Serious Weaning Day 1

So far today Smidget nursed when he woke up (he was in bed with me at the time) and again as he fell asleep for his nap. As of today (right now) I'm going down to 2x a day nursing.

I have discovered that if either Dada or I are laying in bed with him, he'll comfort and go back to sleep even without nursing 90% of the time. So, we're going to be letting him sleep with us while we transition to weaning. He already is attached to sleeping with us or at least having me close by at night because he wakes up wanting to nurse so often---the sleeping with us is something I'm okay with---would prefer he not, but I feel like trying to stop doing both at once is a bit too much for my little man.

So, from here out, I will be denying him his "snacking" and offering other foods. Even if he is fussy and crying, he needs to learn that I'm not a snack.

I will still be nursing him to sleep (night time and naps when we're home) for another couple of weeks until he is used to not nursing during the day. Once I have it so that he's okay with not nursing except before he goes to sleep I'm going to cut out the pre-nap nursing. Once he is going down without nursing before naps I'll give it a week and then work on getting Dada to put him down at night (at least on weekends). When Dada puts him down he fights sleeping without nursing less than when I do it.

I'm also attempting to cut out midnight nursing. I think I can do this IF Dada or I am laying with him. If I'm in another room or don't go to him immediately if I'm still up, he gets really upset and works himself up to a frenzy and won't go down without nursing. So, I just have to either lay with him or get to him immediately.

So, wish me luck with this. He's 15 months tomorrow. I've read numerous studies that say that if you don't wean a toddler before 18 months it is MUCH more difficult to wean them. 18-36 months are supposedly the hardest months to begin the weaning process.

My goal is 17 months. That gives me 2 months to get him TOTALLY off the boob. I hope to be down to only pre-bedtime feedings before October 1.

I am going to need a LOT of support and encouragement. No "you should have weaned him earlier" or any other BS. No criticism. No reminding me that if I'd weaned him earlier it'd be easier.

Until I started trying to get pregnant I had NOOOOO problems breastfeeding him. Yes, it was inconvenient, but I still loved it. Yes, I've wanted to sleep on my stomach for several months now---but I'm hoping weaning will help him sleep through the night (several of my extended breastfeeding friends have said their kids didn't sleep through until they weaned). I still love the peace on his face when he nurses to sleep. Those are the feedings I will miss. I will miss the easy comfort it offers him.

So, don't try to make my nursing him out to something I "need" to do for any reason other than the fact that I simply want to and I, personally, feel that I am done with this stage.

My goal is to, by Christmas, have him sleeping in his own bed full time (not just for the first 4-6 hours of the night like he does now)

So, thank you for your support and care. I know that I have given him the best start imaginable. He is incredibly healthy, smart, and well rounded. Now, its time to round him out fully by showing him to be independent and to self comfort (with mommy right behind him encouraging, comforting, and loving him, of course ;) ---I'm still not letting him strike out on his own )

Thanks! Please pray for us :D

Mama