Any Mom Who Has Advice!!!

I would cut out one nursing session every few days or so. Eventually only nursing at bedtime. For every other time, give her pumped breast milk in a "big girl" cup that she helps you pick out. Splurge and let her pick out whatever character cup, or the Playtex create-my-own cup with your picture in it. You can also later change that to watered down juice or gradually dilute the breast milk with regular milk. When she wants to nurse during the day, offer her warm breast milk in her special big girl cup and tell her you are busy doing...(whatever). She won't feel so rejected if you really are busy. Make her see that the advantage to a big girl cup is that she can have the milk at the park, at the store, etc...

Good luck!

A.,

This sounds a little cold hearted, but when she's thirsty enough she'll drink. You might also try having your husband offer a bottle, or sippy cup, whatever you plan to use. I've been told that an infant can smell her lactating mother from around 20 feet away. I don't know if that's true or not.

I don't really know what to tell you, both my kids weaned themselves before one year old.

Good luck,
M.

Have you tried placing your breast milk into a bottle with a silicon nipple, about as large as your breast, warming it with your hand- yet? (Slowly replacing it with a new drink that is a different milk source, or with just a cup rather than the bottle at all.) Sometimes it takes a bit of you to get a child to step away. At 15 months, your child should be easily using cups. Have you tried giving him something exciting and new to drink, too (Small doses) like juice, with a spill proof cup?

A lot of babies LOVE how easy your breast is, and simply refuse to take on the challenge of being forced to work for their meal.

Does she like solid foods? If so, perhaps you can leak out some forumla into the mixture of the food, to add the nutrients you will be holding back with your breast milk. You have to let go, and let her start learning on her own, that you're not going to be her breast milk Mommy--forever.

try goats milk only milk my son would take for awhile

A good way to start is with "don't offer, don't refuse" combined with distraction. Basically... you never offer the breast, but you never refuse to nurse when she seems to really need to. If possible, then distract her with another activity.

I haven't personally weaned either of my daughters yet, but I have friends who have and they started with the method I mentioned - which is also what I plan on doing when we get to that point. My friends also didn't wean their children to the bottle. Then you just have to wean them from the bottle later on. All my friends' children went straight from the breast to a sippy and then to a regular cup.

Best wishes!
~B.

Well, I did go cold turkey at 20 months because I just kept losing weight and was very tired. My daughter cried one night and really wanted to nurse but my PA said just tell her the nursing went bye bye. So, 24 hours later and believe it or not- nursing went bye bye. I mourned that special time but was very proud of myself for sticking to what I needed. We were all happier. If you have a partner/husband, make sure they support you through the process.

Good Luck!

I had this problem with my second daughter... I eventually had to go cold turkey, she left me no other option. My daughter refused to eat for about a day and a half. I called her ped in tears and felt terrible. She eventually gave in and today she loves milk. I think it was strawberry milk that she first started drinking. For the sake of your sanity I hope someone else will have better advice for you... If not, hang in there! -J..

I tried to quit at 18 months..first time she got the flu so it was comforting to continue and that's all she would eat. Second time I got mastitis so had to keep going. Third time we were out of town it was 1am and it was the only way she would sleep. About a week later (at 21 months) she turned away from it and we were done! By this point it was naptime and nighttime only sice she was drinking other liquids and eating solid foods. My daughter is very independent and does everything cold turkey when she's ready then there's no regression. I know not to try to get her to do anything she's not trying on her own because I'll be met with resistance. Good luck!

Use a Sippy Cup. You can also mix your milk with soy milk... This will help with the taste.
Stay away form chocolate milk. This can promote tooth decay.
Good luck
B.

With my first, I discovered that if I gave him juice in a bottle he was tempted enough to actually drink it (though he would never drink a bottle of milk). Once he would take the bottle with juice, I slowly started adding milk -- first just a fourth of it was milk, then a half, eventually he took straight milk from a bottle. This same method might work with a cup. Sadly, with my second there was absolutely nothing that would make her give in except for going cold turkey!

Just offer fluids in the sippy cup. Relax about the milk. Neither of my kids are crazy about milk. Just offer lots of water and juices... You can even find them fortified with Calcium if you are concerned. As for weaning. I weaned my 2.5 yr old by never sitting down around him for too long, be a moving target. Just go one nursing session at a time and get some help from your partner. I would have them help with putting down for naps/bedtime and offer a sippy before nursing.

If you child is taking it hard, maybe consider nursing longer. When they are ready, they really do give it up easily. My 1st really didn't protest and my second son is still nursing at 22 months, but it's becoming less and less. I'm thinking he will be weaned soon on his own.