Getting My Son off of Nip Nip.

Shant'e
I understand how you feel. Nursing for a whole year is a very selfless thing to do. You're usually putting your child & their needs ahead of your own. Remember though, that there are SO many bennefits to you too.

Even though you feel like you need your body back,there are ways to feel less of the demand & still wean slowly, gradually & with love or to simply limit nursing sessions a bit and allow your child to wean themself.

One way to do it would be to start letting your child sleep in his own bed (IF you are ready for that! I'm all for co-sleeping when it works for everyone!). That alone cuts out much of the demand & gives you (sometimes!) a better nights sleep.

There is some great information on www.KellyMom.com and in La Leche's Womanly Art of Breastfeeding (book) on weaning with love.

Remember too that nursing beyond a year is VERY different than nursing a baby. It's usually a few times a day (if that!) for a few minutes here & there. However, even though it's still so short, your body makes up for that by substantially increasing the amount of antibodies in your milk so that even though they take in FAR less milk, they still get the full protection level.

Also, studies have shown that by nursing for 2 years, you reduce your risk of breast & other female cancers by 50% or more! And the longer you nurse, the more your risk decreases!

Ultimately, you need to do what's right for you & your family, but there are ways to both get what you need and for you to both be happy about it.

Good luck!

Well my dd is 2.5 and still nursing and still sleeping with us. I didn't plan it this way but she knows the moment I lay her down somewhere else that it's not mommy's bed. I have worked with her so that she's down to 2-3 times a day. Typically when she wakes up, naptime and bedtime. Usually if she wants it in the middle of the nite I will tell her no and just rub her back for awhile. Your guy is still little. I know that you want your body back, but perhaps if you cut down a bit and refuse frequent feedings at night it would be easier. I know that nursing once a night is great compared to 3-4x's
V.

Hi S.,

I, too, nursed my daughter until one year, although I stopped night time feedings at 4mos. when my pediatrician said she no longer needed to eat at night. At that point, she moved from our bed to her crib. My suspicion is your son will want to continue to nurse if he stays in your bed... but I have heard its possible to tell him something like "Nip nip is sleeping, you sleep, too" when he wakes up during the night, and try to give him his paci (if he takes one) or other non-nip related comfort. If you can/want to move him to his crib, I recommend it.

For other times, try getting the Nuby sippy cup. The spout is silicon and easy for them to drink out of. With my daughter, we started giving her whole milk in the sippy cup at the times she would have nursed. We replaced nursings one a week in this way. She was very receptive and soon off the nip and the bottle. She never "asked" or signaled for the breast, I think she forgot about it pretty quickly. I think it was harder for me to give up than her!

Good luck!

I had to wean my dd due to issues w/ her getting baby bottle syndrome. She hated bottles & so had shifted her nursing schedule to nurse all night long instead. So...I first had to stop the night nursing. I would nurse her for a few minutes & then I had a sippy cup full of water that I would then give her. If she woke in the night, she got the water. It was hard 'cause she knew it was there & there was a night or two where I slept in another room so I wasn't available but I was surprised that she was okay much faster than I thought.

A few months later I had to stop altogether as I was still worried about her teeth & she was nursing solely for comfort at this point. So...I would just tell her that they hurt or tell her not now. I know someone else how put band-aids on & said they had boo boos so no go.

You might be surprised. Hard part is just being consistent.

I know that feeling! But, it's just like anything else with babies - it's a process. It doesn't happen overnight. Start with shorter sessions and more time between sessions, put him off at snack time with a sippy cup and a little snack instead of breastfeeding. Eventually he will be allowing more time to pass between breastfeeding and he will start dropping snack times in lew of the sippy cup and solid snacks.

Nighttime with my daughter was the most intimidating as she had always fallen asleep while nursing. I thought she would never give that up. I started nursing in the beginning of her bedtime routine and was surprised at her response. We nursed, then did bath, PJS, brush teeth, and then sat on the bed reading books until she ws sleepy enough to go down. We had setbacks, of course, but it wasn't as big of a deal as I thought it would be. I hope the same is true for you.

Just take it one step at a time and be patient. Good luck!

Hi S.,

La Leche League will help you:

http://www.llli.org/nb.html

Hope this helps. D.

I agree that it's a process. If you cut out the nighttime nursing you will probably feel so much better/rested. Then, you can decide if you want to continue nursing a couple of times during the day. By 18 months my son was down to once a day and it was only for a few minutes. Very different from when he was a baby. Good luck!
K.

I Think you should be very proud of yourself for nursing him his first year. I know many would not agree but i think that is when you should wean. They need to be onto a sippy cup and "big kid" food after that. Best of luck to you...everything will be fine.

When my oldest was almost 1, my husband and I were invited to spend a weekend with friends of ours at a ski resort, which made the housing free. My mom agreed to be the babysitter, and I didn't want to have her have to wean my child as well as deal with us being gone. So I decided not to nurse her unless she actually asked for it. and you know what ? she never did. ?? Surprise surpise.

I suspect if you put your son to bed with you, and move him to his own bed once he's asleep, or rock him in your arms until he falls asleep (i used to bounce mine, singing with the radio, or CD or just singing songs i liked without help), you could put him in his own bed once he's asleep; he will be less likely to wake up during the night in his own bed. He also won't smell Mom and think, "Yummy", and want to nurse.

when he does wake up at night, have Dad go and rock him back to sleep, or hold him in bed and sleep with him in HIS bed, not yours. he'll have all the cuddle time in the world, but not have Mommy there. And it'll be okay.

during the day, you could nurse him after meals, after he's had food and drink with meals. That will cut down the amount of "snack" he wants, and he'll begin to withdraw.

I have found, with 4 kids, that they were more ready to give up nursing than I was -- every time. then again, I know other parents who have nursed their kids almost until kindergarten -- which I could never have done. The bottom line is that by age 1, kids can digest whole milk, so whether your nurse at that point or not is a matter of enjoyment and convenience for you. do what is best for you, because a happy and satisfied, healthy mom is one of the best gifts you can give your child !!

I was reluctant to quit nursing my first-I loved it, and so did my daughter, and it was a sad thing to let go-but just like you, it was time. I was surprised how "un-traumatic" it was to wean. It took me only a couple of days to go from all full feedings, to twice a day, and then nothing. I felt all my energy back for the first time in two years. I hadn't even realized how tired it was making me until I quit. But best of all, my daughter still needed me, and we were just as close and available for hugs. I think that was what I was most afraid to lose.
Just do it! Give yourself another few days or as long as you want to prepare first if you need to, but you'll be fine! Good Luck!

Hi S.!! First off, put your son in his own bed and quit nursing him all night! After you both are getting full nights of sleep just cut back one nursing time at a time every few days until you are done. Expect that he will be fussy at first...but be strong and you will both be able to move on and find new things to do together! Best wishes