How to Stop Breastfeeding.

You don't have to ween at 16 months unless you've just gotten to where you hate it.

My first weened herself naturally close to her 2nd birthday (I think she went on vacation with her grandparents - it might have simply been a long weekend).

My 2nd I had to ween cold-turkey when I was in preterm labor with my 3rd. She was right at 2 but she didn't want to ween. I wish I hadn't had to do that.

My 3rd I weened at 10 or 11 months when I was pregnant with my 4th, and it seemed like she did the transition OK although I don't remember all the details.

My 4th stopped somewhere around a year & a half and it was a mostly natural weening like my 1st.

My "baby" is almost 3 & still nurses for a few minutes each day, at bedtime or in the mornings. Neither of us are in a hurry for him to "grow up".

If your daughter is just not ready, consider giving her a few more months. It usually happens on its own. I'm glad I wasn't in a hurry to end that special relationship unless there was a reason I really had to.

How I weened my son, I would give him a sippy cup with milk or juice or water and give him a snack and sat on the floor and played with him and I did that for each feeding I wanted to stop, they will cry for it but you have to stick to your guns and not give in, it worked for my son. After the third day he didnt want it. Once I knew he was done with the one feeding I would ween the next one.

Good LUck
G.

I think that it is great that you have breastfeed you daughter this long. But by what you are saying, I don't think she wants to stop so maybe you should let her ween herself. There is so many advantages for extended nursing and here is an article that explains.
http://www.mothering.com/articles/new_baby/breastfeeding/...

I know you wanted some advice on how to ween but I hope this helps.

A.

Let her wean naturally. Honestly it is the best way. She will get down to two nursing sessions a day (ie. morning and right before bed), and maybe at times where she is upset or hurt. That is where I am right now with my 2 year old. My first two nursed til they were around three. I see the same thing happening with this one too. Your little girl will stop when she is ready. Besides it is just torture for her for you to just let her scream. Make this a gentle process.

I just dropped one feeding at a time. I dropped the ones of "least importance" first. I substituted the nursing with a sippy of milk or water or a snack or just tried to distract her with games, reading books, etc. My daughter was pretty easy about it, she really weaned herself shortly after her 1st bday. She was totally ready... I wasn't.

Kudos to you for breastfeeding for so long, that's awesome!

No need to quit unless you really are not enjoying the breastfeeding connection. She will wean when she is ready. If you really wish to end this connection, be persistant and use a lot of distraction methods. There likely will be a lot of tears, but within a few days, she will adjust to your choice. Good Luck. Kati

My kids nursed until they were 2 and I just gradually cut back on the frequency until we were only nursing at bedtime. That made it relatively convenient for me and it was good for the kids.

I know how you feel. I nurse my daughter for about 18 months, mainly because she was not ready to stop. What I did was gradually cut back on the number of times a day I nurse until she was just nursing at nap and bed times. Then I slowly got her used to taking a sippy cup of water at those times instead of nursing. Eventually she just decided she was ready to do without. Good luck, eventually you will succeed!

I would just let her ween naturally. My first weened at 2 years a few months after I became pregnant. I didn't push her at all, thus it was low stress for all of us. My second is going to be 2 in a few weeks and has no sign of weening, but I plan to let her ween naturally. I figure she knows what she needs right now. I feel I should enjoy this time while I can... nursing is such a special time to bond with your little one. She will be weened before you know it. I don't know if you have had pressure from others to ween or if it is your own desire, but if it others don't let it get to you. You are doing a wonderful thing for your daughter by nursing her... any length of time. Good luck!

It is great that you have breastfed your child! I would encourage you to slowly stop a feeding at a time until she is weaned. I started with the feeding right before bed because it is the hardest. I would also nurse her half the time you usually do. It is easier on you to do it slowly as it gives your body time to adjust. You can do the research but I have read and heard many times that after a year your breast milk doesn't have the nutritional value that your child needs. It is more of a habit to yourself and the child. She will make the adjustment! Good luck!!

I went on vacation and that worked for me.

good luck
M.

I understand that most children will ween naturally, usually between 18 & 24 months. This will often happen sooner if you become pregnant. The flavor of the milk will change. This is nature's way of encouraging early weening to allow Mom's body to only be supporting the pregnancy. It can really deplete a mother's body to nurse a child while pregnant with another. I also understand that children are more likely to ween themselves naturally with a SAHM. It is harder to give it up if Mom is away during the day.

My story's a bit unusual and may not work for you if you have already tried it and your daughter is already feeling protective about the issue. But, I thought I would share it in order to, perhaps, inspire some creative thinking that might help you recognize the signs when she is ready.

My son was about 20 months old. He only thought about nursing at bedtime. One day I did some work in the yard and needed to shower in the middle of the day, which is unusual for me. After the shower, I slipped on my nightgown just to walk to the bedroom to get dressed. My son saw me in the hall and followed me, wanting to nurse. I thought, "Hmmm, he never asks to nurse during the day, only at night." Then I realized I was wearing my nightgown. I slept in casual day-wear for two weeks and he never asked to nurse again.

So, you might want to be patient a while longer and look for signs of the conditions that trigger her to think of nursing. Then you can quietly alter those conditions and see if that makes a difference.

Good luck!

i know you want suggestions on how to stop breast feeding...but i think the best way is to let them wean themself just like most other mothers here have said. my son nursed for about 17 months and he just naturally quit on his own. i don't know about you, but when any baby would cry or scream...it just made me leak. so when my son would cry...i thought 'why not nurse him since i'm leaking anyway.' you can do it and your daughter will to! good luck to you!!

Call your local La Leche League Leader. They should be in the phone book or on the web. They can give you great tips on weaning. (Don't worry, they won't push you to keep nursing. They want to help support you in doing what is best for both you and your baby and if you're ready to wean they'll coach you on how to do it in a loving way that's healthy for both of you.) It will be a gradual process. Probably replacing one feeding at a time with a bottle over a period of time. It will be better for you (less painful from engorgement and less chance of infection) and also less scary for your little one. Good luck and great job nursing her as long as you did. My baby is 11 months and we're working hard to make it at least through the first year and I know it's not easy!

Is there a reason you need her to stop? I breast fed both my children and my youngest nursed a bedtime until he was almost 3 years old. I was ready for him to stop by that age of course, so I gradually and conveintly would be gone at his bedtime. The more he missed feedings, the less milk I produced and I always talked about that. I kept telling him that momma had no more milk there. He still wanted to comfort of the breast and sometimes just wanted to fall asleep next to my chest or with his head or hand touchin one of them. Soon, he got over it. I never regret the time spent nursing my children and would so again for just as long. Don't stop because someone else thinks you should. Many women nurse until their child is ready to stop. That is the advice my Dr. always gave me and I will pass onto you. Enjoy it! You'll never be closer than this to your child!

When I was weening my daughter, I just gradually stopped. I gave her more solid food, and slowly breastfed her less until we only breastfed at night. She didn't have any problems with it, and I didn't have any painful transition either. I had a goal of being done with breastfeeding completely by the time she was two, so the night feedings stopped after she turned two.

I know that La Leche League is usually suggested for mothers wanting to continue breastfeeding, but they have tons of great ideas for weaning and talking with a Leader could help you put together a plan that will help you to ease your daughter off the breast and keep things as postive as possible for both of you. If you are not entirely sure that you want to wean, they also have a lot of information on the benefits of extended breastfeeding. The breastfeeding relationship should be a positive one, so if you are unhappy with it, then you should certainly change something. Anyway, that's my two cents. You can check out their website at www.llli.org and you can find a local Leader that you can call for free information. You may also want to find a group near you and attend a meeting. There are probably a lot moms that have been through your sort of situation and would be happy to share their experience.

Oh it's hard. I nursed my first for 2 years and my second for 15 months. I don't know how to stop for sure because everyone is different but I can give you some pointers!

1. Never Never offer nursing.
2. Anytime she asks try to offer her a glass of milk or distract her with something.
3. If you normally sit in a certain place try not to sit there when she is near, it will remind her to nurse.
4. Never Never offer....did I already say that
5. Distract, Distract
6. Minimize how much you talk about it. Don't discuss it with her, she will just want to do it more.

Good luck. I promise she won't be 3 and nursing, even though it feels that way.

Distraction, Distraction, Distraction!!! When weened my 16 mth old I would try to direct his attention elsewhere. Playing games, going to the park and offering snacks and cups. I avoided sitting in the spot where we normally nursed. I still nursed but tried not to let him nurse as long and tried to cut it down a feeding every day or two. Finding someone else (dad!) to put him to bed will help too, even if you nurse for 5 minutes and then hand her over for him to soothe to sleep. It took a couple weeks of gradually increasing the times in between nursing for my son to be completely weened. If there was ever a food that made your milk undesirable to her you could try eating it more often. If you ween slowly it will be more comfortable for you both!

You don't have to ween now unless you are ready to. If you are feeling pressure from elsewhere make sure it is your decision. Congrats on nursing so long!!

Try giving her breastmilk in a bottle or sippy cup. If she won't take it from you, then try having your husband or her brother give it to her. Then you can switch to soy milk or formula. The first step is night time weaning, at least thats how we did it. My husband would have to wake up in the night, and either just comfort them or give a bottle of soy milk. They wouldn't have it from me, since I had the real stuff. But once that was over it was easier for me to cut back during the day. I nursed at nap time for a long time. That was the last one to go. My husband helped by putting the girls to bed and so that cut out the nursing at bed time. He still does that, and its a nice time for them, and a nice break for me.
Good luck! Its a process.