October is Attachment Parenting Month and I could not pass up this opportunity to talk about some ways to stay close to your children after they have weaned. Attachment Parenting International explains:
“Attached at the Heart Through the Years” is the theme for AP Month 2009 and a statement that healthy, secure attachments between parents and children is a dynamic process that extends throughout childhood and does not end with baby bonding. During AP Month, parents are challenged to re-examine their daily activities and traditions and learn new ways to grow with each other and remain close and …read more

For this latest installment in the Mom-to-Mom question and answer series, I hope you will leave a comment to help a mom struggling with something familiar to many us — getting a good night’s sleep! Even if you don’t have some suggestions, I imagine you have some experience and empathy! Read on for my summary of top tips and past articles on the subject.

Kelley wrote to me with the following question:
My 10 month old babe has started to come over (she’s been walking for about two months now). She starts to nurse, and then as soon as my milk drops she fusses to get up and walks away, happy as a clam I might add. Is this normal? Is she playing some nursing game that I don’t know about? I can’t find anything about it online. She only wants to really nurse at night, or if I catch her in a groggy state after a nap. Otherwise, it’s the routine above. Any info …read more

While I nursed my youngest until she was a few months past her third birthday, and I admittedly was ready for her to wean, there have been several times in the months since when I wished she were still nursing. Here are the top five situations when I have regretted her weaning:
1. Illness. When she got the stomach flu, I wished she were getting antibodies and all-important fluids from breast milk to keep her from getting dehydrated.
2. Physical comfort. When my daughter started patting my cheeks and rubbing my arms and climbing all over me until I started to get …read more

By: Juria Yoshikawa

Jeannee recently left a comment seeking information on weaning from a supplemental nursing system:
I am an IBCLC and currently searching for information or testimonials on weaning from the supplementary nursing system. Once the line is introduced mothers and babies do seem to become dependent on it and knowing the best way to remove it from the breastfeeding situation seems to be as elusive as the scarlet pimpernel. Could someone assist me please to help these mothers? Thank you.
If you used a supplemental nursing system or you are a lactation professional who has helped mothers with an SNS, please share your …read more

After nearly three weeks without nursing my 3-year-old, I think it is safe to say she has weaned! It has been a long, slow process as I strived to meet the needs of my daughter while she gently weaned.
From a physical standpoint, I am glad she has weaned. It is not easy to breastfeed while pregnant (although I have done it before). However, from a mothering standpoint, I have been sad that I do not have breastfeeding as an instant way to help soothe my daughter when she is tired, sick, grumpy, or just plain needs to connect with me. …read more

As I mentioned previously, my 3-year-old had been nursing once per day for some time now. I realized late last night that my daughter hadn’t nursed at all that day! She never even asked. I can’t say I am sad about that, but I am quite surprised. It seems like I have gone from wondering “When will she cut back at all?” to wondering “Could this be our last nursing session?” in a very short time.

Welcome to the January Carnival of Breastfeeding! Today the contributors have written about “Beginnings and Endings” related to breastfeeding. Now that I am 14 weeks pregnant with my third child, I am facing a beginning and an ending, specifically the ending of my nursing relationship with my 3-year-old, and the beginning of my nursing relationship with my next child.
When I was pregnant with my second child, my first daughter nursed right through the pregnancy and happily tandem nursed with her new little sister. My experience this time around has been different. My 3-year-old simply is not as attached to …read more

At a La Leche League meeting the other day, one of the leaders mentioned the phenomenon of “holiday weaning.” Sometimes children get so distracted by the holiday festivities, the lights, the visiting relatives, the special food, that they do not think about nursing as frequently as they had been. If you notice this happening and you do not want your child to wean, you might offer to nurse occasionally, just to remind your child to keep it up! If, however, you are interested in weaning, then by all means take advantage of this time to initiate or hasten along that …read more