Weaning an almost 2 yr old

[twobecome3]

Ive never introduced any nursing boundaries, unless we are out and ppl are over. when we are at home just us she's had free reign to nurse. we cosleep and is attached to me most of the night. not interested in solids - will eat maybe a banana and half a sandwich worth of food in a given day.

I don't know where/how to start. my oh thinks we should night wean her first, but im thinking that would be the hardest? I want to do this gently, we've gone this far and I wanted her to wean herself 'naturally', now im thinking she needs a bit of a push or some guidance with it as she's not taking to food on her own.

thoughts?

 

[kosh]

could you try to restrict her nursing sessions during the day a bit more, mainly those close to meal times?

 

[JenX]

No help here, but we are in a similar situation just two months behind you. I don't want to push weaning, but I would love it if she would nurse less and eat more.

 

[FAB mama]

I am pretty much in that situation and nothing works except me being out of sight or better yet out of the house (which doesn't happen often). He eats when he's alone with other people. In fact the other day he THOUGHT I left him at the in-laws and he apparently demanded food! I walked back in the house and he was eating, but suddenly stopped when he realized I was still there.

I've tried telling him no milk until he eats, etc etc and he just holds out or throws a fit. I'm getting really concerned about how thin he is now, but I hate to stop breastfeeding because I know he loves it so much and it is helpful in so many ways.

 

[MommyJogger]

I would ask which part bothers you most (if any part bothers you, if it doesn't I would just keep letting her lead and trust her to know when she's ready).
If it's the not eating, have you tried being very busy right before meal times? In the sense of "Mommy can't nurse right now, but I can nurse once I'm done xyz" and then follow through while offering tidbits as you cook. Also in the sense of having a meal ready beforehand and going immediately from the playground to the lunch table so that she's too busy to nurse right before meals. I would perhaps focus less on altering nursing and more on making food fun and appealing-- have her cook with you, go on picnics, and if she has a little friend that is a great eater (bonus points if the friend is a couple years older because they tend to copy their not-quite-peers better at this age), invite them over for a playdate lunch because monkey see, monkey do. My son loves to play "Ice cream stand", where we sell each other pretend ice cream back and forth. If he's consistently failed to try a food, it's always been at least worth a shot to make that food the ice cream prop.
As for night weaning, if your goal is food, night weaning might be the least effective because it's probably more comfort-based than nutritive at this point.

 

[twobecome3]

thanks girls

mommyjogger - tbh I don't 'think' any of it really bothers me per se, I guess im just a little concerned that its my job to steer her onto food soon, iykwim? and I should be doing something about it. my oh seems to think she will never start eating food, lol. it certainly doesn't feel right to withhold on the nursing, but its a bit.... idk, I have moments where I second guess. everyone around me has weaned AGES ago.

 

[Mrs Bee]

I'm in the process of trying to gently wean my daughter....But since it's how she goes down for a nap I think I'm just as reluctant as her to let that go....coz I think she will get tired grumpy but not sleep without it!!! As for night weaning....... I wouldn't have a clue where to start!!! It's at the point where she will wake up and yell MILK out in her sleep...and then frantically search for my boob....we co sleep! Totally didn't bother me with her waking once a night... But more than that and I feel like I've had no rest!! Last couple of nights have been terrible, waking more than a newborn, she's pushing out teeth tho, so let's hope it's that!!! Anyways.... My daughter had always been a crap eater....would only eat tiny amounts, or nothing at all, in the last few months she has come on leaps and bounds with her food eats dinner most nights, will actually eat snacks and lunch, and will even ask girls food when she's hungry..... I'd say the biggest influence would have been her little friend who is 6 months older.... Alice loves to copy her, so when she saw her eating she just sat there eating dinner... I was gobsmacked!!!

 

[NoodleSnack]

My experience is that stopping day time feeding does not guarantee she'll eat more. If she's like my son, she'll feed more at night.

We only nurse before nap during the day, or if he falls asleep in the car, not then either. He'll wake up hungry and eat then, but it'll spoil his dinner and he will want to nurse more at bedtime.

I am so close to just taking the plunge and stop nursing altogether. My mum and mil (both nursed 3 children, my younger brother until 5) both say to put tiger balm on my nipples, it's the least crying they had weaning. But I'm still too scared of the unknown...