Weaning from the breast
It is the first day at home without the breast!
My youngest is 4 years old.
Nap time was actually more problematic then bed time.
How did I go about it?
So I had been thinking about it for a year and it was about 9 months ago that I actually started the mama led weaning. It was the end of Summer and I could suddenly feel the shift from the breast as more a comfort, cozy thing than a need. So on and off – especially when we had a day were he really wanted it – I would tell him that when he’d have his 4th birthday he will say bye to boobies as he would have grown big enough to be able to stay without them. As January approached, I started reminding him of this more regularly ( like once a week at the very least) and on the first of March we started the count down to his birthday and the end of breastfeeding.
The week leading to his birthday we talked daily about how he will have his last breastfeed on his birthday. How he has grown now and he doesn’t need boobies any more. We talked about all the things he could now do and how once he also stops breastfeeding he will be completely ready for school next year.
On his birthday, for nap time I reminded him that today was his last feed. If, he wished now to be his last feed or bed time. And all went well till this morning 🙂
He asked me for it first thing in the morning although he was easily distractable with let’s go play! Nap time was very tough and he actually cried and asked a million times for it. That was hard, I will be honest! However I held fast to my word, reminded him that we said he’d stop, that I loved him and that I could sing him to sleep, and eventually he did sleep.
Tonight, he asked again, but he is quite used to not taking it before bed time as daddy has been taking bed time routine over for the past few months in preparation for this day. So while he asked for it, he didn’t cry like nap time. He in fact quickly settled and asked for a story and here I told him the story of a little kitten who was saying bye to boobies and how she saw that she was quite content living without. And I could actually feel his internal sigh of relief of something he knows its true even if he is missing it a lot.
Of course this was just day 1, and you can never know what will happen tomorrow. However, I know he is nearly completely ready and he will be fine very soon without. Also, because I am sure I want to stop now, it actually makes it easier on him to transition as I do not feel guilt nor do I sway to and fro changing my mind upon it.
Have you stopped breastfeeding? At what age? Was it mama led or baby led?
