https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 15 Apr 2026 19:27:10 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/weaning-a-toddler#post-1764285 Thu, 17 Jul 2014 09:49:15 +0000 mrskc 1764285@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We weaned at about 16 months since I was pregnant and dried up. My DH took over bedtime and we started giving him a bottle of warmed WCM. It was probably not the best thing to introduce a bottle that late in the game but it all worked out. And yea.. I admit. We didn't brush his teeth after the bottle. My DH had to take over middle of the night wakings. It was rough for awhile but he eventually got to a point where he was sleeping all night and we were no longer nursing. </p> <p>Then we started brushing his teeth after his bottle. And we finally cut the bottle around 19 months and now he will have a sippy of milk sometime after dinner, then we brush his teeth. And he's able to fall asleep all on his own now. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/weaning-a-toddler#post-1764185 Thu, 17 Jul 2014 09:27:08 +0000 Beyond2 1764185@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I just weaned my son at 22 months. I have a daughter who is nursing also so I worried a lot about jealousy. I recruited my husband for bedtimes to make it happen. DSs last session was his nap session. We just weaned that over the long weekend so my husband could help. I had always put my son to bed for night and naps with nursing so having someone else break the cycle was crucial. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/weaning-a-toddler#post-1764107 Thu, 17 Jul 2014 09:14:40 +0000 JoJoGirl 1764107@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@heartonastring: Awesome, that's helpful. Thanks.</p> <p>@Applesandbananas: Yeah that's an option! I'm pretty engorged still in the morning so weaning will probably be a bit of a process. I'm not attached anymore to nursing her since she's over a year, but I do NOT want to mess with her sleep :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/weaning-a-toddler#post-1762560 Wed, 16 Jul 2014 13:33:11 +0000 Applesandbananas 1762560@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@JoJoGirl: If you're worried, maybe you could potentially still pump in the mornings, maybe a short 10min session, and keep your supply? For me, and I know everyone is different, some days he nurses in the morning, sometimes he skips it. I'm rarely ever engorged (and the bit of engorgement I do have on occasion is resolved by a quick bit of hand expressing) but there always seems to be enough to satisfy him. It's crazy how boobs adjust so well! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/weaning-a-toddler#post-1762516 Wed, 16 Jul 2014 13:15:44 +0000 heartonastring 1762516@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@JoJoGirl: Still nursing a couple times a day, but stopped nursing before naps/bedtime awhile ago. We did pre-bed milk in a bottle and then a straw cup for awhile. Then, one day, we just switched to water. We were really worried about it, but it ended up being a complete non-issue.....she just went to sleep. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/weaning-a-toddler#post-1762496 Wed, 16 Jul 2014 13:08:17 +0000 JoJoGirl 1762496@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Smurfette: @hilsy85: That's good to know. I assumed she would think it was playtime or something - she always brushes her hair while i brush her teeth because she thinks it's fun... would definitely have a hard time going down right after that! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/weaning-a-toddler#post-1762476 Wed, 16 Jul 2014 13:00:51 +0000 hilsy85 1762476@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@JoJoGirl: @Smurfette: I actually did that as well when we stopped nursing to sleep--I made teeth brushing the last step before white noise and bed, instead of nursing with white noise on/lights off. He definitely woke up a bit after brushing his teeth, but it was a pretty easy transition and he went right to sleep after a night or two. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/weaning-a-toddler#post-1762465 Wed, 16 Jul 2014 12:58:13 +0000 Smurfette 1762465@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@JoJoGirl: I was thinking that if you give her time to adjust to not nursing right before bed, then work on cutting nursing all together. But yeah you could do a bottle like that too.<br /> Post weaning for me was still a bottle right before, with the lights dimmed. Then did bottle on the couch with regular lights on. Now if she hasn't finished her milk from dinner (sippy), she gets the rest on the couch with a book. Then teeth and normal bedtime routine, in her room, turn off the ceiling fan light, turn on a lamp and read a couple books, snuggle and sing, then sound machine on and in the crib. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/weaning-a-toddler#post-1762437 Wed, 16 Jul 2014 12:49:07 +0000 JoJoGirl 1762437@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sunny: This is concern #3 for me after bedtimes and naps... we usually have nice quiet time in the morning in the dark after she wakes up and nurses :-/</p> <p>@blackbird: Does that help E calm down? Maybe it's the drinking/sucking motion that'll do it. Maybe if DH gives her a sippy cup?</p> <p>@Smurfette: The idea though is to cut out the nursing :) You mean bottle then teeth? She usually nurses in the dark w white noise as her bedtime routine, so i don't know if brushing teeth after that would screw it all up. How do you put her down now post-weaning?</p> <p>@Applesandbananas: Good distinction to make, thank you!! Yes, I mostly want to pump-wean. It's no big deal to keep nursing her when I'm home. The problem is I leave for work before she wakes up, so my first am pump session is a huge one. I expect that once I cut that one out, my supply will basically disappear for weekend nursing. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/weaning-a-toddler#post-1762423 Wed, 16 Jul 2014 12:43:33 +0000 Applesandbananas 1762423@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>From your op it doesn't sound like you are that into totally weaning (but maybe I'm reading wrong!) if you're concerned about pump weaning leading to full on weaning, I've not pumped in nearly 5 months but LO still nurses on demand when we are together, so maybe you could pump wean and still nurse somewhat when you're together?</p> <p>My eventual plan (well, plan B, since plan A is that he self-weans) is to slowly drop sessions when we are together. Bringing DH in for nap time/bed time is one strategy I've heard of being really successful! </p> <p>Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/weaning-a-toddler#post-1762409 Wed, 16 Jul 2014 12:36:37 +0000 Smurfette 1762409@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>What if you nurse and then get up to brush teeth? That way it isn't the last thing before bed. Then slowly shorten the time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/weaning-a-toddler#post-1762407 Wed, 16 Jul 2014 12:35:02 +0000 blackbird 1762407@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Could you give a sippy cup before bed with just water? We stopped milk right before bed b/c of her teeth.... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/weaning-a-toddler#post-1762405 Wed, 16 Jul 2014 12:34:36 +0000 sunny 1762405@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm having the same problem though it is with calming her down in the morning when she wakes up. She usually wakes up really cranky and cries for me and the breast helps her calm down. I'm not sure how to wean her when all she wants is to nurse. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/weaning-a-toddler#post-1762390 Wed, 16 Jul 2014 12:28:55 +0000 JoJoGirl 1762390@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Shameless bump.. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/weaning-a-toddler#post-1762269 Wed, 16 Jul 2014 11:48:27 +0000 JoJoGirl 1762269@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hilsy85: Oh that's a good idea. I'm worried she just won't go down and will think it's playtime if he puts her down, but I guess it's worth a shot. Oh gosh now I'm all nervous!</p> <p>She goes down fine for naps at daycare after her bottle, but again I'm not there. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/weaning-a-toddler#post-1762260 Wed, 16 Jul 2014 11:43:08 +0000 hilsy85 1762260@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Can you have your DH do bedtime routine and put her to bed for a few nights in a row? I have a friend who did this (she hid in the other parts of the house) and it worked for her! </p> <p>As for naps, we had to do some light sleep training to stop nursing before naps. It only took 2 naps though, and then by the 2nd day he was fine. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/weaning-a-toddler#post-1762250 Wed, 16 Jul 2014 11:36:02 +0000 JoJoGirl 1762250@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am finally starting to consider weaning LO after almost a full year of pumping at work (hallelujah) - she is currently 14.5 months old. Having my own office and a boss who is an LC have made this as easy as possible! </p> <p>Daycare started mixing WCM into her bottles this week and after her 1st birthday I dropped from 3 pumping sessions to 2. </p> <p>My question is about naps and bedtime - right now LO is VERY attached to nursing before she falls asleep. It doesn't *put* her to sleep, but it's definitely one of her cues now to calm down and get sleepy. And since she's a toddler and not a baby, she has started throwing tantrums if I deny her the breast when she goes for it... that's probably the biggest reason I haven't bothered weaning her before now. </p> <p>Any advice about weaning at this age? I don't want to give her WCM bottles after she brushes her teeth, but I imagine she'll need something calming to transition off the boob.. </p> <p>Thanks in advance :) </p>