I thought this would be hard for me to share with you, because I love nursing through babyhood and toddlerhood, but I find it a little relieving this time around.
No more nummies for Cameron!
Okay it is still a little sad. But this time I definitely feel more ready to be done for now. I have learned though, that weaning a toddler won’t always look the same. Here is how our two experiences so far have gone:
First experience weaning a toddler: Seth was really easy to wean, we slowly cut out his daytime nursing sessions and left the two most important ones in place; first thing in the morning and right before bed at night. Once we got down to those two he maybe nursed for a couple of weeks and then finished the weaning process himself. One morning he just woke up uninterested in nursing. I was about eight to nine weeks pregnant with Cameron at the time.
Total weaning time: 2ish months
Age: 22 months
I will miss the times he would fall asleep in my arms.
Second experience weaning a toddler: Cameron’s name means something about being stubborn, I’m sure of it. He has always known what he wanted, and he will definitely let you know if he doesn’t have what he wants. His weaning started about four months ago. He was still getting nummies when he asked, it ended up being between four and six times a day, and I was fine with that. Then we found out BabyT#3 was coming and exhaustion and morning sickness hit. It was then his weaning commenced. We cut out sessions like we did with Seth, slowly, using distractions and/or alternatives.
{we probably should have bought stock in Chocolate Almond Milk before weaning this stubborn toddler, we might have made some money…}
He always crossed his feet like this. 🙁
We finally got it down to morning and night but he just kept nursing and nursing….so we cut out bedtime nummies and he kept nursing and nursing. I was starting to think I was going to have to make him quit cold turkey and then a couple of weeks ago he didn’t mention it for about a week, then he requested nummies for two consecutive mornings and sucked for about a minute each time. Now, he just tells me he is hungry and wants some breakfast as soon as I make my appearance.
Total weaning time: 4 months
Age: 2 years 2 months {I don’t like to use months after 2 years ’cause who wants to do that math?}
I was starting to get sore, and I’m pretty sure he was dry nursing for a couple of weeks, so I’m glad to have the break before baby comes, but I also miss the morning and bedtime cuddles and that nursing relationship.
Cameron was a belly button picker and poker, I had to make sure I kept his nails cut or risk injury.
I know I will be hugging Cameron a little tighter now and loving the times his little, chubby baby hands pull at mine, because this weaning is a big thing. It means my little boy is becoming a big boy. Though I never thought I would say this, all those middle of the night wake up calls, and requests for “munnies” when I was busy will be missed, the memories treasured and the pictures cherished.
Steps You Can Take as You Work Towards Weaning Your Toddler
- slowly eliminate feedings, but leave the times that your toddler nursed most consistently {ie, morning, nap, bedtime}
- if your toddler asks to nurse when it isn’t one of those times try to distract him, while still doing something that gives them attention. {read some books, cuddle up with him and a blankie, spend some one on one time talking, play a game, etc}
- offer something else to eat in place of the nursing session if you think that your toddler may actually be hungry {in our case it was chocolate almond milk, but we also offered fruit and veggies at times}
- if you are expecting and want to wean your toddler because you are growing sore, don’t feel bad, your comfort matters as much as your toddler’s. Explain to them that nursing makes momma hurt, that your body is growing a baby, and that you need a break from nursing before the new baby comes. Littles comprehend so much more than we give them credit for.
- treasure these last few nursing sessions, your baby is growing up and soon these days will be behind you.
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but your baby is always gonna be your baby, no matter how old he or she is (my pastor reminds me that every so often 😀 )
I am still currently nurse my 18 month old twice a day once at nap and once at bedtime. Not ready to let go of the final 2 and neither is he. He is my last and I am cherishing these last moments as long as possible!
They are such sweet moments! My hubby thinks all my nursing pictures are weird, but I know that I will treasure them forever.
I hear you. My babe is nearing 1 in about a month and although I plan to continue feeding, I know the end is near. He may be our last (haven’t quite decided) as well, which makes me even more reluctant to let go.
oohhh…the last one is going to be hard to wean. I don’t even want to think about that…
I was really, really sad about weaning my 1st baby, but we wanted to get pregnant, and I just couldn’t while I was nursing. As soon as I stopped, that’s when it happened! With my twins, I never got to nurse them because they were in the NICU for so long. Instead I pumped for a YEAR. I was never so happy to be done with that pump.
Wow!!! I can’t imagine pumping for so long… I hate pumping. But you had a really good reason and you did an awesome job!
I weaned my first @ 18 months, cold turkey, because I was pregnant, and couldn’t take it. It was traumatic for both of us. Thank God for my mother! My second baby weaned herself to a bottle full time at 9 months. I blame the nurse, who gave her a bottle the night she was born. Then it didn’t help that Mom would want to give her one later. “Well, she’s already had 1, it won’t hurt.”
I’m sorry you didn’t get the experiences that you were hoping for. But I think you have made up for those lost moments in many other ways. You did the best you could.
Thanks for the encouragement
I thought I would nurse #5 a long time as she was my last; but I got mastitis 3 times, and I was so relieved to quit. I think the Lord did it to let me know it was okay. He helps you when it is time. Congrats on #3!
Thanks! We are super excited! Mastitis stinks! Sorry you had to go through that.
Ah it is the end of an era. I’m not sure when our end is going to be…
I know some mommas around here who are still nursing at three almost four. You can go as long as you both want to. Good luck!
That’s the method I used as well. Well, it’s more the method my boys used because for the most part it was child led. Though for my youngest it was very strongly (yet gently) encouraged by me 🙂 I had a very similar experience where my first weaned easier and my second, the baby, was slower to stop. I agree with treasuring it though, the Lord blessed us with exactly 2 children so my baby was also my last and I really miss those nursing days.
I love nursing too, but I am definitely ready for my youngest {the babyT#3 mentioned in this post} to night wean now, at 18 months, he is old enough, it is just working things out and making it easy for both of us. I love night time nursing, but I also need sleep!! I just get wary with night weaning, because I am super sensitive to hormone changes, and I’m afraid that pushing things will make my body think it is time to dry up completely. It is so different with every baby!!
I love that you shared this!
With Anna, I got pregnant again when she was 14 months old. At that time, she was pretty much just nursing before nap time and at night before bed. Then exhaustion, morning sickness, and soreness hit and I cut out the nursing session before nap time and left just the one before bed. She didn’t seem to even notice. Then, when she was about 16 or 17 months, I developed that DVT at 15 weeks pregnant and had to be in the hospital overnight. That was the first night she had gone to bed without nursing, and Owen said she did totally fine, so that was when she officially weaned and never even asked for it again. Thank goodness, because I was sick and sore still!! haha James is totally more high-maintenance than Anna ever was as a baby, so I can only imagine how hard the weaning stage will be with him!
🙂 With Andrew {babyT#3 mentioned in the post} I am totally ready to be done with the nighttime feedings, but I’m super sensitive to hormone changes and I’m afraid if I push things to much, then my body will be ready to dry up completely and I don’t want to be done during the day…just at night. 😉 So we are slowly working on his nighttime feeds and just got him down to one without to much supply issue. Anyway, all that to say, each baby hormone levels are different, and the whole dynamic is different, so you may have a bit of a time with James. 😉