Do some of them *really* just wean themselves?

[Joanne]

All children will eventually wean on thier own. For my children it was much, much later then for these posters.

 

 

)

 

I didn't put an age in my post. ;)

 

However, I have come to challenge the idea that "child led weaning" is best for every child. It is NOT my experience that every child does best with weaning "on their own".

Edited August 24, 2011 by Joanne

[Rivka]

I didn't put an age in my post. ;)

 

However, I have come challenge the idea that "child led weaning" is best for every child. It is NOT my experience that every child does best with weaning "on their own".

 

Yes. A resentful mother does not make for a good nursing relationship.

 

I have not found nursing to be an unmixed pleasure. :tongue_smilie: My son was a rough nurser as a baby, with lots of grabbing and pulling, and as he got older he really wanted to climb around and nurse. I was constantly having to enforce nursing manners. Plus, it's just hot to nurse a child without central air conditioning in a Baltimore summer.

 

Weaning has really been a mutual process. I was the first to cut back - I stopped nursing him outside the house when he was about 1 1/2 and cut him back to specific times of day (morning, naptime or when I got home from work, bedtime) when he turned two. He dropped the morning session on his own, and then later he lost interest in the after work session. When he showed interest in picking those sessions back up later, I gently refused. And now... he seems to be done. He goes with Daddy at bedtime as if he'd never heard of nursing.

 

I think it's great when weaning can happen by mutual agreement like this, but when it can't, I really feel like the mother gets to set the timetable.

[Joanne]

Yes. A resentful mother does not make for a good nursing relationship.

 

I have not found nursing to be an unmixed pleasure. :tongue_smilie: My son was a rough nurser as a baby, with lots of grabbing and pulling, and as he got older he really wanted to climb around and nurse. I was constantly having to enforce nursing manners. Plus, it's just hot to nurse a child without central air conditioning in a Baltimore summer.

 

Weaning has really been a mutual process.

 

Yes. In my case, it was the fact that the CHILD needed me to have an active role in weaning.

 

I've noticed in the nursing/AP/natural parenting community that the nursing relationship often gets granted immunity from being subject to the dynamics of mutuality, relationship, patterns, and temperment. I think this is a mistake. My *child* showed me they needed me to assist with, and make decisions on weaning. That child showed me through behavior.

[TraciWA]

My son was 11 months. It started that he would bite me after he was done on each side. Then he would only nurse on one side and promptly bite me after he finished. Then he just flat out refused. He is still a stinker!

[Mrs Mungo]

Yes. In my case, it was the fact that the CHILD needed me to have an active role in weaning.

 

I've noticed in the nursing/AP/natural parenting community that the nursing relationship often gets granted immunity from being subject to the dynamics of mutuality, relationship, patterns, and temperment. I think this is a mistake. My *child* showed me they needed me to assist with, and make decisions on weaning. That child showed me through behavior.

 

I agree. There was a post just recently from a mom who seemed *done* to me and many of the posters were encouraging her to continue. I don't think that is fair.

[melissel]

I agree. There was a post just recently from a mom who seemed *done* to me and many of the posters were encouraging her to continue. I don't think that is fair.

 

I think sometimes others just want to encourage pushing through a rough spot. I've talked to/known several moms who weaned at a time when they were frustrated or when the child had a really hard time with it, and they regretted it later. And I know that I personally went through a few rough patches but was always glad that I'd kept going when we came through the other side of them. That doesn't mean that every mom HAS TO keep going when the going gets tough, but sometimes a little encouragement can help too. In the end, each mama has to make the decision on her own, regardless of what others say.

[Gailmegan]

My first two both weaned themselves - at 18 mos and 32 mos. I tried to encourage both to continue, but they weren't interested. #3 is still going strong at least twice a day, so we'll play it by ear.