Weaning is a subjective subject. Every family has their own methods, every child their own timing. Since I was expecting baby #2 and had no desire to tandem nurse, it was best for my toddler and I to sweetly & thoughtfully close the breastfeeding chapter of our relationship. This is how I weaned my toddler. 
Daytime Weaning
I took advantage of a family beach vacation to wean my 20 month-old toddler from daytime nursing sessions. By this time, she was only nursing once in the morning and once at bedtime. 
Since our surroundings were new & exciting, my curious little girl didn’t even seem to notice that the first morning in our friend’s typical Costa Rican home I gave her a sippy cup filled with watered down cow’s milk first thing in the morning rather than the usual breastfeeding cuddles. She downed the milk with pleasure and never once asked to nurse. Every morning we continued the same sippy cup with milk routine, and have never looked back. Easy as…well, milk!
Nighttime Weaning
The last feeding that Summerbeth was regularly receiving was the nighttime feeding. I was reluctant to give it up both for cuddle value and for the immunities she was receiving from me. I loved the way she’d jut her foot upward to act as a chin rest for me as she nursed, the way she’d giggle and tease to let me know she was finished, and that sweet gaze as she was dozing off into sleepyland.
How did I approach nighttime weaning? I enlisted daddy dearest.
One evening as I took a little longer than normal heading into baby’s bedroom to wind down with the regular bedtime routine, Daddy had already cuddled shower-fresh Summerbeth into cozy pjs and was reading the Bible to her, all snuggled into his lap, sitting in the chair where normally I’d nurse her. Knowing that we’d planned to wean her soon, I asked him if he’d like to put her to bed, and that was it. She whimpered a wee bit as I left the room after we shared a bedtime prayer, but had no trouble at all being tucked into her crib by her amazingly tender & loving papi. For about a week she whimpered a few seconds when I left the room, but quickly adapted to her new nighttime routine.
In a nutshell, weaning my toddler was a lot less hassle and heartbreak than I’d envisioned going in, much like when we potty trained her at 17 months. If you’re considering weaning soon, just know that it won’t shatter your loving relationship with your little one, and it likely won’t be quite as dramatic and emotional as you might think. That was my experience, at least.
Weaning tips or advice for hesitant moms? Share below in the comments!
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over the past two weeks I’ve eliminated 2 daytime nursing sessions. My daughter hasn’t noticed at all. I think I’ll continue the morning and evening sessions for a bit bc it’s the only cudddle time i get with my daughter…she is not a fan of cuddles :/
My little girl isn’t a cuddler either. I’ve found that the best opportunities for cuddling with her is holding her in my lap reading books. She loves that!
That’s so smart to wean during the day while somewhere new. I am definitely going to remember this!
When we took the mini vacay I’d never intended to wean my little girl. Timing just wound up being perfect and she didn’t mind at all! Hope it helps you too Chelsea!