Expert: ruth kraft - 2/23/2009

Question
I need help. I want to wean my 2 year old daughter. She cries and cries if I try and discourage it.It's getting to the point of where I feel a little embarassed because she is getting older.Can you suggest anything? I appreciate any and all information.

Answer
At two years old you can teach her personal space and boundaries. So if you don't want to nurse her in public, save the nursing for at home or before bed so she can still get the comfort and still nurse and you don't have to worry about it in public.

Start out with small times during the day, when she asks to nurse and you ask her to wait 5 minutes or ten minutes, then 30 minutes etc. PRAISE her for being SOOOOO patient. ( even if she wasn't the most patient... say thank you for waiting, ) and ALWAYS follow through with what you say. your teaching her she isn't being rejected, but that you have a personal space that needs to be honored. If she fusses or pulls at your clothes, tell her firmly but not yelling, its not ok to pull my clothes. When you pull my clothes like this you wont nurse". When she fusses, tell her shortly," if you fuss, you will not nurse" and leave it at that and ignore her. If you give in, you are teaching her to fuss to get what she wants. She will learn quickly.

then over time, push off one feeding every couple days and hold until the next one. Then make the rule out loud to her, that if she wants to nurse, she can nurse at home , in her room, when she is ready for bed.  and stick to it... She is a big girl now and like mommy, she can drink out of a cup.  and see how that goes.

weaning over time is what is best for everyone but you have to start out little to prevent chaos :)

I hope that helped!
Ruth Kraft
www.honoringwomen.com