Help me wean my toddler!!

[momm]

I have to wean my 18 month old because:

1) Being pregnant, I no longer have enough supply to be useful for him in any case.
2) He is using me as a pacifier to sleep, and not for any nutrition, see 1) above.
3) It's just not working anymore, this bfing relationship.

I've pretty much day weaned him. He sometimes asks before bed, but am able to distract him and put him to bed. However, he wakes up screaming at 4 and WILL NOT go back down. He just needs to soothe himself nursing.

I've tried keeping a bottle but he will NOT take it.

Please help. At my wits end. Thank you in advance.

[MamaMolly]

Huge hugs! I just got Dolly off the boob at 23 months and a few days. It's funny how you know when you are DONE, isn't it? :)

Here is a link I found helpful. I think your situation is a little different than ours, so I hope this has something that works for you. http://drjaygordon.com/attachment/sleeppattern.html

I would nurse Dolly to sleep, and when she woke up I would tell her she could have nursies again when the sun was shining. She didn't like it (quite vocally!) for a few nights, but seemed resigned to it eventually. Then about a month ago as we were nursing to sleep I told her repeatedly we were all done nursing, held her hand and patted the boobs goodbye, etc. She was so funny shaking her head no while still attached :). She seemed to get it, we had a marathon nursing session that night. But then we were done.

Good luck!

[kbud]

I was finally able to wean dd#2 at 2 1/2. I had enough when in the security line at the airport she was trying to pull up my shirt screaming for milk;)

I had already tried everything and nothing worked. So here's what I did and it worked like a charm. My dd was a year older than yours so she had some reasoning, not sure if your ds is old enough for this method. I got some of that icky tasting stuff you put on your nails to stop biting them and put it on my nipples. I told dd that the milk was now yucky. She agreed when she saw my nipples as you can easily see the polish on them. She pretty much just stopped then. She tried to nurse one time and agreed the milk was yucky;) She was then done and never asked again.

I've gotten some flack for this method on some boards saying it was cruel but I don't feel it was. I didn't trick her, I told her over and over that the milk was now yucky and she could see the polish on my nipples. So it worked well for us after I had tried everything else. She is now a happy 8 year old so I didn't damage her for life;)

[momm]

Thank you both for your responses! I will prepare for a couple of sleepless nights and crying :) but am determined.

thanks again!