attention and I was frustrated and then I started working FT about a week later. I just had to stick with the story that she drank it all up. My body was ok with it b/c I never had any engorgement or anything else. It will just take time depending on how much he liked it and nursed. Don't worry, they move on ok. My dd is now 6 and still has fond memories of nursing.
H.
My 16 month old is almost done... she started weaning herself a few weeks ago...she started skipping feedings and then cut out the night and started skipping mornings. She has nursed 1x this week and the second time she just laid her head on my breast.
DD has not asked and what I would do is offer him a snuggle and a book or something that helps him with his nighttime routine and gives him the closeness he's probably looking for.
Mine continued to ask on and off for a few months and for about a year after that he'd try to put his hands in my shirt when he was feeling upset or unwell. He was close to 3 when I got to the point you're at, so he really wanted to be considered a "big boy," so I explained that he didn't need it anymore since he was so big now.
Sit down and snuggle him when he asks for nursing. Tell him the milk is all gone but he can still have snuggles with mom whenever he needs them. It's likely that the physical closeness is the part he is missing the most.
I was an extended nurser, so both of my kids were verbal when we stopped. I had one who didn't ask - she stopped nursing at 2 years 10 months because she said the taste of the milk had changed. (I was pregnant with her brother at the time.) My son, on the other hand, didn't want to give it up. I finished weaning him on his fourth birthday. He did ask from time to time over the next month, and I did take time to hold him at those times. He told me that that was the part he missed. It's funny - he's 8 now, and his favorite snuggle times are still first thing in the morning, and late afternoon. Those were also the last feedings to go.
My son never asked to nurse. I weaned him at 11 months, well he kinda did it himself, he just didn't want to nurse anymore. I was worried he may ask or be more "aware" of my breast, but once he stopped its like they ceased to exist!
OH, not long at all. We stopped at 21 months. Whenever she did ask, I just told her that because she was a big girl now and not a baby, mommy's body wasn't making milk any more. You may have a week or two more of him asking and then after that some wistful remembrances. But it sounds like this is all going really well for you. Yay!
