Introduction and question from an old pro!

Hi! My name is Johane. I'm a SAHM/WAHM in Canada. I have 4 kids
under 9, and I homeschool. I follow more an AP style of parenting.
We have fish and birds for pets and today I got my water back! (It
was gone for about a week...)

I have been nursing now for 9 years straight. Each child kind of
moved along side when the next baby was born. Now, I'm nursing a 2 yo
and I want her to start weaning. Other than distracting her with
juice, milk, water or food, is there anything else that I can do?

DH says to dip my nipples in cayenne pepper... I'll dip something of
his in cayenne pepper and see what he says to that! lol

I've never had to wean any of my kids before, and now that I'm getting
a little tired of nursing.... OK, very tired of nursing... well kind
of tired of nursing?... See what I mean? I'm ambivalent about it...
How can I convince her that she should move on? I know she's the
baby. We won't be having any more. I don't really want to give up
nursing because then I won't have a baby anymore... WAAAAAH!

What should I do?

Johane

I have been nursing now for 9 years straight.

That's pretty impressive. :-)

Each child kind of
moved along side when the next baby was born. Now, I'm nursing a 2 yo
and I want her to start weaning. Other than distracting her with
juice, milk, water or food, is there anything else that I can do?


Typically, food or drink isn't the best distraction technique. Try physical
activity instead -- it particularly helps if she is accustomed to nursing in a
particular place (like a certain chair) and you simply never sit down in that
place. A change or break in the routine can help, too; for example, if she
normally nurses to sleep, try to have Daddy or an older sibling take over
putting her to bed.

You would probably also have greater success if you just waited a little
longer. Two-year-olds are hard to wean if it's not at their own initiative --
one-year-olds and three-year-olds tend to be easier.

Holly
Mom to Camden, 3yo (and dunno if he's really completely weaned yet)
EDD #2 6/8/04

Wow, kudos for nursing so long. As for weaning, I can't help you
because we decided to use child led weaning (that's a pretty AP
thing to do, although we are not strictly AP). The first one
weaned at 5 1/2 and the 4 yo is still nursing. Monika tandem
nursed for 3 1/2 years. (Quick, that tells you the age difference,
can you figure it out? :-)

Good luck,
Larry

Smart Lady writes:
: Hi! My name is Johane. I'm a SAHM/WAHM in Canada. I have 4 kids
: under 9, and I homeschool. I follow more an AP style of parenting.
: We have fish and birds for pets and today I got my water back! (It
: was gone for about a week...)

: I have been nursing now for 9 years straight. Each child kind of
: moved along side when the next baby was born. Now, I'm nursing a 2 yo
: and I want her to start weaning. Other than distracting her with
: juice, milk, water or food, is there anything else that I can do?

: DH says to dip my nipples in cayenne pepper... I'll dip something of
: his in cayenne pepper and see what he says to that! lol

: I've never had to wean any of my kids before, and now that I'm getting
: a little tired of nursing.... OK, very tired of nursing... well kind
: of tired of nursing?... See what I mean? I'm ambivalent about it...
: How can I convince her that she should move on? I know she's the
: baby. We won't be having any more. I don't really want to give up
: nursing because then I won't have a baby anymore... WAAAAAH!

: What should I do?

: Johane

"Larry McMahan" wrote in message
...
Wow, kudos for nursing so long. As for weaning, I can't help you
because we decided to use child led weaning (that's a pretty AP
thing to do, although we are not strictly AP). The first one
weaned at 5 1/2 and the 4 yo is still nursing. Monika tandem
nursed for 3 1/2 years. (Quick, that tells you the age difference,
can you figure it out? :-)

Good luck,
Larry

Two? (I used paper and pencil - is that cheating?)

Tine, Denmark

Wow! That's a long time to nurse! I certainly don't have as much experience
as you do but, here's my $.02.

When I wanted to cut down on nursing, or do it at different times, I would
a) wear clothing that made nursing inconvenient (long tunic shirts, for
instance, or dresses) b) disassemble the nursing station or move the
furniture around, c) absent myself at "usual" nursing times (making myself
more available at others) and d) do other affectionate things than nurse.

I didn't wean DS per se, (he weaned himself at 3 1/2) but I did start to
gently add other cuddly activities instead of nursing, and it did bring the
number per day down just a tad. It helped that 2 is when DS started to get
really interested in books, so we could read together instead of nursing.

-Shannon

"Smart Lady" wrote in message
om...
Hi! My name is Johane. I'm a SAHM/WAHM in Canada. I have 4 kids
under 9, and I homeschool. I follow more an AP style of parenting.
We have fish and birds for pets and today I got my water back! (It
was gone for about a week...)

I have been nursing now for 9 years straight. Each child kind of
moved along side when the next baby was born. Now, I'm nursing a 2 yo
and I want her to start weaning. Other than distracting her with
juice, milk, water or food, is there anything else that I can do?

DH says to dip my nipples in cayenne pepper... I'll dip something of
his in cayenne pepper and see what he says to that! lol

I've never had to wean any of my kids before, and now that I'm getting
a little tired of nursing.... OK, very tired of nursing... well kind
of tired of nursing?... See what I mean? I'm ambivalent about it...
How can I convince her that she should move on? I know she's the
baby. We won't be having any more. I don't really want to give up
nursing because then I won't have a baby anymore... WAAAAAH!

What should I do?

Johane

Smart Lady wrote:
Hi! My name is Johane. I'm a SAHM/WAHM in Canada. I have 4 kids
under 9, and I homeschool. I follow more an AP style of parenting.
We have fish and birds for pets and today I got my water back! (It
was gone for about a week...)
I have been nursing now for 9 years straight.

Hi and welcome to the group. I hope you stick around as I imagine you have
a wealth of information :-)

I'm nursing a 2 yo
and I want her to start weaning. Other than distracting her with
juice, milk, water or food, is there anything else that I can do?

When I was trying to wean my 2yo I used distraction as you mentioned. I
practically never sat down. This was very tiring but if I sat down he was
on my lap demanding to nurse. I could not get him to give up the last 4
sessions. Actually it was hard to keep him at the 4. We moved and I had
him stay with his Grandma for 2 nights and then I said num-nums were all
gone when we were together again. He accepted that very gracefully. No
tears, only asked a few times a day for about 3 days and then would only
mention it sporadically. He was not ready IMO and we had some difficult
behavior for 3 or so months afterwards and I think it was a result of the
weaning.
--
Nikki
Mama to Hunter (4) and Luke (2)

Tine Andersen writes:
: "Larry McMahan" wrote in message
: can you figure it out? :-)
:
: Good luck,
: Larry

: (I used paper and pencil - is that cheating?)

Yes, damn it!

: Tine, Denmark

:-)
Larry

"Larry McMahan" skrev i en meddelelse
...
: (I used paper and pencil - is that cheating?)

Yes, damn it!

(whining) I didn't know - honestly!

Tine, Denmark