Tips needed on tear-free ways to get 2 year old off the boob..

[treacletart]

Dd will be 2 next month. She has been cutting down, little by little, by little, but now she seems to have plateaud! I'd really like to carry on until she's ready to give up herself, but I'm also hoping that'll be soon. We co-sleep and I'm happy to carry on feeding at night, but how can I distract her out of daytime feeds or show her she doesn't need a boob to sleep without us all getting distressed. Any tips?

I've just re-read that and it sounds like she's permanently attached - shes not... I'd say we average 3 or 4 short feeds during the day,if I'm around, plus a long evening feed and then whatever during the night (I dont know how many becuase I'm asleep!) She has a healthy apetite and eats a good variety of foods. Boob is definitely a hapy comfort security thing now. If I'm not around during the day she's perectly happy without it and will flop to sleep on dh's or granny's lap but she does have has problems getting off to sleep at night without me. It would be great to be able to go out for the evening or away for a night.

No you're wrong the boob is not a happy comfort security thing. Your milk is still good stuff containing antibodies for ever how long you breastfeed your daughter for.

If you are looking for her to self wean then you could be in for a long wait. The bio natural weaning age is I think 4-7 years!

Putting this to one side, I would leave the weaning till this swine flu panic is over. If your daughter gets swine flu, she will stand a much better chance of not developing any complications from swine flu if she's still breastfeeding you.

I would leave it and worry about weaning maybe after Xmas to be on the safe side! No body will have to know you and her are still breast buddies! shhhh

Sorry Hoppity didn't mean to imply the were no health benefits to extended bfeeding, far from it - what I meant was I'm sure she doesn't ask for breastmilk now because she's hungry/thirsty. I do realise its a superuseful trick particularly with nasty bugs around. And I really don't want to give up altogether. I guess what I'm after are stress free startegies to encourage self weaning and help her get to sleep without me.

I find making an occasion out of it quite good. You could buy your daughter a present, wrap it up and give to her at her bedtime in place of your boobie explaining she's a big girl now etc.

During the day I would reward her with a chocolate button (anything) and say good big girl if she had asked for boobie and has accepted that your answer was no.

I breastfed my 2 children 2-3 years. I am currently bfg my son at the moment as we speak.

Good luck! I just wanted you to be aware of weaning during swine flu breakout.