Weaning...

[@llli*pinkpumps9876]

Hi all,
I've a quick question about weaning my girl off her final feed. I plan to start weaning her off the bedtime feed towards the end of April. She's 14 months and is eating well and doing well in every respect.

Do you Mum's have any advice as to how to do it? Health visitors tend to say to take her straight off it. But I'm a little worried about this. She was fine being taken off other feeds this way but obviously, the bedtime feed is different and she needs a good routine, which will include a bath, story and milk (with her Dad initially so she doesn't stress). She's recently gone back to falling asleep on the breast which will definitely maker things more difficult!

Also, have a bath with her every Sunday night and the last 3 Sundays, she's decided to feed i the bath as well as at bedtime. I was so shocked the first two times that I didn't think to stop her, now I think she's getting used to this. So it feels like now, I have two feeds to wean her off. Should I stop bathing with her until she's weaned completely?

Any advice welcome!
Thanks.

[@llli*magnoliahoney]

It's natural for babies to want to nurse in the bath.

Is weaning something you want to do, or feel you need to do cause some one has told you that it's time?

Cause in reality, she could keep on nursing any time-bath, bedtime, etc as long as you and her would like. Most children don't self wean till after 2, and some up to 4 or 5. But, all eventually do. (after all we don't hear a lot of stories about some children still nursing on their way to college. lol)

[@llli*pinkpumps9876]

Lol.
I'd love to keep on feeding her a little longer but I need to start doing things at night (rehearsals for a musical theatre show starting rehearsals around May, once a week to start with, then a few times a week and then all week for about 2 weeks before the show in October) and I also have fibromyalgia so I may need to stop to have a little more energy for the shows.

I can't see any other way around it as I doubt she'd take to having her feed moved around at this late stage. We had a schedule of 3 feeds really since she was about 6 months and dropped her afternoon and morning feeds in the last 3 months so I had more energy. I really need to start getting out and about a bit more as I struggle with depression and anxiety. I don't think I could cope with expressing so that my OH could feed her when I'm not there as it would be a big, tiring job!

I wish I'd known about the idea of continuing to feed her whenever she wanted at 6 months, I might not have been so structured if I'd known! But that was just the advice I was given at the time and I did what I thought best.

[@llli*trh610]

Regarding the bath, can you wear a swimsuit? That seems to help with my LO.

[@llli*pinkpumps9876]

I had thought of that, but I wonder if she'll fall for it! It might be worth a try!

[@llli*ponytail18]

I have a 13 month i just weaned. She was only nursing when i picked her up and at night two to 3 times. I was told by many friends that after 3 days of not breastfeeding she will not want it. It work it have been 1 week 3 day and she slept the whole night for the first time every it was great. The first night is the worst it was harder for me not just to give in then for to go back to sleep. I sleep with her so i just patted her back and give her a some cows milk. The worst part is the milk drying up my breast still hard some freezing cabbage was great.

[@llli*pinkpumps9876]

I tried the swimsuit and it worked the last two times!!
Thanks for your advice. I'm not looking forward to stopping the last feed in a few weeks, but I have to stop some time

[@llli*mommy2lilah]

pinkpumps9876, if you don't want to wean, don't. I don't understand why you say that you're not looking forward to it, but that you have to stop some time. What does that mean? You don't HAVE to stop. You can continue to nurse your child as long as you and your child want to nurse.

Is someone pressuring you to wean? I know that you have mentioned that you want to do things in the evenings, but trust me, your child can adjust to not nursing those times that you are not there and you can continue to nurse once a day (or however many times you choose) to nurse for as long as you like.

[@llli*jenna562]

I am unclear...why can't you nurse when you are together and offer healthy food and liquids when you are apart? Your baby wants to continue to nurse! Youre not going to have to pump a million times per day you can still do "musical theatre" and nurse when together...why not that?

[@llli*joe.s.mom]

If you want to wean, that is your decision. But your nighttime engagements don't require it. I have to attend night meetings for my job. I just went to the meetings, my husband took care of Joe those nights, and then on nights when we were together, he'd nurse. After he hit 12 months, I didn't pump or do anything to keep up my supply on nights when we didn't nurse. I just did my thing. Joe would pick right back up nursing when we were together. It's true that you will wean eventually, but there's no need to do it right now if you don't want to. You can continue to nurse just a few times a day for a really long time - I did this for almost a year with Joe.