Breast Feeding - Saint Simons Island,GA

You've already gotten some good advice. Just substitute breastfeeding with something else more frequently. He may prefer chocolate milk or juice. I know some people would be appalled at the idea of chocolate milk, but my pediatrician said that if they are at a healthy weight it's okay. It's better that then no milk and you can always offer plain milk first. My rule is that if they have already had junk food or are eating something that is already sweet, they have to have plain milk. They can have chocolate milk otherwise. And there may be sugar free chocolate mix. I agree with what someone else said, if he's biting you, you need to tell him no and put him down. One of my sons bit me, but after a few times of that, he simply weaned himself.

Do it with love. You must make your breasts unavailable to him and do not chastise him when he reaches down into your shirt. I would suggest gently moving his hands away when he reaches into your shirt and offer him a drink of water, juice, or cow's milk. You didn't mention how often he is nursing. Once a day? Twice? Depending on how often he nurses will determine if you can just cut him off completely. The worse thing you can do is cut him off without any warning or preparation. I would suggest keeping the most important session (morning or night) until the very last session to go. Cut out all the other sessions and replace them with something else like cuddle time, reading, a little snack, drink of juice, playing a game. The idea is to distract him from wanting the breast. He may be nursing for comfort and he can get that comfort from you elsewhere. If he is thirsty/hungry, he can get that from a drink from a sippy cup and/or a snack. Wean with love and it will go easier. You prepare him by telling him that the milk is going away. The milk needs to go on vacation...whatever you choose to say to your baby but once you cut out a session, don't let him "bully" you into nursing him for that session again. Usually it's best to cut out one session at a time and after a few days or how ever long it takes for you and your baby to adjust, then you cut out another session. The last session to go is usually the morning or night and it can take longer but with love, you can do it. You may need the support and assistance from your husband. Perhaps he can take the baby and you disappear for a while like maybe a shower and let your husband handle giving the baby a drink of cows milk or water or snack.

I'd just tell him "no more," "all gone." I nursed 3 of mine for 24 months and when I was finished nursing, I just stopped and they didn't seem to notice. My first weened himself at 9 months so I'm not familiar with a child that won't stop. =) Congratulations on nursing him for so long. I think that's AWESOME! Good luck with weening him! I'm sure he'll figure this out in no time. Hang in there!

I would try delaying each nursing session as long as possible with whatever distractions you can come up with. You could start by delaying five minutes from his first "attack" :) and work your way up five minutes at a time. If he can learn to wait a bit for each nursing, he will eventually let them drop off his radar all together. You will also have to be strong and not give in to his tantrums. I know that will be so hard because you know you have exactly what he wants. But when you start to resent/dislike nursing, in my opinion it is time to stop. Good luck!

**edited to add: Have you tried giving him expressed breastmilk in a sippy?

Just tell him your boobies hurt and they have a booboo. Kids understand this type of thing. Just say no. He'll cry and sulk, but there isn't a reason for you to keep enduring this especially if it is painful or uncomfortable to you. He isn't a fan of cow's milk because he isn't used to it. It takes a while for kids to start liking something new. You could give him strawberry milk or add chocolate to it and then slowly make it more diluted with regular milk. You could add ice to it and he'll think it is a fancy adult drink. My son always wanted what we drank. You could let him pick out his own sippy cup at the store or a cup with his name on it. You could skip milk altogether and just give him yogurt and calcium fortified drinks or foods. But, you're the mom and you need to stand firm. If you say no, mean it and don't give in.

This is funny but it works for some kids.....put bandaids over both your nipples and tell him boo boos for several days. Soon enough he will stop asking and all will be well.

Weston Price. com has a great step by step that will make this easier.
Goat milk? Good possibility. Barley milk too.
STAY AWAY from soy.
Best, k

With my son anytime he would bite me while nursing I would take him off, and say "NO BITE" and would stop nursing for a minute or two, trust me he got the message. Then when I felt I was done nursing I first stopped the morning feeding first. When he woke up I would take him straight to his high chair for breakfast, with cow's milk. I always served the cow's milk ice cold, and told him it was cow's milk like big boys drink. He wasn't a fan at first, but after a little while he preferred real food and cow's milk to nursing. I know it's really hard, but in time he'll stop.

Wow, sorry to hear he's biting you. That's not fun! I can understand why you don't want to keep getting bitten. I don't think you should substitute human milk for cows milk, your son is not a calf. I do think you need to tell him that he's hurting you (in whatever way that works) and that he can't nurse if he's hurting you. Have you contacted La Leche League in your area? There is one on Vassar point dr according to google.
Perhaps you can figure out a way to stop his biting and wean naturally? You can try to snuggle with him in lieu of nursing/biting too as that's awesome for connection.

Good luck!

Why is a toddler nursing making you feel uncomfortable? Most children will nurse until 3 or 4 y/o unless they are shamed or guilted into weaning by the parents. My motto is "Don't ask, don't refuse" - which means you don't offer him the breast, but when he asks for it, you allow him to nurse.

The biting is a behavior you can stop by being consistent and stern. Simply say "Stop, no biting", if he does it again after you say that - take him off and wait 10 minutes. Make him understand biting equals no nursing.

As for sticking the hand down the shirt... part of that is a simple way of centering themselves to feel safe and loved - the other part is impatience. Simply teach him to 'wait'. You let him know you cannot have him nurse now, but if he waits until you get to the car/house/bedroom/etc... he will quickly grasp the idea.

I stopped nursing my daughter at 13 months, and I just substituted rocking her at naptime and bedtime. She wasn't too happy the first couple of days, but then she adjusted. I wanted to address the other problems, though: if he is biting you, you should immediately remove him from the breast and put him down/in his crib so that he associates biting with not being allowed to nurse. As far as him pulling at your shirt, I would say that is another time to put him down. Put him in a stroller or shopping cart, or hand him off to Daddy, and make sure you say a firm "no" so that he knows that is unacceptable. Those kinds of behaviors can quickly turn into a bad habit. Good luck to you and remember, this, too, shall pass!

I know how you feel. Nursing was the only way to get my second son to sleep and keep him asleep. He finally quit just after he turned 2. I had only planned to nurse for a year, but he just would not stop and I needed to get some sleep. He referred to it as the "Ba". My OB/gyn recommended using "the thumb", it is what parents paint on thumb suckers to get them to stop. So I finally gave it, I put just a tiny bit on my nipple as he suggested ( it smells and tastes pretty bad). The first time he latched on, he pulled back looked at me, looked at the nipple then said " mommy got yucky ba". I gave him a cup immediately because it is yucky. From this point all he had to do was smell it when he got close and he was not interested in it at all. I did not think he would ever stop either - but this worked and he stopped cold turkey!! So this worked for me and was ob/gyn suggest. Good luck!

I nursed all 4 of my children and all of them ended nursing differently. My last was the hardest. Everytime i would sit down, she thought it was time to nurse. It took me 2 weeks and alot of standing but I finally broke her. I always had milk, water, or juice to offer. They will not starve but you are incharge of your body and it is more of a comfort to your child now than a necessity. Good Luck it can be tough but you will make it. Congrats on nursing 2 kids:)

Who is in charge? What will he do if you stop? Will he actually refuse to eat? Your pediatrition could give you could advice about what a healthy process regarding weaning him onto food. But there are two issues. One is his physical health and the other is lovingly letting him know that you are the one in his life that makes the decitions.

I always felt the terrible twos should be called the terrible 1-3s. As each child potty trains or talks and walks at different ages, so different children try to demand they be number one. So, this is the time in his life for you to 'encourage' him, sweetly but firmly that he can't have his way when it is not good for him. Allowing him to nurse after the biting has begun and he hasn't stopped, is not good for him., Again, God put you in the family to be the mother. Not a tyrant but a mother who oversees and directs his life giving freedom where helpful and form where helpful. Hope this helps some. Cat

Try making him some chocolate milk! Good luck.