Hello, my son is 20 months old and was exclusively breastfed. He refuses to drink any substitute for breastmilk, I only nurse him when he asks but sadly he keeps asking. I want him weaned but I was to do so in a loving/caring way. Please give me any advice you can.
Gently weaning a toddler can be done! While it may seem unproductive, talking to your toddler can help. Let him know that he’s getting to be a big boy a soon he won’t be able to nurse anymore. From there start slowly by identifying one nursing session to remove. Don’t offer nursing during that time and stay busy so he doesn’t recognize the typical part of his schedule. If he does notice, let him know he’ll still get to nurse later at bedtime (or another typical time). After a few days or a week, remove another nursing session and so on. Additionally, decrease the duration of available nursing sessions. Another tip to consider is that often times a snuggly swap works well. Gather a couple of books that are new to him in the area of the house where he normally nurses, and then try a bait and switch. “No nursies right now, but let’s read this new book! Ooh it’s about a cat!” Slow and steady also works on your milk supply. After slowly reducing nursing session and duration, you’ll make less milk.