Name: Kelly
Beaver Dam, WI
Number of kids: 2
Ages of kids: 3, 1
Problem: I am currently nursing my one year old son and sometimes I feel as though he doesn't nurse for the nourishment so much as he does to pacify himself. He will start to nurse for a little while until something attracts his interest and he gets so squirmy I have to put him down. He also wakes up in the middle of the night and the only way to get him to sleep again is nursing. I know he is probably going to be very hard to wean because of this and I am wondering if there is anyone else who has gone through this and can offer some help.
Solution submitted by Expat from Malaysia: Julia (solution below) has a point there. My point is that my daughter does the same thing and I too have decided to give her as much comfort as she needs at this time. After all, her life's a stressful one - her lower molars are erupting, she's got heat rash though she spends most days with only her diaper on, she's mastering her walking skills, etc. She never took to teethers and sometime on her 11th month just stopped liking formula milk. Right now the breast is her only means of comfort. Sometimes my daughter will go back to sleep with rythmic patting especially when it's my hubby who'll do it. Once in a while we get lucky - she goes back to sleep on her own! Your son will also wean himself when he's ready - he just might surprise you one day! Good luck and God bless.
Another solution submitted by Julia from Boynton, OK: Believe me or not but your boy is starting to wean himself. Nursing is not for nourishment anymore, but for confidence. My one year old daughter nurses about three to four times a day now and the most important ones are at bedtime and in the middle of the night/early morning. If she wakes up in the middle of the night due to teething (this is the age those pesky molars want to come through) or whatever her need is I try at first to just stroke her back or massage her leg gently. I usually end up nursing her, but I try not to just give in so easy. Sometimes and more often she just goes back to sleep. With my first girl I tried to fight her(which I regret), since I read different solutions about letting her cry it out or giving water in a bottle. It gave all of us sleepless nights and bad moods. I decided to just let go and let it take it's course and it worked out just fine. Once her teeth were through she didn't wake up anymore. She was weaned at 18 months. They know what they need. Peace and good luck!
Please submit any more solutions.