Time to Stop Breastfeeding

I try to have a cup of water in the bedroom that my daughter can get to if she wakes at night. That seems to help... There are days when we don't nurse at night(my daughter is 2) but I follow the same routine and tell her why we aren't nursing that night. Mostly sore chest on my part. I have noticed that she is getting shorter and shorter in her time on the breast, so she is self weaning.
Good luck
R.

TF,
Congrats on keeping up BF for so long. It is great for you and your son-even if it is once a day. Chance are if you have your husband put him down at night and he does wake-have your husband go back in to soothe him back to sleep so he doesn't smell your milk. The waking up is out of habit and not hunger so if you don't feed him he'll eventually stop waking.

Someone had suggested giving him a cup of milk right before bedtime. The sugars in milk sit on their teeth all night and are the biggest cause of tooth decay and cavities. And it's not going to help you with potty training down the road because he will constantly be soaking through his diapers.

Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

Since he is 20 months old, he must also be drinking whole milk by now? And what does he drink his milk from? Bottle? Sippy cup?

What you might try, is instead of nursing him before bed, try giving him a sippy cup/bottle of milk. Most kids even older, like to have a cup of milk before bed... it soothes them and milk has a natural substance in it which 'relaxes' a person.

He seems like a GREAT sleeper though. You are lucky!

He only nurses before bed. So that is only one time a day. So he is weaning naturally. My daughter naturally self-weaned from breast at about 2.5 years old.

Also, you might give him a "lovey" to sleep with a cuddle when he goes to bed. Or, let him pick one out himself. My son LOVES his stuffed cow. It's his pal and he sleeps with it. You can then make the "lovey" a part of his going to bed "routine"... slowly transitioning him to it and a cup of milk... thus, "substituting" the nursing for these things.

Good luck,
Susan

My son was exactly the same. It was a comfort issue and it bugged me that I couldn't just put him down, so we tried to "night-wean" him. It was 3 days of hell and no sleep. My husband had to do most of it and sometimes I really regretted it, but my son lived through it and I doubt he was traumatized. I still put him to bed exclusively, but it is much easier. If you don't mind doing it the way you currently are for longer, though, there is NO reason to quit. It really depends on whether you need your husband to put him to sleep or just want more separation for your own sanity. I did not completely wean my son until after he was 2, but the night weaning took place around 18-20 months. I don't remember exactly. He sleeps in his own bed now (he's 3). We started transitioning him to a mattress next to us a little after he was night-weaned.

Good luck! I'm sure your son will be happiest the longer you continue to nurse, but it is your body, so do what you think is right. I hope this helps! It's hard to find people to talk to about this, since most American moms quit a lot earlier and don't sleep with their kids.

GREAT job allowing him to slef wean and nurse so long. If you can wait, he'll probably do it on his own. Otherwise, try to do it when you are gone. Go to the grocery store or something and have your husband rock him then put him down. It doesn't work so well if you're home and the milk is available. If you're gone, they understand that isn't a choice and will go to sleep MUCh easier.

I weaned mine at 14 months and the nighttime was definitely the hardest time. I understand the feeding to sleep issue. I was very scared to stop that one for fear that he wouldn't have another way.

So we took a deep breath, assumed that we would have a difficult few weeks and got to work. We had a similar routine where I would feed him, he would fall asleep and then we would transfer him to his bed. At some point he woke up and I fed him again in our bed where he fell asleep and stayed. Your boy doesn't sound like you have to worry about the night feedings so that is good!

First I would work on him falling asleep without you and then weaning off the last feeding.

Basically I still fed my son but stopped just before he was completely asleep. We didn't move him at that point, just waited until he fell asleep in my arms. If you catch it right, he is very sleepy and makes a little attempt but sleep will win. Gradually (not sure of the time frame), I could stop it sooner and sooner until I was able to move him to bed fed and very sleepy but not asleep. At some point I gave him a bottle, then a cup before bed instead of me with the same routine. It took us a long time, but I was honestly afraid of a drastic change.

He seemed to make the biggest successful changes when we were on a trip or some big change in the house. Many of our big sleeping or eating milestones came when we were visiting Grandma. She was willing to just try something while we were scared that he would lose his good habits too.

I would just give yourself the time to get it done and take it slowly. Maybe gradually change some of the routines around bedtime, include your husband so he can take over at some point (!) and make him comfortable with the process.

It is a tough one, but you will get there! He is understanding more and more and will accept more than you think!

Good luck!