It's Time to Wean and I Need Some Advice...

What is your rush to stop? You've done such a great job so far. Have you researched the benefits of extended/toddler nursing? Their immune systems are only 60% dev. at this point..... BUT if you are 'done' then drop one feeding then give him some time, about a week, then drop the next. DISTRACTION is key and alot of one on one time. So when you would normally nurse, give him a snack and a story in your lap, not the highchair. THey don't need cow milk, just water, but whatever you're comfortable with: check hormones... Pumping your milk for the cup is a GREAT idea. Talk to your doc about cow or soy milk.

Well he doesn't seem to be nursing very much currently.
What you can do, is as you are doing...just nurse him IF he asks. Then, shorten the length of time you have him at the breast. When you/he are done...get up, pull down your shirt, stand up and busy yourself with something so he gets distracted.

Using Mom's boobies as a "playground" is normal and developmental, but it does not mean he will be "hard" to wean. Its something that they all do at certain ages.

Sure, you can try & pump and put your milk in a sippy cup... how he accepts it varies with each child. It's a major "transition" so it can take time. Does he take other liquids via sippy cup? If not, then it will be a learning thing for him to adjust to.

many babies/children will reject milk from a sippy cup, because it is not like Mommy... but they will take your milk or regular milk from a bottle... this is because they associate a "nipple" with where milk comes from... just like Mommy. It's just a natural instinct.

When he reaches 1 year old, then usually this is the time that milk is introduced... some take it no problem, others reject it. So be prepared for that. Or, some Moms combine milk and breast in varying ratios, gradually, until the proportions is all milk.

Once he is on whole milk, it can be out for up to 2 hours, before you have to dump it, and it will turn sour or be no good.

Some Moms, my friends, have actually put band-aids on their nipples to "wean" their child from breast. Thereby "explaining" to their child that "Mommy has a boo-boo...." Or, "Mommy's milk doesn't work..." But, at 1 years old, they may not yet be mature enough cognitively to fully understand what you mean fully.

If anything, just let him self-wean, since he is not really nursing very much anyway. Just make the frequency less and less... and then shorten how long he is at the breast. And then distract him. The bedtime nursing is usually the hardest to "end." Or, have Daddy do the bedtime routine with him... thereby substituting your breast nursings for something else. But is has to be consistent.

Also, perhaps let him have a "lovey" to bond with... this may help in the transition. My son, LOVES his stuffed cow to bits and sleeps with it.. and he "twiddles" its ears because it is like a "nipple" shape. This "twiddling" is instinctual as well.. and it is a self-soothing skill. Lots of children/babies will "twiddle" their stuffed animal loveys.

You seem to be decided about weaning... so now, it just takes patience.
All the best,
Susan

if pumping your milk and giving it to him by sippy cup, regular cup, straw, in his cereal (even if it's cherios) works for you, then by all means, do it. there's absolutely no reason that he even needs to get whole milk if you can provide all the milk for him. i think the EASIEST transitions are when both you and him agree that it's time.

here are a couple of sites that might give you some insight as well.

http://normalfed.com/Why/wean.html
http://www.breastfeedingweaning.com/
http://www.webmd.com/parenting/features/weaning-your-baby

Hi J.,
I wanted to wean my son shortly after he turned one and was down to just a couple of feedings by then as well. I altered the bed-time routine a bit, hoping to make the transition smoother. He used to get a shower, I'd put him in his pj's, and we'd settle into the glider where I'd nurse him to sleep. I loved this special cuddle time with him (I work, too) and didn't want to give it up. So now, after he's in his pj's, we settle into the glider with a book and a bottle of milk (sippy cup would work if only he'd take it). During the transition, I'd offer a bottle while I was reading, when I was done I'd turn out the light and he'd roll over and latch on until he was asleep. Gradually, he would roll over, but not necessarily nudge at my breast, so I didn't offer it up. Now, when I'm done reading and turn out the light, he rolls over, wraps his arms around my neck, and we cuddle for a bit while I sing him a song and then put him down in his crib. It's really been much easier than I had hoped and I still get my special time with him before bed. Hope this helps!

I have 2 kids and with both of them we went cold turkey! my first son, we slowly tapered off, just like you have, but then one day i decided it was time to be all done, he was 2! so i told him it was done and that was that! with my youngest, i weaned him at 13 months because of medical reasons. it was very hard for both of us to just stop. but i told him very clearly no, it is all done. i dont know how much he understood though. but we would just cuddle and read a book or play quietly. just the 2 of us. it is important to still have that 1 on 1 special time. he cried a lot the first 2 or 3 days, but it got better. the worst part about it all was the engonrgment. babies r us sells cold packs that you wear in your bra. i bought 2 pair and kept on pair in the fridge while i wore the other pair. there are also herbs that can help dry up your supply. sage and thyme and the 2 i remember off the top of my head. i get some empty gel caps from my local health food store and put a little dry herbs in them and took it a couple times a day and it really helped! good luck!

I weaned my son at a year on the dot.. I did the tapering thing just before i did it.. And then we started to just cuddle and i'd lay next to him so we still had our time but no feeding he'd place his hand on it but if i just played with is hair and rubbed his eyebrows and circled his eyes he'd be out in a few minutes.. I'd say feed him before you wash him and brush him becasue milk of any kind can over time cause his teeth to go bad.. and it'd be easier to set the habit now that no food before bed then weaning him from that too.. an hour before bed will hold him over all night.. good luck I hope some of everyones advise helps you

Hi J.!
I went through thinking all of the same things your did back in June. I wanted to have my little man weaned by his birthday so I started going to just 2-3 feedings a day as well. I cut off the night-time bed feeding by having my husband read books to him and put him to bed for me. It was hard for me :0( It took a few nights and he got used to it. I was down to 1 feeding in the middle of the night. I got up with him and gave him a sippy cup with milk. It took about a week and a little "crying it out" and he was done about a week after his birthday. He always hated bottles so he just used a sippy cup. You really have to be emotionally ready for it, so make sure you are! Let me know if you need additional info! Good Luck!
S.

My kids never took a bottle either. When I weaned them I would let them start using a sippy cup with water a while before they were weaned 6-9mo. so they could get used to it. Once they passed a year and could drink regular cows milk they would start drinking the milk in the cup (mostly at mealtimes, water the rest of the time). Each one was different, but it was hard on both of us when they were tired, but I would use singing to transition from nursing to get them to sleep.

-R., SAHM of 4.