I guess it's official, now that *he* says he's weaned...

[Emily Roysdon]

At the beginning of September, I asked Noah, age 5 1/2, to work with me
to find other ways to get to sleep, just for a week, because I was a bit
stressed out with tandeming right then (PMS, I think.) Also, while I
usually didn't mind nursing him and his sister to sleep at the same time
in my bed, dh was making noises about the kids falling asleep in their
own beds and there was just no way to nurse them simultaneously in those
tiny twin beds, or for me to nurse Noah at all in his loft bed. He
agreed, without too much drama, to just cuddle to sleep, and after a
week I suggested he keep doing it, and I'd get him a toy he liked since
he was doing so great.

Initially, he was concerned that he might never nurse again, so I said
of course he could if he was sick or truly needed to. About a week
after that, he came down with bronchitis, and after a few days of
worsening symptoms and refusing to take meds, I begged him to nurse. I
felt so guilty...the kid is "weaned" for two weeks and gets the worst
illness of his life! Anyway, he nursed a few times, recovered *very*
quickly, and didn't ask to nurse again. I tend to think of the toy as a
reward, and I got it via eBay so it took awhile to get here and he
didn't seem to relate the gift to a hiatus from nursing, or ask to do it
again after the toy arrived.

Still, I knew better than to mention the actual word "weaned" around
him, as he has never done well when he hears it, and I could see him
deciding that he needed to nurse again and freaking out. Tonight we
were in the car and discussing a friend of his who has recently decided
to go to bed all on his own, without mom to cuddle with as he nods off,
and Noah said, "I'm older than him, but I still want you in my room when
I fall asleep." We just started working on him falling asleep on his
own, in his room, with mama nearby but not cuddled up with him, and he's
not entirely on board with it yet, although it gets easier each night.
I mentioned that these changes happen in time, when he's ready, and that
his friend was weaned when he was three, so he'd had more time to get
used to it. Noah said, "That's right. I only weaned when I was five and
a half." I said, "ah..." as this was a surprising thing to hear him
say. Then he said, "Well, I didn't all the way wean. I can still nurse
if I'm sick. But I'm usually weaned."

<chuckle>

Rebekah, age 3 1/3 (and yes, she says that's her age), has been saying
to me, when she's nursing and Noah's not around, "I still nuss, but Noah
be's weaned" so maybe he took his cue from her ;-)



--

Emily, so very glad to have done child-led weaning, with just the
tiniest nudge from mama when he was completely ready

[azure]

"Emily Roysdon" > wrote in message
y.com...
> At the beginning of September, I asked Noah, age 5 1/2, to work with me
> to find other ways to get to sleep, just for a week, because I was a bit
> stressed out with tandeming right then (PMS, I think.) Also, while I
> usually didn't mind nursing him and his sister to sleep at the same time
> in my bed, dh was making noises about the kids falling asleep in their
> own beds and there was just no way to nurse them simultaneously in those
> tiny twin beds, or for me to nurse Noah at all in his loft bed. He
> agreed, without too much drama, to just cuddle to sleep, and after a
> week I suggested he keep doing it, and I'd get him a toy he liked since
> he was doing so great.
>
> Initially, he was concerned that he might never nurse again, so I said
> of course he could if he was sick or truly needed to. About a week
> after that, he came down with bronchitis, and after a few days of
> worsening symptoms and refusing to take meds, I begged him to nurse. I
> felt so guilty...the kid is "weaned" for two weeks and gets the worst
> illness of his life! Anyway, he nursed a few times, recovered *very*
> quickly, and didn't ask to nurse again. I tend to think of the toy as a
> reward, and I got it via eBay so it took awhile to get here and he
> didn't seem to relate the gift to a hiatus from nursing, or ask to do it
> again after the toy arrived.
>
> Still, I knew better than to mention the actual word "weaned" around
> him, as he has never done well when he hears it, and I could see him
> deciding that he needed to nurse again and freaking out. Tonight we
> were in the car and discussing a friend of his who has recently decided
> to go to bed all on his own, without mom to cuddle with as he nods off,
> and Noah said, "I'm older than him, but I still want you in my room when
> I fall asleep." We just started working on him falling asleep on his
> own, in his room, with mama nearby but not cuddled up with him, and he's
> not entirely on board with it yet, although it gets easier each night.
> I mentioned that these changes happen in time, when he's ready, and that
> his friend was weaned when he was three, so he'd had more time to get
> used to it. Noah said, "That's right. I only weaned when I was five and
> a half." I said, "ah..." as this was a surprising thing to hear him
> say. Then he said, "Well, I didn't all the way wean. I can still nurse
> if I'm sick. But I'm usually weaned."
>
> <chuckle>
>
> Rebekah, age 3 1/3 (and yes, she says that's her age), has been saying
> to me, when she's nursing and Noah's not around, "I still nuss, but Noah
> be's weaned" so maybe he took his cue from her ;-)
>
>
>
> --
>
> Emily, so very glad to have done child-led weaning, with just the
> tiniest nudge from mama when he was completely ready
>

I love hearing about child led weaning : ) Thank you for sharing that story
: )


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[CY]

What a precious story. How cute. And here I am worrying that my almost 2
year old will wean herself (mama's not ready yet!)
"Emily Roysdon" > wrote in message
y.com...
> At the beginning of September, I asked Noah, age 5 1/2, to work with me
> to find other ways to get to sleep, just for a week, because I was a bit
> stressed out with tandeming right then (PMS, I think.) Also, while I
> usually didn't mind nursing him and his sister to sleep at the same time
> in my bed, dh was making noises about the kids falling asleep in their
> own beds and there was just no way to nurse them simultaneously in those
> tiny twin beds, or for me to nurse Noah at all in his loft bed. He
> agreed, without too much drama, to just cuddle to sleep, and after a
> week I suggested he keep doing it, and I'd get him a toy he liked since
> he was doing so great.
>
> Initially, he was concerned that he might never nurse again, so I said
> of course he could if he was sick or truly needed to. About a week
> after that, he came down with bronchitis, and after a few days of
> worsening symptoms and refusing to take meds, I begged him to nurse. I
> felt so guilty...the kid is "weaned" for two weeks and gets the worst
> illness of his life! Anyway, he nursed a few times, recovered *very*
> quickly, and didn't ask to nurse again. I tend to think of the toy as a
> reward, and I got it via eBay so it took awhile to get here and he
> didn't seem to relate the gift to a hiatus from nursing, or ask to do it
> again after the toy arrived.
>
> Still, I knew better than to mention the actual word "weaned" around
> him, as he has never done well when he hears it, and I could see him
> deciding that he needed to nurse again and freaking out. Tonight we
> were in the car and discussing a friend of his who has recently decided
> to go to bed all on his own, without mom to cuddle with as he nods off,
> and Noah said, "I'm older than him, but I still want you in my room when
> I fall asleep." We just started working on him falling asleep on his
> own, in his room, with mama nearby but not cuddled up with him, and he's
> not entirely on board with it yet, although it gets easier each night.
> I mentioned that these changes happen in time, when he's ready, and that
> his friend was weaned when he was three, so he'd had more time to get
> used to it. Noah said, "That's right. I only weaned when I was five and
> a half." I said, "ah..." as this was a surprising thing to hear him
> say. Then he said, "Well, I didn't all the way wean. I can still nurse
> if I'm sick. But I'm usually weaned."
>
> <chuckle>
>
> Rebekah, age 3 1/3 (and yes, she says that's her age), has been saying
> to me, when she's nursing and Noah's not around, "I still nuss, but Noah
> be's weaned" so maybe he took his cue from her ;-)
>
>
>
> --
>
> Emily, so very glad to have done child-led weaning, with just the
> tiniest nudge from mama when he was completely ready
>

[Larry McMahan]

Emily,

This is amazing. I can't believe how similar your experience with
Noah is to our with Clara. I think it is awesome to hear a story
about another parent who had success with child led weaning.
Way to go, you made my day.

Larry


Emily Roysdon > writes:
: At the beginning of September, I asked Noah, age 5 1/2, to work with me
: to find other ways to get to sleep, just for a week, because I was a bit
: stressed out with tandeming right then (PMS, I think.) Also, while I
: usually didn't mind nursing him and his sister to sleep at the same time
: in my bed, dh was making noises about the kids falling asleep in their
: own beds and there was just no way to nurse them simultaneously in those
: tiny twin beds, or for me to nurse Noah at all in his loft bed. He
: agreed, without too much drama, to just cuddle to sleep, and after a
: week I suggested he keep doing it, and I'd get him a toy he liked since
: he was doing so great.

: Initially, he was concerned that he might never nurse again, so I said
: of course he could if he was sick or truly needed to. About a week
: after that, he came down with bronchitis, and after a few days of
: worsening symptoms and refusing to take meds, I begged him to nurse. I
: felt so guilty...the kid is "weaned" for two weeks and gets the worst
: illness of his life! Anyway, he nursed a few times, recovered *very*
: quickly, and didn't ask to nurse again. I tend to think of the toy as a
: reward, and I got it via eBay so it took awhile to get here and he
: didn't seem to relate the gift to a hiatus from nursing, or ask to do it
: again after the toy arrived.

: Still, I knew better than to mention the actual word "weaned" around
: him, as he has never done well when he hears it, and I could see him
: deciding that he needed to nurse again and freaking out. Tonight we
: were in the car and discussing a friend of his who has recently decided
: to go to bed all on his own, without mom to cuddle with as he nods off,
: and Noah said, "I'm older than him, but I still want you in my room when
: I fall asleep." We just started working on him falling asleep on his
: own, in his room, with mama nearby but not cuddled up with him, and he's
: not entirely on board with it yet, although it gets easier each night.
: I mentioned that these changes happen in time, when he's ready, and that
: his friend was weaned when he was three, so he'd had more time to get
: used to it. Noah said, "That's right. I only weaned when I was five and
: a half." I said, "ah..." as this was a surprising thing to hear him
: say. Then he said, "Well, I didn't all the way wean. I can still nurse
: if I'm sick. But I'm usually weaned."

: <chuckle>

: Rebekah, age 3 1/3 (and yes, she says that's her age), has been saying
: to me, when she's nursing and Noah's not around, "I still nuss, but Noah
: be's weaned" so maybe he took his cue from her ;-)



: --

: Emily, so very glad to have done child-led weaning, with just the
: tiniest nudge from mama when he was completely ready

[Sarajoyo]

Emily Roysdon > wrote in message >...

> Noah said, "That's right. I only weaned when I was five and
> a half." I said, "ah..." as this was a surprising thing to hear him
> say. Then he said, "Well, I didn't all the way wean. I can still nurse
> if I'm sick. But I'm usually weaned."
>
This is too precious! Congratulations, Emily, on your grown-up boy,
and on the wonderful start in life you gave him!

-Sara:) (just popped in for a minute)
Mommy to a 19-month-old-and-getting-bigger-every-minute little girl
nursling

[Emily Roysdon]

Sarajoyo wrote:
> Emily Roysdon > wrote in message >...

>>Noah said, "That's right. I only weaned when I was five and
>>a half." I said, "ah..." as this was a surprising thing to hear him
>>say. Then he said, "Well, I didn't all the way wean. I can still nurse
>>if I'm sick. But I'm usually weaned."
>>
>
> This is too precious! Congratulations, Emily, on your grown-up boy,
> and on the wonderful start in life you gave him!

Thank you so much :-) It's weird that it's such a milestone, but the
happening itself was such a non-milestone, you know? Like it was so
gradual, there was no sadness or trauma. I love that.

> -Sara:) (just popped in for a minute)
> Mommy to a 19-month-old-and-getting-bigger-every-minute little girl
> nursling

Wow, she's 19 months?!?! I remember your posts from when she was a
newborn...I can't believe so much time has passed. Update, update!


Emily

[Sarajoyo]

> Thank you so much :-) It's weird that it's such a milestone, but the
> happening itself was such a non-milestone, you know? Like it was so
> gradual, there was no sadness or trauma. I love that.
>
It sounds just so wonderful, and so perfect.

> > -Sara:) (just popped in for a minute)
> > Mommy to a 19-month-old-and-getting-bigger-every-minute little girl
> > nursling
>
> Wow, she's 19 months?!?! I remember your posts from when she was a
> newborn...I can't believe so much time has passed. Update, update!
>
Oh, let's see. . . we're all doing just wonderfully. She's a ball of
fun, cute as a button, super-social, and loves to entertain us. She
loves everyone and everything, especially cats, dogs, and babies.
Right now she and I are really enjoying crunching in the leaves, doing
art projects, and our Mommy-and-Baby ballet class. It's really
pre-ballet, but she wears her little pink tutu with her hair up in a
ponytail, and she's so proud of herself; she loves to show Daddy all
the new things she's learned. She sits at the big table instead of
her high chair, gladly helps around the house, and says, "please" and
"thank you" so nicely. I can't believe how grownup she is now --
every day she looks less like a baby and more like a big girl! How
time flies, but I'm loving every minute of it! She loves to read and
can recognize most her letters, as well as her numbers, shapes, and
colors (with pink being her favorite). She chatters all the time and
knows way more words than I can count, and she imitates everything we
do and say, which cracks us up a billion times a day. Can you tell
I'm having fun with her? She's just so cute and sweet, and she gives
the most adorable little kisses and hugs and says "My Daddy" or
"Maaaa-mmy" in the most contented little voice. :) We're just
starting to think about #2 sometime, so I may eventually be back here
with questions about nursing through a pregnancy and/or tandeming.
(She nurses her baby doll, or brings the baby to me to nurse, and the
other day she told me that if she had a baby sister or brother [not
that she exactly knows what that means, but she thinks it would be
fun, lol], she would wrap it in a blanket and rock it in her rocking
chair, and Mommy could nurse the baby.)

Nursing is obviously going well. She eats great meals and snacks and
nurses about 4 or 5 times a day. I'm so glad I'm nursing a toddler --
I love that she asks to "nuss" or for the other side, and I love that
she gives me a big grin and says, "Yummmmmm" when she nurses. And
that sometimes when she's finished, she sits up, pulls my shirt down,
and makes her "all done" sign. Haven't regretted nursing or anything
else we've done at all; she still sleeps with us, and we're not
planning to move her anytime soon, and she loves being in her sling,
and we just got a backpack-type carrier (which she spent a while
trying to put on herself this evening, which was hilarious). All in
all, I'm very happy. :)


Thanks for asking!

-Sara:)
Mommy to a sleeping nursling :)

[Leslie]

Is he still weaned, Emily? :-)

What a sweet story. How are you feeling about this transition?

Leslie

[Leslie]

>Oh, let's see. . . we're all doing just wonderfully.

Hi Sara!

It's been so long since I've seen you around here (or been here myself!). I
know that Laura is a year younger than William, but somehow even when I see him
getting older it is hard to imagine her know being a baby anymore. She sounds
like such a big girl! Do you have a picture to share?

Glad to hear that all is still well with you.

Leslie

[Emily Roysdon]

Leslie wrote:
> Is he still weaned, Emily? :-)

LOL! Yeah, he hasn't nursed since before I posted, and when Rebekah
said something about him being weaned the other day, he only
half-heartedly protested ;-) *She* is now saying she's going to wean at
age 4 and "just cuddle" to sleep. We shall see.

> What a sweet story. How are you feeling about this transition?

I'm feeling wonderful about how it happened; I couldn't have asked for
anything more gradual or mutual. My biggest concern was that we not
end, when we did finally end, on a bad note; I wanted him to remember
nursing as a wonderful thing he did. As nursing ended, we worked a bit
more directly on him sleeping in his own room all night, and that's
going very well too. He has been sleeping in his own sleeping bag every
night (under his loft bed rather than on it, but who cares?) for several
weeks now, and comes in my bed first thing in the morning for a quick
cuddle before we get up to start our day. It's very odd, these kids
growing up on me ;-)

Thanks for asking...how's things in your nursling's life?


Emily

[Leslie]

>I'm feeling wonderful about how it happened; I couldn't have asked for
>anything more gradual or mutual.

That's great. Another thing I think is neat is that obviously he is going to
remember nursing. My nine-year-old, who weaned at 38 months, loves to tell a
story about when he and his little brother (12 months younger) were downstairs
playing and I was upstairs sitting in my bed. He says that he said to Teddy,
"Let's go nurse!" and that they ran upstairs together and jumped in the bed
with me. I think it's so sweet that he remembers that.

>Thanks for asking...how's things in your nursling's life?

William finally is nursing much less and eating somewhat more, although his
menu of choice is unfortunately very limited indeed.

He usually nurses upon waking, at naptime if we are home to have a nap, at
bedtime, and during the night. IF he gets bored or upset and catches me
sitting down :-) he will occasionally nurse in the afternoon or evening.

He now associates "Ba" with going to sleep, though, so if I suggest nursing
near bedtime he's liable to say, "I don't want Ba," or "I want Ba downstairs.
I don't want Ba in Bed." (He's just past 2 and a half, BTW).

Other than that, he's great. Getting a little mischievous, but by far the
easiest, sweetest, most compliant two I've seen, and the joy of our house where
all the other kids are large, loud, and demanding!

Leslie