August 1 -7, 2007 is World Breastfeeding Week. If I had known about this a week ago, I wouldn't have weaned Lilly until after this week!
Yes Lilly is now weaned at 17 1/2 months. My deadline to stop nursing was 18 months. I have slowly been weaning her since 12 months - first I cut out the two afternoon feeds (she never even missed those) and in the last 2 months cut out the morning feed. She was still getting nursed before bed but even that was getting shorter and shorter. So after we came back from SC, I cut the bedtime nursing down as well. Then last Sunday I decided to stop nursing at night. I knew that Joe and I would be out of town the next weekend and she would have not be able to nurse and I was not about to break out the breast pump just for one night, so why not get the real weaning started.
The first night was great. I spent the whole day telling her she was a big girl and big girls don't get mommy milk at night, they get water. When the time came, she asked for milk and when I said"NO, big girls get water" she took the water and drank it while I sang her a song. Piece of cake. The rest of the week not so easy. She did not like the big girl talk and would cry and throw the cup of water when I offered it to her. Once she was placed in her crib and given her beloved pacifier, she fell asleep pretty easy as always.
We changed up our bedtime routine a bit to help Lilly accept her big girl status. After Lilly was dressed in her pj's, Joe would hold her and read stories and then hand her off to me for nursing and putting in her in the crib. We have changed it so that Joe does not leave the room after he hands her to me. This seems to be working - tonight she did not ask for mommy milk.
I am proud of Lilly and I ( and Joe) for sticking with it for 17 1/2 months and am happy to report that Lilly never bit me (she did chomp down a few times but that was way before she had teeth!) I'm scared the next weaning issue - the pacifier - will not be quite as easy.
