The Princess weaned herself between 8 and 9 months old. She was just too busy to nurse, and preferred a cup that she could hold by herself. I don't even remember the last time she nursed, I didn't have any engorgement or pain. It was easy and gradual.
The boy is a different story. He adamantly refuses a bottle or cup. I know I'm partly to blame. When he was about 3 months old he was slowly losing weight and we had to have him tested for Cystic Fibrosis and Celiac disease. He has always been a long, thin baby, but at that point you could count his ribs, and his face was gaunt and hollowed. While we waited for the test results we decided to supplement nursing with one bottle of formula a day. The test results all came back negative, and the 3oz of formula at night did the trick, he started gaining again. In hindsight, my mistake was stopping the formula when he started on solids and didn't seem to need it any longer. I did that because I was afraid he'd wean himself early like the Princess did, and as he's my last I wanted to continue on a bit longer. I'm not saying I want to give it up completely now, but I would like him to stop waking up at night to nurse, and it would be convenient to not be his only source of liquid!
I've started leaving him with a babysitter one day a week while the Princess is at school so I can do some work on the phone and computer for Hubs, and actually have a bit of time to myself. From 9:00 to 3:00 he refuses to drink one drop. Bad's a breast man. My other problem is that he's not a very calm nurser. He rarely lies still anymore. I've adjusted to the pinching and grabbing that accompanies all feeds, but lately he's started working on some more athletic moves. This morning I was lying with him in my bed, trying to get him to go down for a nap, and he was wiggling and squirming and trying to stand up. All without letting go of my nipple. It's like he's caught in an internal struggle between wanting me, and wanting to nurse, and wanting to get up and be a big kid and explore the world. I don't want to force his decision, but I don't think I should have to nurse a kid while he's perfecting a downward-facing dog!
When did you all wean? How did you make the decision? How did you make it happen? I have a friend who got so fed up with a two year old who refused to wean that she put Tabasco sauce on her nipples.....he was so shocked and angry he punched her in the eye! She had a shiner for a week! Do I have to just put up with this? I don't mind nursing him longer, but I would like the mother abuse to end. Help me, blogosphere!
And does anyone know why blogger has suddenly decided to double-space my posts? Me no like!
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17 comments:
I don't have any advice, but I just wanted to tell you I laughed so hard at the Tabasco nipple story. Too funny!
(Question: Would he still drink formula if you gave him some now? Then maybe he could transition to a sippy cup...?)
Hilarious about the Tabasco. My folks put it on my thumb when I was little to get me off the thumb. Boy was I mad. Took me twenty years to start liking Tabasco.
Sorry no advice on weaning, my son decided at the tender age of 3 1/2 months that he preferred a bottle so can't help you much there. Sippy cup? Formula in a sippy cup? Formula mixed with BM in a sippy cup?
at 6 months my son just stopped. i guess the bottle he was getting at daycare was just so much easier. He was a wriggler too but at least he couldn't even attempt to stand yet geez!
I'm sorry I don't have any advice either but count me among those who cracked up at the Tabasco nipple story!
I actually like the double spacing better...it is easier to read.
Sorry no help with the weaning...my boys were useless at nursing.
Heidi
Wow, sounds like both my kids! Longs stories here too about bone showing, but anyway....if you find answere let me know! I am all ears! I want to wean them...now!
For me weaning was like- really bad rejection. One day my son decided he was DONE. I cried. I kept shoving the tit in his mouth saying, "Are you sure? look, milk! ".. Nothing. I think he crossed him arms and said, "meh." I might still be hurt.
But my daughter- all she had to do was look up at me, smile with her two little shiny white teeth then CHOMP on my nipple. She was done.
With C the weaning was gradual, with A it was rather abrupt because I had to go on meds when she was about 11 months old. So I don't have much advice, but I had much luck witha straw cup when getting A to drink something other than me..also, soy is easier for breastfed babies to accept. But don't let the soy go on for too long, or you'll end up with a kid who will only drink soy ;-)
Good lick!
Yikes about the Tabasco! LOL! My Boy self-weaned at two and a half...I was pregnant with the girl and my milk changed. He latched on, looked up and me and said "Boobie broken" and never nursed again. I was heartbroken. I weaned the acrobatic Girl on her second birthday. She never asked for it after we broke up.
I'd suggest the soy milk tactic too. Also, if he's crazy acrobatic and it's hurting you...I'd unlatch, tell him "That hurts. We can nurse later" (or whatever word you use for nursies). I've read you're supposed to discourage the acrobatics, but I sucked at discouraging. FWIW, neither of my kids loved bottles (and never had formula) and would 2-3 hours regularly without taking a liquid. Eventually they got the hang of a sippy cup, but it took a while. (But my kids are weird).
punched her in the eye? ye gads.
my weaning with MQ (at 13 months) was so gradual and natural... I just slowly eliminated certain feedings and then one day didn't feed at all. and that was it. To solve the middle of hte night wakings I used to feed her a whole other meal right before her nighttime nursing, and that did the trick.
Tabasco... nasty mommy! I guess the yoga position takes a bit of the nice, cuddling experience right out of the nursing doesn't it?Well, big boy weaned himself at about 6 months. He was too busy, looking around. Little G, I nursed her until about 19 months. I had some problems with her initially and had to supplement formula for a couple of months... but then she ended up exclusively nursing at one point. But she would take both. To be honest, nursing her was lovely; she was calm, and would snuggle even when she was bigger. I stopped for other reasons, but she was quite ready to wean anyway. I suppose having both options helped, so she eventually was OK with the bottle.
Now that she's off the bottle, if only I could get her to eat other stuff besides her beloved milk!
With my daughter, I was the one weaning her, around 14 or 15 months. She wasn't that interested anymore -- really, the only time she wanted to nurse was when she first woke up. Odd, I know. I thought the bedtime nursing would be tougher.
My little guy, however, dumped me when he turned 1. I had to go out of town for a few days. Took a breast pump to keep up the supply. When I got back, he was asking for a baba.
I loved nursing. But I know what you mean about those wakeups. Relentless and exhausting.
Aw. giving up the nursing is a sad/happy thing. I had acrobatic nursers as well. So fun.
No weaning advice though, sorry. Mine all weaned gradually themselves, they just got too busy to nurse I guess. I think the latest any of them went was about 16 months and the earliest was 11 months. (fourth and first)
Good luck!
I have no advice, but I do know exactly where you are at. Amy will stand up, turn around, flip over and swivel all while staying attached to the boob. I have super elastic nipples. (super numb as well.)
I am lucky in that she will drink water from a straw cup. She refuses all milk that doesn't come from me though, regardless of what type of cup it is in.
Oh and I forgot to mention, in no way will she give up *her* boobs yet. If I try and refuse her a feed, she will pull up my top herself and or/scratch at my cleavage to get in.
We are still doing 1-5 night feeds (bad I know!) if we are out she will only have 1 breastfeed of a day and if we are home, she will have between 2-4 feeds. All this and regular meals, snacks etc. The kid can eat!
yeh, after pumping for 6 months my kid decided at 7 months to nurse. Like a newborn. All night. I'm wiped.
Can you sit and have him sit facing you and nurse? My boobs are ginormous and to my waist so I can flap em wherev.
I thought tabasco would be hot on the nipple LOL.
Sorry I have no advice either ,I am where you are at too but no way ready to wean .These are my first and last. S & J are acrobats too trying stand up, twist, turning, poking around, fliping over and swiveling all while staying attached to the breast.Like Veronica I have super elastic nipple - I can fed them both lying flat on my back in bed.
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