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

[ishwishdish]

Originally Posted by 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!

I'm so glad you came in to say this. ITA, even though I'm starting to really feel ready, KWIM? But I am just nervous that there will be no slowing down. We are talking about a nursing-obsessed child here! So it's hard to imagine I guess.
Can I ask how long you've nursed your kids for? I'd love to hear about experiences nursing 3+ yo's (especially ones who nursed A LOT).

[mlandorf]

I have a 3 y 4 mo ds. He nursed through my pregnancy (but did tell me the nilk nilk tasted horrid) we are tandem nursing now (x4 months). He didn't nurse for 3 days after the baby was born, then went right back to it. He peaked his demands about 6-10 weeks after the baby was born. We started having "rules" introduced gradually over the past ?year? Not in public, not until the sun is up... Now he knows he gets 2 a day (I am a little lenient on this though) He usually gets it in the am when he wakes up (I usually ask him to wait until the baby is up too, so they can nurse together) and at nap time - this is his cuddle time esp if the baby is asleep. Gettung him to give up the bedtime nurse was key as that seemed to be the one driving me nuts.

I keep thinking he "should" be self-weaning soon, he says "maybe when I am 6".

I don't mind the nursing now, the whining about nilk nilk is what gets me

[ishwishdish]

Originally Posted by mlandorf I have a 3 y 4 mo ds. He nursed through my pregnancy (but did tell me the nilk nilk tasted horrid) we are tandem nursing now (x4 months). He didn't nurse for 3 days after the baby was born, then went right back to it. He peaked his demands about 6-10 weeks after the baby was born. We started having "rules" introduced gradually over the past ?year? Not in public, not until the sun is up... Now he knows he gets 2 a day (I am a little lenient on this though) He usually gets it in the am when he wakes up (I usually ask him to wait until the baby is up too, so they can nurse together) and at nap time - this is his cuddle time esp if the baby is asleep. Gettung him to give up the bedtime nurse was key as that seemed to be the one driving me nuts. I keep thinking he "should" be self-weaning soon, he says "maybe when I am 6". I don't mind the nursing now, the whining about nilk nilk is what gets me

Aw, "nilk nilk"! My dd says "ah-ee".
I hate the whining for it too, but then I hate whining anyway.
You know, we have the sun up rule too and I hadn't really thought of it as being simple like just adding another rule. I'll have to think on that one.
I have to add too that dd is telling me there isn't any milk. Sometimes there's a bit but not much and she's just pacifying. I can occasionally suggest she stop and it works. I asked her why she keeps nursing if there's no milk and she says she just likes it. Can't argue with that.

[joy7s]

i keep wondering if dd will stop too and she's only two she says "mommy milk" and once when the babysitter came she pointed to one and said "this is for me" and the other b**b and said this is for the baby! I was so embarrasssed