When to Wean
It is unusual to see toddlers nursing, because most parents struggle in earnest to wean them from the bottle or breast early in the second year of life. This is unfortunate. Children continue to receive protection against illness as long as they nurse. In societies where nature is allowed to take its course, self-weaning occurs between ages 3 and 4; the
The American Association of Pediatrics now recommends that breast feeding continue for at least twelve months, and “thereafter for as long as mutually desired.” The World Health Organization recommends “two years of age or beyond.” Weaning at eighteen to twenty-four months is associated with higher IQ; virtually no research is available on youngsters weaned at older ages.
If you need to wean a toddler before he's ready, it will probably be difficult. Remember that they are severing a powerful emotional attachment. You can soften the blow by trying the following:
Choose a time when the youngster isn't coping with other major stresses.
Tell your child you are going to wean him.
Provide milk in a cup with meals.
Nurse after meals, when the child has less of an appetite.
Eliminate one bottle or nursing session at a time, beginning with the one the child is least attached to — typically in the middle of the day.
Avoid the cues that trigger the desire to be nursed by staying busy and sitting in a different chair.
Spend the time you would have devoted to nursing reading a story, reciting nursery rhymes, or playing together.
Offer bottle-fed babies a bottle of water.
Wait five days before eliminating a second bottle or nursing session.
Eliminate bedtime feedings last. (Provide other kinds of comfort until the child learns to fall asleep without being nursed. If possible, have Dad handle bedtime.)
