My gal was not feeling well for the past 3 days. After seeing the doctor yesterday, she recovered fairly well with some medication. At least she is able to sleep better at night instead of clinging onto me for comfort nursing. I was acting like her pacifier the whole night, so you can forget about sleeping. I used to be able to fall asleep nursing her, but not anymore as she may accidentally bite me when she’s sleeping. Thus, I am more alert now!

But the day will come when she will be weaned off completely. For the time being, she stops nursing during the day. Most of the breastfeeding mothers I talked to have problem weaning off their toddlers, thus try not to push on this. If you toddler is not ready, delay or take it slowly. Just remember that every child is developing at different pace, so don’t stress out on this.

If you are interested to know more about steps in weaning off, this is something I found and would like to share:

How to Wean

 

Weaning can be baby-led or mother-led.  Baby-led weaning occurs when babies wean themselves from the breast by becoming less interested in feedings over time; your breast milk supply slowly decreases over time. 

Weaning can also be mother-led.  It is easier to wean when you are not under a lot of stress.  Gradual weaning is easier for mom and baby.

There are two phases in weaning: withholding and substituting or replacing.  As you gradually withhold your milk, you substitute solid foods, other types of milks, and other forms of emotional nourishment.

 

 

Wean from Person to Person, Not from Person to Thing

 

Try to comfort your child by giving extra hugs and cuddles as she weans instead of breastfeeding.  As baby begins to wean from comfort at mother’s breast, you begin to substitute other forms of emotional nourishment.  For example, continue to hold your baby and speak to her when you are beginning to feed her solids.  Also, another person, ideally the father, takes on a larger role in comforting baby.

 

 

Wean Gradually

 

Try to avoid weaning baby by physically separating yourself from your baby (for example, by going away on vacation).  Sudden separation from mother’s breast and from mother all at once may cause extra stress for your baby. 

 

The key to healthy weaning is that it must be gradual:

 

● Replace one feeding at a time.

 

●  It is easiest to begin by stopping the feeding your baby wants the least, or seems

    most distracted or least interested in.  For example, instead of breastfeeding mid-

    morning, take baby to the park, read a book, or have a snack or drink from a spoon or

    cup. 

 

●  Gradually, feedings can be replaced one at a time. Wait between a few days and two    

    weeks before replacing another nursing time to allow your baby to get used to this

    change and to prevent yourself from having overfull breasts. 

 

●  The weaning method of “don’t offer, don’t refuse” often works best for most mothers

     and babies.  Basically, this means that you do not offer your baby your breast for one

     feeding at a time.  However, if your baby is interested in breastfeeding at the feeding 

     you are trying to replace, you do not refuse him the feeding.  Weaning does not

     mean refusing to let baby nurse, it means gradually releasing your baby from

     breastfeeding. 

 

●  Try to limit situations that encourage breastfeeding (for example, avoid sitting in the 

     rocking chair you always sit in to nurse), but be open to breastfeeding during baby’s

     needful periods of the day. 

 

●  Expect nap nursing and night nursing sessions to be the last to end. 

 

●  When one of you is ready to end breastfeeding before bedtime, you should already 

    have a bedtime routine or nap routine which includes quieting activities such as:

    reading bedtime stories; a back rub and a lullaby; or a healthy snack, bath, and

    pajamas.  Lots of exercise earlier in the day helps your little one prepare for rest.

 

● It is often helpful to have dad or another caregiver fulfill these evening routines so 

   baby does not think of breastfeeding; this also allows important contact time between

   father and child.

 

● If your baby is upset, it is helpful to increasingly offer other sources of comfort other

   than the breast such as stories, toys, games, songs, outings, and projects.  As you 

   develop playful interactions instead of breastfeeding, your child will slowly learn to be

   content with them and prefer them as a substitute to breastfeeding.

 

Be prepared to breastfeed more often again if you see behaviours such as tantrums, anger, or sadness in your baby.  These behaviours may occur if you are weaning too quickly.  Also, babies may have occasional spurts of breastfeeding more often again if they are ill, upset, or experiencing new situations.  At these times, your baby is most likely breastfeeding for comfort.

See, be prepared to breastfeed again! LOL! So, don’t push or force it. It’s not that we will be moos forever.