3 yo: Time to wean? Feeling uncertain...

[ishwishdish]

Anyone want to talk to me about bfing a 3 yo and weaning?

My dd bf's like it's going out of style. She really bfs more or less as much as she did a year, maybe two years ago. Some days it's lots, some days less but always at least 5x a day, I'd say. I'd love to either shorten the sessions or reduce the amount of sessions. I just don't know how to do this that will work for my dd and I. Definitely when I want to bf less, she wants it more. We have some boundaries but I generally let her when she wants to if we are at home with no guests.

So.......? WDYT?

[Kinrice01]

I don't know if I have any advice, but I am in the same boat! My 3 y.o. son is a nursing addict! I've got him down to 1-2 times a day, but he would do it more if I'd let him. I am pregnant and would like to get him weaned soon (I tandem nursed the last 2 kids for a year) but I don't know how to go about it either without him crying and screaming and our lives being miserable for awhile which I don't want to happen!

Kindra

[mama2riaan]

so YOU are ready for the weaning process to start ? nothing is wrong with what that I would start really slow and get it down to less nursing sessions a day and try to replace the nursing with something else"snuggle time ","a special lovey ", "big kid something "

[ishwishdish]

Kindra, IKWYM about not wanting the crying, screaming, etc. Especially if you are pg!

I guess I'm still trying to figure out what that replacement thing will be. She isn't easily placated. Also, I can tell when she "needs" to nurse, she just acts like she needs a cup of joe to function, kwim? Just drawn, whiny, tantrumy.

Hmmm

[Kinrice01]

Sounds just like Noah! His main time is naptime and early morning when he wakes upa nd needs to go back to sleep...hard to find a replacement for those times.

[jillians_mama]

If you want to wean (only if you want to!), could you try getting out of the house more? That would distract her, and since you're just nursing at home when you're alone, would getting away help? Just a thought!

[AundAPenner]

Great thread! I'm wondering the exact same thing with my 2yo (and I'm also 5 months pregnant). Some days, I'm done. But then he catches a cold and doesn't eat much and I'm thankful that we're still nursing. We're trying to introduce him to his own bed (his oma & opa bought him a cool car bed!) but he joins us as soon as he realizes he's alone.

How do you introduce a lovey/replacement?

I can't handle his tears ... especially when to me, it's really such a simple request.

I also never imagined we'd be nursing this long!!!

[lehcar_27]

someone asked about a lovely replacement....i vaguely remember Super Nanny at one time was trying to help a mama wean her toddler, bc she was on the breast all day long....and the mama really needed some ideas....so Joe suggested putting a blanket/lovey or animal inbetween the child's face or cheek and mama's breast (but still enough room so babe can nurse)....every nursing session you do this....over time you nurse less and less and let the child take the blanket/lovey with them as you go on to a different 'activity/distraction'....over time as the nursing sessions get shorter and shorter you may be able to just use that time to just snuggle or read/rock with blanket/lovey rather than nursing.....i have never used this technique i just vaguely remember it did work for that babe and mama.....btw im still tandem nursing my 2.5 and 13 month old kids, so i may need to use this in the near future as well

[ishwishdish]

Rachel, thanks for posting that! I could see that working so well for a little baby, but it might still work for my older dd. It's food for thought.

I definitely think being out of the house more has helped us cut down on nursing sessions. There's only so much going out I can do before housework piles up, etc. And the days we spend at home she goes nuts with the nursing. Guess what she's doing at this very moment!

[greenkmt]

I think you need to realize that sometime around 3.5-4, they reallllllly start to slow down. I don't offer and I don't refuse. We believe in child-led weaning. It is fine to tell them that they can nurse later if you are out in public. i have nursed him in public while he was older (over 3) once when he got really hurt. It was amazing to comfort him when he was in great pain and know that he was feeling better!