My 22 Month Old Baby Boy Is OBSESSED with My Breasts! HELP!

Try introducing a sippy cup with some juice in the cup and letting him know that he is a big boy and can use the sippy cup, it might help. Best of luck.
V.

Hi J.,

I think it is great you have breastfed him this long! I was one who nursed until they were almost 5 (no, we didn't have too many embarrassing moments like the one person described, my boys were pretty good with the guidelines). If you have not already done so, contact La Leche League (1-800-LA LECHE, or they have a web site) You can get in touch with other moms who have been there, done that. LLL was a great support for me.

Do NOT put the hot sauce on your nipples (but I don't think you were serious lol).

I agree that nursing can be the foundation of a great relationship.

You don't have to wean completely at this point, just decide your guidelines, and take it slowly. this will not last forever. You will look back on nursing and miss it. I always say that "the hours seem SO LONG at this stage, but the months and years just FLY by".

You are giving him a wonderful gift. Pat yourself on the back for being a good momma.

Hugs to you....

K. Z.

do you want to be done or not?

if you want to be done, be done and stick to it...despite the fits. it'd probably be easier to quit sooner as opposed to later.

if you don't want to be done, decide your guidelines and stick to them. (only nursing at morning and night, only nursing at home, only nursing for X minutes, etc...)

First off, don't feel bad for offering the breast as a comfort tool- thats what they're designed for! :)
While breastfeeding this long is AMAZING, feeling like a pacifier is not, so perhaps breastfeed if he's hungry, but if he's just sucking for the sake of sucking, take his mind off it by offering coloring books or snacks- or even a piggy back ride. :)
It'll take a little time to get him used to it, but in the end it'll be better for the both of you. You can still breastfeed, he'll still get the nourishment and comfort, but you won't be tethered down all day.
What a lovey bug, sounds like you have a great bond with your son!!! :)

I wasn't not able to breast feed. Thats wondeful you are able. Make your breast unaccessable when your not feeding him.
I think its time to stop nursing him and give him food exclusively. A family friend nursed her son until he was almost 5yrs. He went up to his mom in front of a big group of people and pulled out her breast. The mom was embrassed along with everyone else.

Good for you, this is a sign that you are great Mommy and have poured into your baby and created an incredible bond. I would call the local La Leche League for tips on weaning babies of the breast. It is hard as is weaning off of anything...pacifiers, chocolate, cigarettes, you get the point. Please don't stress as this is a blessing of a challenge to have. Do not put Hot Sauce on your nipples...:-), but he will have tantrums. The secret: be firm and consistent if you are telling him NO-and just know that the emotional outbreaks will occur until he is weaned. Good luck and God Bless.

Oh I feel bad for all the moms going through this. That was me at the beginning of this year but my son was almost 2 1/2 by then. I am expecting my 4th in a couple of months and already told my husband he must help me with bottles earlier and we must wean the baby by 18 months. I say this because:

My oldest was 13 1/2 months when weaned. He was ready. My middle son was 22 months and was only down to nursing at night but it was still a bit of a battle weaning him. I was going away for a trip he couldn't come on though so I needed him to be done with me in that way. My youngest now, like I said was almost 2 1/2. I'm a SAHM and not having family around, nobody was ever able to help me get him to take a bottle so I was all he knew. It was a nightmare weaning him. :(

To end the day ones, I began to go for walks with him around the time I thought he'd want to nap. The other times I'd sit with him and watch Sesame Street or a movie he loved while passing his sippy cup to him. Nighttime was the worst!!! It finally took my husband taking him upstairs and laying in our bed with him for about 4 nights with a cup of milk for him. He cried the first couple of nights the most but my husband just kept talking to him telling him it was okay and daddy was there. I was a few months pregnant at this point and never planned on nursing my children past 2 so I was ready for him to be done with me in that way. Problem is, even now almost 6 months later, the boy will NOT leave my body alone!! He is constantly trying to put his hand up or down my shirt and the more tired he is the worse it is. I really thought once he was weaned that would be it but I think because it lasted so long, it's in his consciousness. I'm working on trying to get him to stop but it has been going on for all this time and he's still forceful about it.

Start taking away the day time feedings one at a time...walks, car rides, movies, whatever works then call on your husband for help with the nighttime if needed. I really wish I could have weaned my son by 2 because his behavior now can be really inappropriate.

J.,

Oh I am so there. Mostly at least. My son just turned two last week and is still nursing much to my dismay. I thought I'd wean at a year, but he still seemed so little and now he's just very attached to nursing and understands just enough that the weaning is going to be a nightmare. I had gradually reduced the daytime feedings late this winter and think I was well on my way to being done when a number of illnesses including a double ear infection, the start of molars and a really bad cold put him back to the boob a number of times during the day. Most of the things I've read about weaning say to gradually cut out the least important feeding of the day, but I always fed on demand and so didn't have as much of a scheduled feeding routine. I have made it pretty clear I won't nurse him in public anymore and I can still distract him into forgetting about it, but if he's insistent I know he's tired and we go home. I've also heard just telling the toddler no more nursing, putting band-aids on your nipples, vinegar on your nipples or trying a long weekend away to break the routine. I'm thinking I'm just going to have to quit cold turkey and make my DH step up to do most childcare for at least a few days while he adjusts. I know it's not going to be pretty, but I somehow doubt mine is just going to magically one day 'self wean'.

I know I didn't have much concrete advice for you, but just know you're not alone. I too am being used as a pacifier! Ha. Good Luck. Let me know if you come up with a brilliant weaning strategy.

You have to do what you are comfortable with. It's not comfortable for an almost 2yr old to be trying to nurse constantly or for hours on end. Try to just nurse at night and in the morning and get him involved in other things during the day. Being a stay at home mom I know you are the only one with him all day but maybe try to have people come over to distract him. You may need to even go out for a few hours during the day just to get his mind off of nursing.

Try to cut out the morning nursing first and then the night. I hope it works for you!

I didn't read everyone's responses, and I'm sure you got some great advise as always on this board, but I thought I'd just tell you this will lead to a great relationship. My little boy was the same. If he wasn't nursing, he was putting his hand down my shirt just to hold my nipple because he had always put his hand on my other nipple while nursing. This got quite frustrating but didn't last forever! He stopped nursing on his own at 24 months when he suddenly decided he liked the taste of milk with a little nesquik better than breastmilk. He is now 4 years old and such a momma's boy and I LOVE IT! He is my sweetheart.

I feel your pain, I weaned my daughter at 19 months and she was not ready to stop. The only thing that worked for us (as suggested already by another post) was milk in a sippy cup with a little bit of Nestle's chocolate powder. We called it her special "shake" and I would always get overly excited before I offered it to her, as if it was the best treat in a world. It didn't work in a day--it took us about 4 for her to realize that mom was serious about the boob being out of commission--but eventually the shake was what became our substitution and she still drinks it now that's she's two.
One other thing is, yes, I agree--you have to be firm about being done. I spent months not sure if I was ready to emotionally be done with nursing. They are smart and pick up on that--and believe me, it was hard to say "no" to her, she would cry and it would break my heart--but in a few days she stopped. Just like anything else, if you've had to let you baby cry a little before sleeping you think you're going to not be able to follow through when they cry, but somehow you get through it. And now we read together and still have an incredibly close bond, which I think comes from that wonderful foundation with breastfeeding.
Best to you!