Weaning a Two Year Old from Nursing

Updated on June 05, 2010
R.M. asks from Denton, TX
6 answers

My daughter will be two at the end of the month and still nurses often. She typically nurses before her nap, when she wakes up from her nap, before bed time, and around six am. She will sometimes nurse mid-morning as well. I have been waiting for her to take the initative in weaning, but she has not shown any signs of slowing down . . . and my husband has insisted that she stop asap. For mothers who have nursed a child around this age, how did you go about the process of weaning? How long did it take before your child stopped asking to nurse? My daughter eats table food well and drinks milk occassionally, but prefers to still nurse multiple times of the day. She will say (when I offer her something other than nursing) "No, Mommy, I want to nurse". I appreciate any advice on the subject.

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P.G.

answers from Dallas on

I nursed till 2.5 years old and gradually reduced feedings. Tell your husband you will be cutting down over the next 6 months. Cold turkey will hurt like heck cause of engorgement. I didn't have a problem with that at all. Cut out the non-sleep related nursing one at a time (the 6am, after nap, and mid morning). that'll be the easiest. She's doing it more for comfort, so snuggle without nursing. Be honest - tell her you don't have as much milk and can't do the one time you're cutting out. Keep working your way through them one at a time. Good luck.

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S.B.

answers from Redding on

My advice is to just slowly minimize the number of nursing sessions.
Would she rather nurse before s nap or after? It sounds like she could do without the mid morning nursing since she eats food. The 6 am nursing...maybe you can give her something else for breakfast.
She has a nursing routine and you will have to change it for her by cutting it down until she's done all together.
My son was cold turkey'd at 15 months because I had to go into the hospital. I had to have medications prior to surgery that would have harmed my son if I broke down and nursed to the few days leading up to me being admitted were tough. But, he did great while I was in the hospital and was completely over the nursing thing by the time I got home. I wouldn't have done it that way if I'd had the choice, but my son did just fine. I didn't have time to cut down or alleviate a nursing session here or there....it was just over. My son bears no emotional scars over it. I'm still the best thing on the planet as far as he's concerned.
I'm not advocating cold turkey, but kids do survive it if it has to happen.
And they do survive changing in nursing schedules. They really do.
My daughter self weaned early on, but many older kids don't do it if it is their routine. They like it and won't necessarily take the initiative.
Just scale back on how many times a day you nurse and tell her that she's getting bigger and mommy's milk is going away a little bit.
She doesn't need your breast for nutrition anymore really, it's just a comfort thing which there's nothing wrong with, but many kids won't just take it upon themselves to say they're done with something that is to integral to their routine.

Best wishes.

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S.H.

answers from Honolulu on

I was still nursing my daughter at that age... and SHE self-weaned at about 2.5 years old. On her own.
My Husband, was PROUD of me, for doing this, and he had the same feelings about it as I did. He was proud I breastfed and allowed our kids to self-wean. I still did have milk.
My son self-weaned at about 1 year old.

What I also did was, talk with my daughter about it... no demands, but explaining that one-day.... she will be not needing to nurse and she'd be a big girl. I also would sometimes, if she asked, I would say "in a minute, Mommy is busy..." and then I would not sit down and make myself busy. Then she'd get distracted and forget about it.

My friends with kids that same age, put Band-aids on their nipples, and explained "Mommy has an owie..." or, 'Mommy's milk doesn't work anymore..." and they said that worked for them. Successfully.

My daughter was fully eating foods and drinking whole milk. But she still nursed. But as I said, she self-weaned... even though she was very attached to it and me.

I also taught my daughter "manners" about it... that it is my boobs... and that she can't just lift up my shirt or 'demand' it, and not in public. She was polite about it.

all the best,
Susan

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T.F.

answers from San Diego on

I nursed my son until he was almost 2. I really think that stoppping was harder on me then him. I reduced the number of feeding one at a time. Take away the ones that she has, that are not sleep related first. I found that as long as I was not sitting down he didn't mine not nursing but as soon as I sat in the recliner he thought it was time. So try keeping busy during those times of day and keep her distracted. We finally got down to nap time and bedtime. With naptime I slowly reduced the amount of time that he BF for and then finally we were down to just minutes then nothing. Bedtime was the hardest. I did the same thing with reducing the time and filling the cuddling time reading books and talking. While we read he would have a sippy cup of warm cows milk. It worked but is took about a week. I think total it took about a month for him to be completly off the breast.

Good Luck! Also remind your husband of all the great benifits of breastfeeding and ask him if he would like his favorite food to disappear. My husband was the same way at the end. He was supportive for the first year but honestly I think he just wanted my breasts back for his own enjoyment. While I was BF I was never comfortible with him touching me on my breasts.

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K.C.

answers from Wichita on

My son was 2 yrs. & 2 mo. when I weaned him. I was drying up & it was getting painful. He was only nursing for comfort (everytime he hurt himself & when cuddling). It was at least 6 mo. before he stopped asking & pulling at my shirt. We cuddled instead of nursing & I gave him a sippy cup of milk at the same time. He is 4 1/2 y/o now. There are still times when we cuddle & he grabs my breasts & I have to remind him that they are mine & he needs to stop touching them.
I would cut out feedings that are not around sleeping. Maybe one feeding a week. Then work on the nap/night feedings. Try finding a cup with a soft spout & offer it instead of nursing (you could even warm the milk).
God bless!

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T.I.

answers from Amarillo on

Great question. My son is the same way and I am ready for him to be done.

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