Extended Breastfeeding: Weaning My Daughter Gently
I breastfed my daughter for 23 months. Looking back, I am so glad that my husband and I made the choice to do extended breastfeeding in our family, but it wasn’t always easy. There were many times I felt insecure and embarrassed.
How was I suppose to wean this precious little girl? How was I suppose to end this nursing relationship that clearly meant so much to both of us?
I decided that it was time to wean Grace when Nate and I decided we wanted to have another baby. I wasn’t interested in nursing a toddler and a newborn at the same time. Many mothers choose to tandem nurse, but one at a time seemed like enough to me.
Slowly, I began the process of weaning my toddler and there were several intentional things that I did to gently end our breastfeeding relationship.
You can read my 6 Tips for Weaning Your Older Child Gently over at Breastfeeding Place, a blog dedicated to educating and supporting nursing mom.
Have you practiced extended breastfeeding? What are your tips for weaning an older child?
I am personally comfortable exclusively nursing to one year, then slowly dropping to the point that I’m only morning and nightcap nursing at about 20 months, and fully weaning just before 2. I couldn’t with DS1 because at 12 months I became pregnant with DS2 and dried up at 15 months (and DS1 decided he was done anyway) , but I did my “ideal” nursing plan with DS2 and loved it. I didn’t get much pressure from anyone because the near-2 yr old nursing only happened at morning and night, so I was nearly always at my own home or a close relative’s home at those times. I did have a 18 month old with a badly wandering hand though…he loved to cop a feel throughout the day, which was akward enough in public but especially so when he did it to other women!!, so I had to stop that wandering hand and restrict it to only when nursing!
I don’t have any tips, per se…other than literally buttoning up so LO has less reminders, one might say….and enjoying every minute of the time with baby. I’m EBF with DS3 right now and I do hope to follow this same plan. Right now the most flak I get is for EBFing it to 1 year. LOTS of people are shocked that a baby can “actually live?” like that!! Uhm…yeah. They can. Honestly I almost caved today because I realized that the recent unexpected 1am feedings (NOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) are probably because DS3 (11mo corrected to 9 months) just started crawling and therefore using a lot more calories. I mentioned to my mom that I might start some veggies and she (Praise God!) backed me up for EBF with “Honey…please don’t give up yet. You know he’s in the habit of sleeping well thorough the night and if you keep up boosting your supply during the day, your milk will come in for him stronger soon. So what if you have to top him off at 1am for a few nights until the supply and demand catch up?” A HUGE sigh of relief there. Thanks Mom…you’re always there for me 🙂 <3
Oh goodness. I bet you do get a lot of comments about exclusively nursing that long. It is so awesome that your mom had your back and supported you when you really needed it. Support can really make or break a breastfeeding relationship. Praise God for good support!