Weaning

To wean or not to wean.. that is the question!

Some parents plan to wean and others naturally let their children decide when they will stop. I am not sure which path I am on.

My son has recently turned 2, and I have felt it may be time to wean for quite a while now. I was going for the "don't offer, don't refuse" approach. Which means, I wouldn't offer for him to have a "bubba" but if he asked, I wouldn't refuse him. This didn't really work for me, because he asked for it all the time. Then I tried offering milk or water when he would ask to have a bubba, he went for it. Some of the time. So I realized that maybe he was just hungry for a snack, so I asked if he wanted something to eat. Now he seems to snack all the time.

So now after distracting him and offering snacks or beverage in a sippy, I had to deal with nap and bedtime. He wasn't nursing during the day except for the times he went to sleep. So for a few days last week, my husband would put him to bed. Same bedtime routine, brush teeth, read book. But this time my husband would ask my son if he would like a sip of milk. He went for it. It took him a little while to settle down, but it worked, he fell asleep. When he woke up the next morning, what was the first thing he asked for? Yes, a bubba. Back to the distraction and offering something else.

Then you throw a camping trip in the mix, and that just gets everyone mixed up! So this week we are back at square one. I am not sure where to go from here. Do I continue to slowly wean, or wait for more of a cue from him?

I have no advice on this topic, as I am learning myself. All I know is that one day, and probably soon, he won't want a bubba. I might be a little relieved at first, but a little sad at the same time as my little guy is growing up.

I would love to hear your breastfeeding or weaning stories. If you have any advice I would love to hear from you as well.

Hope you are having a great summer!

Love,

Tanesha