Weaning Carson

[Angela4boys]

So, it all began with this post on July 6th, 2008..

Carson is 18 months old, and lovvvvvvvves to nurse.  He also sleeps with us, and I kid you not, he nurses all night.  I can't sit down (littlerally I stand while typing this), if I sit down he will climb me like a tree and put himself in the position, claw at me, put his hands down my shirt, head butt me, until I finally give in for fear of my life (practically).  At night in bed he will head butt me if I try to do anything but nurse him.  I have had nights that he has head butted my lip and I will feel it swell, or my nose, and I can smell blood...so needless to say, this is not working for me any more.  I am telling you, this kid cannot or will not be redirected, he is stubborn. 

Last night, I had had it!  I slept in the spare bedroom, and let me tell you...IT WAS WONDERFUL!  My husband said Carson looked for me all night.  I did nurse him this morning, as it was the 1st thing he wanted (of course) when he woke up, and I don't want to be engorged, but I am going to try not to today until naptime or bedtime.  My normal calm and patient disposition is really being tested.  He is crying and pushing me right now as I stand here.  I don't know what to do, and I feel like there is no end in sight.  I can't even hold him without him forcefully getting "into postition" and screaming if he doesn't get it.  Oh my....

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I must say,  I got some really interesting suggestions.  Some moms were very understanding and supportive.  Then there was the mom who felt that by not allowing him to self wean that I was causing him great psychological issues (but hey, at least I will know I can blame myself when he is in therapy in thirty years...we can trace it all back to weaning...LOL). 

So, to start, I decided that I would not sleep in my bed with him until he was weaned, I slept in the bedroom down the hall, while he and Daddy slept in our bedroom.  I started out by only feeding him once per day, at night, just before he would go to bed...down stairs on the couch, so he didn't associate nursing with bed.  All daytime, casual nursing snacks were cut out.  Once I mastered that, and was no longer engorged, I started skipping every other night.  That was really hard, because by the second night, I felt like I was going to explode!  This took quite a while to regulate, far longer than I expected it to be.  I think about three weeks!  Then I pushed it to every third night.  At this point I was expecting to be doing this until he was in Kindergarten, but, this only lasted a few nursing sessions.  Today is August 17th, 2008.  I have been sleeping back in my own bed for about a week.  Ahhhh!  It has been six days and five whole nights without nursing.  I am not engorged at all, but I can def. tell that there is still milk in the milk glands.  But I am fully confident that we are done weaning!  He isn't being forceful, or trying to get at it, or anything like that.  He has either forgotten, or has just accepted that nursing is a thing of the past.  Oh, and so far, he doesn't seem to need therapy ;)

Either way, I am thrilled to be DONE!  I counted up the amount of time that I spent nursing the four boys...5 years and 3 months!  I am really proud of myself for that.  I never really enjoyed nursing, but I did come to appreciate the immediate calming affect that it seems to have over the little ones, how easy it makes outings, not having to leave the bed (or even be awake for that matter) during night nursings, the fat melting properties that it had on Mommy, and a food source that is not only superior but also totally free thanks to mother nature!  Yep, I was a former milk machine, and glad that I was :) 

[averillholistix]

Aug. 17, 2008 at 3:15 PM

I would try feeding him more solids and give him some formula to supplement if he tries clawing at you.. and if he 'goes into position', feed him with the bottle and hold him while he takes it.  He's wanting to be close to you. Give him something else and still be close to him, and spare him the therapy!! LOL Good luck, dear Mama!

[averillholistix]

Aug. 17, 2008 at 3:16 PM

Actually, let me edit.. I didn't realize you were done... Good job, Mama!!!!!!

[gdiamante]

Aug. 18, 2008 at 12:43 PM

Here's a guarantee, because it's in the Mommy Contract. you WILL be blamed for SOME kind of psychosocial issue in the future, no matter whether or not you weaned. **grin** Yes, it *is* all your fault! (That's a joke.)

You didi it nice and slow, which is the way tyou're supposed to do it. Congratulations.