actual strategies for weaning a toddler?

[brdgrl]

I have looked at other threads, but I apologize if this has been answered a thousand times!

DD is 26 months. She still BFs twice a day (first thing in morning, and again at bedtime, though not 'to sleep') - occasionally more, like when she is not feeling well or teething.

I have been very happy about BFing to this point, but I think it is time to move on. I had planned on stopping at 24 months, but really I suppose I had hoped that she might self-wean and make it easy for me - there was a point at which I thought that was happening, and she actually went to bed without nursing a couple of nights in a row (she didn't ask so I didn't offer!) - but that was just a fluke, I guess.

Having been happy - and having a very happy DD - so far, I am unwilling to make it a real 'trauma' for DD at this point. Are there any tricks or substitutions that might help?

I should say - she has never had a dummy, and I refuse to introduce one now. I don't want to start giving her chocolate or sweetened milk, or even juice at bedtime (something a friend suggested), as it seems like it would be introducing a new problem.

WHat do people actually do to wean a kid of this age?

Also no idea, but am starting to think I want to stop feeding 17month DD. She's not going to let go without a fight.

well, let's hope someone comes along!

I weaned dd by letting her dad out her to bed for a while until she forgot. Didn't seem to bother her at all. She had cows ml in a sippy cup from then on and still does at 3. If she had been bothered I might have tried new story books or something. Gentle distraction can be really helpful

I'm thinking about weaning my 2yo too. I've just had enough, unfortunately she doesnt feel the same way! I think the feed I'll have real trouble with is the lunchtime one cos if we're in the house she'll feed to sleep for her nap and neither of us are ready to drop her nap!

I weaned dd1 at 20mo but i was pg at the time and she's 4 now so I can't really remember much about it .

I skipped the morning feed by giving her a yoghurt instead but caved at nap time because i didn't want to go for a walk in the rain .

So my advice from the wealth of knowledge I gained by dropping one feed this morning is buy a lot of yoghurts. And live somewhere it doesn't rain.

I just came on to ask the same question. We have a long lead in here though - DS is only 15 months and I would like to wean before DC2 comes along. We will not be TTC until October though, I just want to be prepared! I feel it may be easier to at least have a wee gap between DS weaning and DC2 being born because I don't want DS to suddenly realise what he's missing and want to feed again, although I think there may be no way round that.

At the moment DS BFs first thing in the morning and before his story at bedtime. He doesn't BF to sleep. I'm thinking I might try giving him a cup of milk at night, not yet but in the future. AM feed is up to around 20 minutes just now and pm is about 10 minutes, so I think pm might be easier to drop. After that, I plan to move breakfast to first thing in the morning - so instead of getting him up and through to our room for a feed I will get him up and pop him into his high chair for cereal. My theory is that this will confuse him and he'll forget about BFing.

I have no idea if any of this will work!

Jolly, I weaned my dd1 6 months before dd2 was born. Dd1 remembered being bf (she was 25mo when dd2 arrived) and was interested but never appeared to be jealous. She asked to try my milk when dd2 was a few weeks old so I expressed some and put it in a cup for her. She said it was disgusting and asked for some water! Your plan sounds like a good one

I wrote a reply to this but it doesn't seem to have shown up! Oops.

Well, I can get some yogurt, but I am stuck with the rain, I guess.

People do say that having another kid is the best way to put the first one off bf-ing.

But I may have to try the yogurt thing. I've been focusing in my mknd on getting rid of the nghttime feed, but maybe it would be easier to lose the morning one; I could try taking her straight down to the kitchen for a yogurt instead of even letting her in my bedroom!

I suspect she'd kick off if DH put her to bed. Right now he uses that time to walk the dog (which he does for exercise too and which I have no desire to take over!) and play guitar...maybe he should try bedtimes for a bit and I can get the exercise and have a hobby. ;)

Thanks, unlurked, sorry I didn't spot your post until now.

Sorry for hijack op!

I have played a long game on this one. I encouraged dropping the morning feed months ago, just by offering a cup of milk or doing something first thing other than getting into our bed. She slipped a feed at nap time back in at some point, I went for it next, by getting DH to put her down for her nap for a bit. Then I night weaned, which was a big step and a huge success. Now I have the bedtime feed left, which comes after some cowsmilk anyway. I've been talking about the bedtime routine with her each evening and seeing if she adds "and breastmilk!" in after "teeth." When she didn't the other night, I just checked by saying "Is this the last book and then bed?" and went for it. She's gone to bed without it three nights now. She had been asking for another sleep aid recently - her sleeping music.

I think I'd be up for talking to her about it if she indicates she wants to continue. It kind of feels wrong to say "It's not for big girls" because of course I understand that many girls older than her do nurse. But she's not interested in the social or political discourse surrounding bf, and it's true that I'd like to stop and fair to explain that in simple terms. I mean, really really big girls don't bf after all. I haven't got to potty training yet, but I understand that talking that through is an important part of it.

I have just weaned my 18mo ds. He was only bf at bedtime. I was going away for the weekend so it seemed like an opportunity to stop. Dh put him to bed, offered cows milk In cup and sang to him, worked no Problem.

Dh continued to do this for a week and then I took over just doing the same as dh. I would never in a million years have predicted that ds would settle like this, but he has. I suppose he is not self settling as he is still having cuddles but I think we will just take it slowly.

I was worried that ds would do this for dh and not for me but he has accepted it from me no problem, although he like to sort of fondle my boobs sometimes while cuddling . But I am glad not to have to hand over bedtimes to dh entirely as it was my special time with ds as I work ft. Good luck!