There is a positive correlation between weaning and tantrums: the more you try to wean your toddler from breastfeeding, the more temper tantrums you will get.


I have been breastfeeding for close to 2 years now, and I feel that it's time to stop. Or else I fear it will go on and on forever. I have started to refuse her requests to nurse only just recently, but boy has it had an impact on my body! I have been producing milk on demand for over a year now, and not really producing extra milk when I am away from my daughter. But suddenly, after trying to ignore her crying tantrums, and refusing to give her the teat until the very last minute (right before bedtime), my breasts are starting to get sore. I find that I am producing milk while I am at work, which has not happened in a very long time (though I am not leaking, thank God!). By the end of the day, when I finally pick Salma up from day-care, I find that (and I think she does, too) I am smelling of milk, and right away she will ask me to nurse, while I'm driving!

And of course, I have to say no, because how can I breastfeed her while I'm driving? And we have to wait until we reach home. And it's such a relief to finally be able to feed her, too, when we reach home, because it alleviates the soreness. So now I'm thinking, how do wean my child but at the same time reducing the pain for myself? I have asked quite a number of people, and none of them could provide me any options. It is bound to hurt, and your breasts will get sore. One lady I asked said her breast got engorged when she weaned her kids, and had to resort to expressing milk manually in the loo. Yikes! How am I going to do this?

I have tried pumping with the electric pump, and even though my breasts are as sore as they are, I am unable to express more than 0.5 ounces. I think I will only be able a proper let down if my skin comes into contact with baby's saliva. This going to be really tricky then, because I'm not that good at expressing milk manually.

It's hard for me to concentrate at work when my breasts are this sore. And I don't think I can quite explain how it feels like in words. It's just this really irritating feeling. And if I drink water, I get the odd sensation that the water I drink goes straight to my breast. Haish. It's uncomfortable. I just want to be able to wean her without feeling all this discomfort.

Weaning baby

Without realising it, I have actually started to wean my baby from breastfeeding. I was reading an article from babycenter this morning, and it was giving tips on how to start weaning, and I found that I already do 2 out 3 of the steps below:

1. Skip a feeding
2. Shorten nursing time
3. Postpone and distract

I've already started skipping feedings by giving her solid foods at meal times, and I've already started shortening her nursing time, even when it's time for bed. Instead of waiting for her to stop suckling on her own, I will stick my finger in her mouth to stop her nursing. I didn't realise that by doing these things I've actually started weaning my child! She doesn't seem to realise it either! Haha!

I'm starting to see the effects of the weaning on my body. Firstly, my body has started to produce milk on demand, instead of at all times of the day. I pump only when it starts to hurt. Or else there isn't much point anymore because I won't get even 2 oz. I think give it a couple of months more and Salma will be fully weaned. She's even started to drink from a big bottle at school. Although she doesn't want to take the bottle at home. I think it's mostly peer pressure, since all the other big kids are still drinking from the bottle at school. So she wants to also. But it's easier to give her the nutrition she needs now, since she can take the bottle on weekdays when I'm not around. And since I produce less milk, she'll be forced to eat more solids on weekends. Last night, Salma ate a whole bowl of penne with mince meat and tomato prego.

Now I'm just waiting for her to start feeding herself, then I'm all set. Can finally enjoy my dinner... hehehe (or so I think...)

Photo of Salma being naughty with someone else's birthday cake: