Tips for Weaning

By the time my breastfed son celebrated his first birthday, I was ready to wean him. He did not, however, share my feelings. Forget security blankets, pacifiers, and teddy bears. My son's attachment object was literally attached to me -- and he was not going to give it up without a fight.

Exhibit A: Jonah attempting to pull up my shirt to nurse while we waited in line at the supermarket. He knew what he wanted and, like most toddlers, wasn't shy about making his demands known in the loudest possible tones, if necessary. Three years earlier, I had nearly as difficult a time weaning my daughter at 20 months.

This was not exactly what I envisioned when I committed to breastfeeding. Like most parents, I wanted to do what was best for my children. So when I learned, in the first blush of motherhood, that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends nursing for the first year of baby's life (the World Health Organization favors a two-year minimum), I simply bought more nursing bras.

It certainly wasn't hard labor. I loved the quiet intimacy of nursing. What I wasn't prepared for was how difficult it can be to wean an older child. While babies are relatively malleable -- and even seem to lose interest in nursing at around 9 months -- toddlers, well, they have their passions. Weaning them can be a parenting ordeal right up there with potty training. "If you haven't weaned your child by 18 months, it's very difficult to do so until about 36 months," says Ruth Lawrence, MD, a professor of pediatrics and obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Rochester School of Medicine.

That's not to suggest that women should break out the bottles or cups before they're ready. I have no regrets about having nursed my kids for as long as I did, and not only because it was a precious part of our day. The well-documented benefits of breast milk continue beyond babyhood.

According to one study, about 11 percent of nursing moms are still breastfeeding their babies at a year, a number that has been steadily rising. So weaning a toddler is a challenge that a small but growing number of mothers are likely to confront.