Help, My 16 Month Old Is a Booboholic!

Just a different opinion - she may do better than you think if you are not there to nurse her. My dd was 2 1/2 when she quit nursing altogether - when she was 1 1/2 we went away for a weekend - I figured she only nursed about once a day - and wasn't that worried. She woke up during the night for my father in law - he had cookies with her and she went back to bed! It was fine - she picked up nursing again when I got home - but was NOT traumatized at all by my being gone 2 nights (I was gone from Friday afternoon until Sunday morning!)

I think your daughter might do just fine, but you're the one who's going to suffer. Weaning cold turkey is not the best idea as chances are likely you'll be engorged and put yourself at risk for clogged ducts, etc. You may be fine if it's just a day or two. But if she's nursing a lot, you might consider cutting back asap to minimize your discomfort.

As far as what to do when you're gone, just skip the bottle. Who needs it at that age if you can avoid it. She'll probably do fine with just a sippy or a cup.

T.,

It makes me smile reading your post because I feel exactly what you are going throug and I know you are "over breastfeeding" but your daughter is not yet. She's going to have a very hard time away from you next weekend if she's nursing you that much. You probably should have started weening her around 12 mnths and switched her to milk if you didn't want her to go on this long. Now she's getting older and it more bonded with you and nursing. However, one thing my mother always told me when it came to nursing is that when baby is ready to stop, then baby will stop and she was right! My daughter was exactly 18 mnths old when she just completely stopped nursing and easily transitioned to her sippy cups for night time. Right now your daughter just still needs that comfort from you so I wouldn't force her to stop as of yet. If it were me, I would reschedule a vacation with hubby until "everyone" could be happy while you're away. Whoever is going to care for your daughter may have a very hard time with her if she gets too upset being away from mommy.........I'm still nursing my 11 mnth old boy and I personally know how much babies love to night nurse but I also know he will stop when's he ready. I can't even imagine spending a night away from him until I know he's completely weened and would be fine without me for however long I had to be away. Your milk will start eventually drying up on it's own so I wouldn't take anything to make it stop because when my 1st born stopped nursing I never had another flow come through from that point on so I guess she really was ready to stop.

SOrry I don't have any great advice on how to make her stop because I just know it takes time for breastfeeding babies to just stop but hang in there and she'll be done before you know it.

Take care! : )

My oldest son was such a Booboholic (i like that word!) that he wouldn't even take juice from a bottle! One evening my hubby and I went out and left first born sosn with my MIL. She said not to worry --if he got hungry before we returned she would fix him a bottle of formula. She said he would take it from her.

Well, when we walked in he was happily sucking on a bottle in his grandma's arms----until he heard my voice--then he shoved it away and refused any more. Why take the bottle when the cow is here, huh?

So, 2 possibilities here. Your baby will take a bottle while you are gone with little protest and latch back on to the breast as soon as you return---or she will decide she likes the bottle just fine.

But, remember, nursing has little to do with taste. Infants taste buds develop slowly.

She will probably quit soon---just don't let her do like Howard Hughes!!

God bless

HI T.,

I have to agree with Nattalie O.
It's going to be hard to make her quit cold turkey since you've let her nurse for this long......would it be possible to schedule the vacation for another time? Of course it's important to spend time with your husband but it's also important to not make your child upset by doing so. I hope you can figure something out before you have to leave and feel confident that she's going to be fine w/out you the entire time you're gone. Try some nubby cups that have the soft spout and see how she reacts to them. You really need your hubby taking over with her at night if you want her to stop nursing you because she'll still be able to smell it and know it's there if you hold her or lay by her at night. Does she drink warm cows milk at all? If not, try warming some up and giving it to her. It took my daughter a while to switch to milk but eventually she did.
Anyhow, it may take more than a week but good luck to you and hope you get to a place where everyone can be happy!

my daughter is 12 months and i decided to stop so like two weeks before quitting i only fed her once right before bedtime. i give her a pacifier at night if she wants to eat. it was so heart breaking when she rubbed on my chest and cried but shes getting over it now and i havent fed her for 4 days now, so just slow it down and eventually break it off. good luck!