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Weaning

Find weaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Weaning forum. Use our child development calendar for more information.

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How to wean a breast-feeding addict?

3 replies

HaniaS · 26/06/2019 12:15

Hello everyone, I have a 20 months old daughter. I need advice on how to wean her and I am completely failing. My LO attended a nursery for the last 9 months. She was well there, and so she was partially weaned as she was able to spend 8 hours eating just solid food. Also, there were a couple of occasions, actually once for 4 days in a row, that my parents were with her for almost the full day or once from 6am-bedtime, when I was away and she was perfectly fine without me. Now, I came back to my family home for a couple of months to work from home, get some help from my family, and slowly wean her. It is a very hot summer here, so I understand she might need more fluids, and therefore is asking more. Recently, we went for a trip with a friend and her daugther the same age, and my LO was beautifully eating solids looking at this other child eating so nicely. She was definitely eating loads, and asked for breastfeeding for comfort. Since we came back from the trip, I had to find a nanny to help us at home, while parents work and I need to work. Now, the new nanny is coming everyday and we try to play together to get to know each other. My daugther is pushing her away, not letting me go to the bathroom even, and constantly asking for breastmilk. I feel very stressed as I am behind work, I feel tired breastfeeding and emotionally exhausted, as she cried so much when I say she had enough milk. She really does take a lot, from both sides, then once again, it is loads! and then I say there is no more, and she is crying in this way, that even her great-grandfather comes over worried what is happening. Does anyone know what to do in such situation? If I wanted to leave for a while, for how long would that have to be for a child this age to lose this overly strong association? She is really well with my parents, so I am sure it wouldn't be stressful for her during the day. It might be during the night though. I need some sort of strategy that is realistic in our situation, I fell so helpless

OP posts:
JoMumsnet · 27/06/2019 18:06

Just giving this thread a bump for you, @HaniaS, in case there's anyone around with some advice and support. Brew

CoffeeNeeded2019 · 03/07/2019 15:49

Hi Hania,

I’ve only got experience of being a nanny in a similar situation, but it became very much that the little one was using breastfeeding to control her Mum at around the same age. (Not her fault, it’s how toddlers learn about the world & their place in it)

The way we worked it was to create ‘set’ times for breastfeeding (if I recall it was first thing, lunchtime (before a nap) and bedtime then gradually reduced to morning & night time, then just night time then nothing over about 3 weeks.

Then if your little one is hungry / thirsty just offer water / solid food.

Remain strong but calm and positive and ensure everyone around her is the same.

Good luck!

Booboostwo · 03/07/2019 16:01

Do you want to wean her completely or cut down?

If you want to cut down, maybe establishing times when she will bf is the way to go. Sit her down and say that now that she’s older bf is for last thing at night (or first thing in the morning, or what works for you).

For night time weaning Dr J Gordon’s method worked really well for us.

My DD was a boob monster and ‘Don’t offer, don’t refuse’ didn’t work for us as she asked constantly. Around 18mo I started imposing set times during the day when she could bf and at 24mo I night weaned as well.

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