# Weaning a resistant 26 month old?



## Pasha (Oct 21, 2012)

My little one is 26 month old. She still loves breastfeeding, we co-sleep and she still wakes up 2-3 times a night to nurse. I work full time. She has been eating less and less and prefers nursing when I'm home. I feel I'm ready to wean but don't know how to do it. We will be separated for approximately a week at the end of August for other reasons. My family suggested me to let my milk dry. They think it would make it easier on her to wean. I'm hesitant. Anyone had experienced weaning through separation?


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## deenamathew (Jul 25, 2014)

Hi,

Here are few tips weaning through separation

Tips on Weaning :

- Eliminate physical causes for the night-waking. If your LO is waking because he has an ear infection or is getting his 2 year molars or something, now is probably not the time to wean because it's going to be much harder.
- A dedicated night-nurser will not give up without a struggle. So get your mind around the fact that there will probably be resistance from your child and things may get worse before they get better. Expect some screaming, and remember that just because your LO is kicking up a fuss doesn't mean he needs to get his way. If he screamed because you wouldn't give him a cookie, would you give in? No.
- Move baby to his own bed (if that is where you want him to be). Many night-nursers treat mom as an all-night buffet in part because she is right there next to them.
- Wear restrictive tops to bed. If baby can't get his hands on your goodies, you have a better chance of avoiding nursing.

Even refer this link http://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/tc/weaning-when-to-call-a-doctor


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## Gabrielsma (Mar 28, 2014)

I'm going through the same thing with my 25 month little boy. He still wakes up at night to feed and we co sleep. I figured if I can get him to sleep through the night I can put him in his own bed. I have a queen bed and my husband and I are really starting to lose sleep. I understand that I need to began refusing him the breast and standing my ground but it is so tough! I can't imagine leaving him for a week let alone a whole day for him to ween himself,let me know how that worked out for you. To tell the truth it's not so much the weening him it's getting him out my bed! He wakes up not only to feed but after awhile if it's not a warm body near him he wakes up.


Pasha said:


> My little one is 26 month old. She still loves breastfeeding, we co-sleep and she still wakes up 2-3 times a night to nurse. I work full time. She has been eating less and less and prefers nursing when I'm home. I feel I'm ready to wean but don't know how to do it. We will be separated for approximately a week at the end of August for other reasons. My family suggested me to let my milk dry. They think it would make it easier on her to wean. I'm hesitant. Anyone had experienced weaning through separation?


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## sparklemaman (Oct 17, 2012)

I just wanted to send some love and support out to you mamas!! It is so hard to have your sleep interrupted and be chronically tired. I know how genuinely painful that is. I also wanted to share that my experience with my own avid night nurser was that even when we night weaned, she continued to wake at night. I gently initiated night weaning with my DD around 30 months old, as I was just plain exhausted! She continued to nurse on demand during the day and to share our bed. She was old enough that we talked about the change and she definitely understood and expressed her own feelings about it. Surprisingly, she was not really resistant. She nursed just before bed and again on waking. She only ever tried to snuggle in to nurse a handful of times over a few days. When I gently reminder her she needed to wait until morning, she just snuggled in and went back to sleep. It actually went quite beautifully! That all said, I want to reitterate that the night weaning did NOT really stop the night waking. DD moved to her own bed at 4 years old (initiated by her and entirely her own decision). Even then, she continued waking at least 2-3 times through the night where I would need to respond to her. It was always for things that truly needed to be attended to (a bathroom trip, a nightmare, growing pains, etc.). She did not sleep through the night (EVER) until 6 years old, and then only sometimes. She just is who she is!! It is all temporary though, it will have an endpoint. Where that endpoint is is still unknown. But I promise, you will sleep again! I personally could not have done things differently, I would not have felt comfortable not responding or responding other than how I did. I have an 8 month old now and I expect it will be a similar transition in a year-year and a half. 

Also, I wanted to add that when my DD eventually weaned altogether, I thought it would make my life easier, I'd have my own body back and wouldn't feel touched out 24/7. It didn't quite work that way! Nursing is an amazing tool, once that was no longer in my tool box, I actually had to work much harder. I hadn't realized quite how magical it was.

From LLL, "If you really feel like weaning will make your life easier, imagine the reality. You will still have a baby who needs to be fed. If he is under a year, you will be dealing with the expense and bother of several bottles of artificial milk (formula) a day. And your baby will still want to be close to you and need to be comforted from his busy, sometimes frightening and painful world. Breastfeeding can be a "magic bullet" in your parenting repertoire. It soothes a temper tantrum, sends them off to sleep, feeds a sick baby who may be refusing other foods (no need for Pedialyte!), offers security when you travel, etc. You will still be a parent when you wean, your child will still need you." 

As for the original question about an upcoming separation and weaning, I feel very strongly that you should not use that week as your time to wean. It should be done before or after, and quite honestly it is awfully close to the time now to do it before. For your own physical (engorgement and mastitis, ouch!) and mental wellbeing as well as that of your little one, you need to wean slowly and gradually (not cold turkey, like just going away and stopping). 

Ultimately, like all parenting choices, you need to decide what is right for you and your family, right now. No one else can know what that is. Good luck!


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