Weaning a toddler

[Woodlands]

I'm trying to wean my 2 year old off the breast. He's only been having first thing and bedtime feeds for a while now. On Saturday my DH got up with him and he was fine not having milk, and then I fed him before bed that night. Yesterday I got up with him and was able to distract him OK. I was then out all afternoon/evening so DH put him to bed, which was apparently hard work, but he was asleep by the time I got home at 9pm. Then this morning we had to wake him for nursery (grr! why could he not sleep late at the weekend instead!) and he was OKish with a cup of milk instead. So I haven't breastfed for 36 hours!!! My boobs feel a bit heavier but not too bad.

I'm just wondering how to proceed. In an ideal world I might have dropped the morning feed for a few days before dropping the bedtime feed. Am I likely to get any problems from stopping two feeds a day so suddenly? I can't see him going to bed happily with me around without a feed tonight - but if I do feed him tonight will we be back to square one with dropping the bedtime feed?

I feel pretty sad about this being the end - and poor DS! I want to be responsive to his needs but equally I feel it's time to stop now. Does anyone have any words of advice/encouragement?

I think letting DH do bedtime for a few days may be the way forward - though I feel bad! Don't know why since it's him who really wants me to stop BFing! I think it's easier for him as he doesn't have the option of feeding DS, whereas I know I will find it hard if he's sobbing and I know if I fed him it would calm him so quickly.

DS is dropping his nap and on no-nap days it shouldn't really be a problem, he'll be so tired I reckon he'll drop straight off. On days when he naps, however, he's often awake until 9 or so, though usually happily singing to himself in his cot after a feed at 7.30/8pm. I can just imagine him crying for all that time instead...

argh yes. Will go for a run, perhaps. In the past he's not been too too bad at going to bed for DH when I'm not there in the evening, so maybe the key is for him to know I'm not there.

Fingers crossed it's still all quiet for you!

My boy didn't have a nap today. He then had one almighty tantrum mid-afternoon and I ended up BFing him just to calm him down. Probably a good things really to have one feed every couple of days or so to tail off rather than stopping cold turkey. He was shattered by bedtime and was pretty unhappy, and I ended up rocking him to sleep. However he wasn't actually asking for milk, which was encouraging. I think it was a good step forward in breaking the habit. I have ordered a lullaby CD on Amazon which might be a nice new addition to the bedtime routine - I think he'll like some calming music.

Bedtime tonight went well - he had a nap today so wasn't all that tired, but he happily enough snuggled up with me (Daddy wouldn't do) and had some stories and some cows' milk. I warmed the milk in the microwave for 30 seconds and he seemed to really enjoy it, so will do that again for bedtime. He was a bit reluctant when I put him down but settled soon enough and chatted away to himself for 20-30 mins before falling asleep. Result! I think this isn't going to be as hard as I feared.