Help Me Stop Brestfeeding Please

I weaned very gradually and was done when my son was about 2.5 years old. It was easier to take it slow - fewer issues with engorgement. Plus he was old enough to understand that he was a big boy, that mommy was running out of milk, etc. Talk to him, let him know what's going on, take away the ones he's least interested in one at a time. Find other ways to comfort/cuddle, cause that's what he really wants/needs. Good luck!

My daughter is 2 years and 4 months and she still breastfeeds. Why are you embarrassed? You should not be shamed out of breastfeeding. If you have other reasons i suggest a gradual weaning, ive started to wean my daughter but she is very dependent on me at night, so my weaning is very gradual. I think i might try the bandaid trick soon to see if i can get her to try to fall asleep without suckling, but so far other methods have not worked.

Sometimes babys want to stay attached longer than others, other babies self wean early, If your only reason is embarrassment i would not reccomend any abrupt weaning.

breastfeeding over the age of two is very common in other countries where the breast is less sexualized, Its all about eye of the beholder. breastmilk continues to be helpful well into the second year and it should be something we wear with pride, not shame, to have carried it this far.

It certainly would have been easier to wean at 6 months beforethe baby could protest, and start wearing little tiny cute bras again, being able to take medicine again, sleeping with both arms down again, lol

Whatever you decide i want you to remember its good that you stayed this long, not bad.

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Seriously, if you are done you need to just tell him they are broken and put some bandaids on your nipples and tell him no. It will only take a few days for him to totally forget all about them. Just do it.

There's going to be a lot more times in his life where YOU need to make the decisions and make things happen--or not.

Instead of searching for weaning articles online - look up extended nursing or toddler nursing. There is nothing embarrassing or disgusting about your 2 y/o son still breastfeeding. Every single other nation in the world - toddler nursing is a more common thing - stop letting the ignorant American sexualization of breasts and children make the normal act of breastfeeding into such a dirty, unsavory thing to do.

When he doesn't 'need it' anymore - he will stop. You will not have a kindergartner coming home to nurse from you - I promise! My daughter self weaned at 4.5 y/o... she was rarely sick, was able to avoid being admitted to the hospital when a slew of her friends had to be for the rota virus, is top of her class at a very hoity toity private school and she is the youngest.

The antibodies, specialized proteins, fats, carbs and sugars and enzymes never have a shelf life - they are ALWAYS beneficial. Scientists and Drs are trying to get animals - thru DNA manipulation - to produce HUMAN breastmilk instead of their own species' breastmilk because they use the breastmilk in therapies for cancer and HIV/AIDS patients.

Just stop, "close the shop", put tape over your nipples and say they are "broken"- whatever he will respond to. Leave a straw cup (he's too old for a sippy) out with water throughout the day and feed him regular meals with a snack in the afternoon. Make it a routine and breastmilk is not part of that routine.

If he tries to nurse, remind him verbally that he's too old to be breastfeeding and offer him a cup of water or cow's milk. He won't starve himself and he will eat when he's hungry/ drink when he's thirsty. If your milk isn't available, he will eventually take what is offered.

Me: my kids self-weaned. My choice.

My son self-weaned at about 1 year old.
My Daughter at about 2.5 years old.

Per my Daughter, and her age at that time, I also explained that, there are manners about it. It is MY boobs. NOT in public. NO grabbing me and just pulling on my shirt. Asking nicely etc.
If she asked, I would also sometimes tell her "In a minute, Mommy is busy..." then I would make myself busy. And not sit down. Then she'd get distracted and forget about it.

Then one day, she told me that she doesn't drink from me anymore and then she giggled like it was so funny that she did that. And it was done. That's it. She stopped.

For my friends who's kids were older.... a couple of them put Band-Aids on their nipples. They told their child "Mommy's milk is broken....", or "Mommy has a boo-boo...." And they said that worked for them. They just reapplied Band-Aids until their kid forgot about it.

I breastfed my daughter until the month before she went to preschool (she was about 34 months old) and we did a very gradual weaning. I timed how long she was typically nursing for which was about 7 minutes and got a timer and set it for a few seconds shorter than that. Then every few days I would decrease the time. We set a date on the calendar and talked about how she was a big girl and didn't need to nurse any more. By the last week she was down to 3 seconds per nursing so obviously she didn't "need" it. It was definitely a comfort ritual so we still had cuddle time around the times she used to nurse and we had no issues at all. Because of the gradual nature of the weaning process she had time to adjust to it and I never got engorged -- just dried up naturally. That method worked really well for both of us. I got a lot of flack from a lot of people for nursing her that long but it was right for us. I didn't want her going to school still nursing and I had just gotten pregnant again and wanted a long enough break for her so that she didn't see the new sibling as usurping her place at the breast.
Good luck!

My friend had a similar issue. She simply told her daughter that was the end, that they weren't going to do that anymore. The daughter said, "Bye-Bye." and that was it. Hope it goes that easily for you.

Lots of diff advice here! If you feel like you are done, not just because you fear embarassment--then by all means wean! Toddler nursing isn't for all. I would not go the bandaid over the nipples route. Cut out certain less desired nursing sessions and provide alternative ways for him to get his bonding time with you--special big boy activities that are not conducive to nursing, outdoor time. He will adjust--just go slow and be consistent. Does he still nurse at night or cosleep? That may make it harder--something to consider. Good luck! I enjoyed the 4 month weaning period with my 1 year old! She adjusted really well--no tears about it--followed her lead but guided her to what I wanted!

You should consult an expert-but there are things you can do. You could go away for a weekend, you could paint that bitter tasting substance on you-the one used to get kids to stop nail biting-or you could just say no and tell your son he is too old.

I nursed my 1st until he was 2y9m and honestly would have nursed him longer, but I was 4 mos pregnant with my 2nd and was having a lot of breast pain.I nursed my second for 3y4 months. With both of them, I took away the least important feeding during the day and kept them busy during that feeding, and gave them their whatever one of their fav snacks was. I took one feeding away about every 2-4 weeks. I weaned my son faster bc of the circumstances but I still gave him 2 months. I had a little engorgement but not too bad. I took 4 months with my daughter and had no pain at all. Good luck and don't be embarrassed-you have done a great thing for your son!

T.,

My son also breastfed until he was about the same age your son is now. I also thought he was never going to stop. He would sometimes go two or three days without breastfeeding, then the next night or morning want to breastfeed again. He eventually was weaned for good when my husband and I took a ten day trip without him. It was a honeymoon trip that had been planned for a over a year, so it wasn't like we planned the trip as a to wean him, but it's the thing that finally worked. Don't know if you want to try something that drastic, but it worked.

I dont really have advice just a hug. I am going through the same thing. i didnt brtfd my first two but my third could figure it out and it was easy. he will be three in june. i have him off all day time boob time. He still gets it before bed and trhough out night if he wakes up. we co-sleep so if i get up to pee he normally gets bumped and wakes up. its really annoying. I like you have no idea how to stop. its like crack at seven thirty every night he breaks down and until he gets it he goes nuts. my family all think i am insane for still nursing him but no one is iffering to take him for the weekend so he has to be separated. which i am convinced is the only way it is going to happen. good luck mama hang in there.

libby