Weaning Baby - San Diego,CA

That's exactly where we were at 17 months...they start to get demanding. But if that's your only reason for saying it's not working...well, we are at 28 months and still going, but you know what? I want to be done now.

At least, I thought I did.

I began the weaning process yesterday. I decided I would ONLY nurse at naptime and at nighttime. I took her shopping, bought her a couple of new cups, and explained it to her AGAIN (getting bigger, mommy doesn't feed sister, etc etc.) Of course, this is a fully conversational child at this point.

So, okay, it worked. She let me hold her and give her the cup, I fed her at naptime. I had to run an errand last night, and the last thing she said to me was "Momma, come back!!! Feed you!" And I said, "I will be back in about an hour, and I will feed you then."

So, I got home, and she was asleep in the armchair. I have never felt so guilty and awful in my life. It was a crazy, crazy thing...and I had the thought that I do NOT want to do this!!!

I have been pressured to do it because of what my mother thinks, and because I've been dealing with kidney stones and refusing certain narcotics, I've had a few doctors tell me I need to quit so I can have the better dope, basically. But those reasons have NOTHING to do with me, my lovely little girl, or common sense.

So I'm not sure if that's helpful or not, I just wanted to share because I am RIGHT NOW in the same boat as you. What did I do today? Fed her all day long, whenever she wanted, because she's not going to be a baby much longer and I want it to end on our terms, not someone elses.

I do encourage you in whatever decision you make, however, and the cup and holding thing appeared as though it would work.

Please don't give your 17 month old a bottle of formula. She isn't a baby anymore, she is a toddler, she can drink milk out of a cup.

In any case, weaning is a painful process for mom because it's a giving up of babyhood. With both of my kids, they weaned easily by 14 months, and while I cried, they were fine. Offer a cup, just tell her she is a big girl now and drinks out of a cup. 17 months old usually want to be big. Pick one feeding, offer the cup, and hang tight. My kids usually just said "ok," and then asked me for the cup. In fact, what I thought would be a 3 month long weaning process with my son was 1 day! He wanted nothing to do with me when he discovered he could just have a cup --like his big sister.

Way to go for nursing 17 months! Standing ovation :-D

I weaned my oldest at that exact age for the same reasons. I called him my little boob monster, I think he'd be happy if I just walked around with my shirt off and let him nurse 24/7. I was so over it!

When I weaned him, I just waited until my husband was off work for several days, so I could disappear at nap time, bedtime, all our regular nursing times. It only took my son about 4 days of this and he never asked for it again. I was shocked at how easy it was. Also I never had any problems with engorgement doing it this way.

The downside that I realized later and was kicking myself, was that breastmilk was keeping his allergies at bay. A few weeks after I weaned him, he started getting chronic ear infections, sinus infections, tonsillitis, bronchitis, to the point where he was on antibiotics at least once a month!

When my daughter was born, a nurse suggested I give my son pumped milk for his allergies. I was skeptical, but I tried giving him about 6oz breastmilk with 1-2oz pediasure once a day. Within a week, his sinus & ear problems were all but gone.

So, what I highly recommend if you can pull it off, is to wean your child from you, but continue to pump milk and let her have that instead of formula or cow's milk. That way if your child has any health issues, lactose intolerance, etc. you still have options.

Good luck!

you are a great mom for nursing her 17 months, way to go!!
some insights from my part (been there...):
maybe consider to only reduce the nursing frequency than completely wean her. there are so many benefits for her even at that age!
eg. keep her morning drink, nap time and before bedtime. start with weaning her at night. also you can tell her that she can only nurse at home and at these hours. I think she will understand just try to be consistent.

i wish you all the best for you and your girl!

First you need to be strong because this is a process, I would start by nursing her in the morning, But at night give her formula if you lay next to her while she drinks it she will still feel the closeness. Then after a couple of weeks you just switch to the bottle in the morning too. She may not want to drink from it at first but if she knows your not going to nurse her she will drink..It is hard I know I have done it 3 times.