I'm 20 weeks pregnant. My dd is almost 19 months old.

She has decreased her nursing SIGNIFICANTLY since I became pregnant. In fact...just last weekend we left her with our best friends and spent a night away. She did great. Went 3 days without nursing at all in fact.

Most of the time she asks to nurse sometime in the morning after she's woken up, at both her naps (still has a morning and afternoon) and at night if dh isn't here to rock her to sleep. There are plenty of nights she goes to sleep without me because dh has her and she does great with that.

We night weaned about 4 months ago and she's been sleeping all night (9-11 hours) almost every night.

The problem is during the day..it has become so extremely painful and irritating and uncomfortable to nurse. I don't really know how to get her to go to sleep for a nap without nursing her. She asks and cries if I don't let her. She won't let me rock her to sleep. She often goes to sleep in the car...but I don't want to start that habit...especially with a newborn on the way.

What do I do? I don't feel like I can keep nursing. I think she is ready to be weaned except for her naptime. I feel so overwhelmed.

Please help...:confused:

I've been through that so many times. The only advice I can offer is that sometimes it will get better in a few days. I have had to wean sometimes before I felt like I really wanted too. It is really tough for the first few days, but it passes quickly too. It is a tough decision. Could you offer a really special drink/snack etc... to take her mind off of it?

Would she fall asleep while watching a movie? Not the best thing I know, but in a pinch.

Do you plan/want to tandem nurse? If so that will make all the difference in what you do.

Hugs,
Aileen

I don't plan on tandem nursing. I really don't want to. I have been hoping she'd wean during this pregnancy. I have been hoping that by 20 months she'd be done.

It totally looks like she will except the naptime thing. She won't fall asleep watching tv. If she's with anyone but me she'll let them rock her to sleep.

After an hour of me laying her down...laying down with her...getting up and leaving her for a few minutes and going back...she finally fell asleep today.

My advice is to just go with the flow. I went through the exact same thing when Saige turned 2. She would go a few days without nursing and nursing at naptime only. It only lasted a few weeks and she was done completely. She didn't ask and I didn't offer. She just never asked again. Not even when her brother came along 4 months later.

My dd is 24 months and I'm 8weeks pg, she too was a nurse to sleep kinda kid. I was feeling touched out and she was just latching on and getting frustrated with my lack of milk so I told her that the nanas were going away because she's a big girl now and that I'd lay with her till she fell asleep. Of course I now fall asleep with her every day.

Can you try to explain it to her on her level? I'm not sure if it will work for your dd, mine seemed ready to wean so it was not a struggle for her to accept my "story". Does she need two naps? Would she be more likely to fall asleep more easily if you cut her down to one? Can you plan on being out for napos for a few days, it might be enough to get her out of her nurse to sleep routine. Prehaps combining a few ideas would do the trick?

I nursed my ds all through my second pregnancy, I remember how it took all of me sometimes to keep going with it. I commend you for keeping your dd's needs in mind.

Can you plan on being out for napos for a few days, it might be enough to get her out of her nurse to sleep routine. Prehaps combining a few ideas would do the trick?

this is what i did last week. she nursed wednesday for her nap and then not again until saturday. we left her overnight friday night with our best friends and had our first overnight trip since she was born. i know she is getting ready...it just breaks my heart to hear her...."milka...pease...pease...milka"

My advice is to just go with the flow.
i totally want to go with the flow..it is just making me crazy. nursing has almost become...not an option. so my poor crying sleepy child breaks my heart.

I've been there, too. Twice. And both times the "big sister" everything turned out just fine. If you just go with it, she won't feel like you're taking away something dear to her...she'll relax and learn how to be more confident about falling asleep on her own at naptime.

I know it's stressful and sometimes painful to nurse when pg, but if you give it a little time and just resign yourself to doing it because she needs it now, you will NOT regret it. It will pay off in the end. Trust me.

Hugs, mama. I have no advice b/c I am in the same spot, only mine is 3 years old! I never ever pictured myself even nursing a 3 y/o, and it seems absurd to me that it should be this difficult to think about ending our nursing relationship, but man! It is hard!

Oh, I feel so bad for you! I was in the same place when I was pregnant with Elizabeth. Alex was still nursing strong at 19 months, and nursing while pregnant was absolutely horrible for me. When it got to the point where I wanted to push him off of me, I knew I had to do something.

The hardest part for us was night weaning, but you've already done that. For naptimes, I would always lay down with him, but if he didn't go to sleep, I would just let him be up. He would go and go until he was absolutely exhausted and then fall asleep doing whatever.

It will pass, and good luck, mama!

My milk dried up when I was about 12ish weeks pg, and w/ DD I would give her a sippy cup, and hold her until she fell asleep. The first few days were hard, but it was almost like she was ready to give it up. I think it was actually harder on me b/c she would ask, and I would let her try, but there was no milk. A few days she would take a drink of her sippy, then nurse a second and go back and forth. After a few days she was fine. Up til this point we always nursed to sleep, and back to sleep if she woke in the night. Now when she asks to nurse, she just puts her nose to my breast :lol

oh mamas...thanks so much for listening and responding too!

last night my dh was away and i was soooo worried about how many hours it might take to go to bed.

i laid down with her around 8 pm...for about 10 minutes. realized i had forgotten to put on her music. got up and left her in her bed. she was asleep in about 15 minutes...little wimpers...but sporadic...i couldn't believe it!

she did wake up at 1:30...dh got her back to sleep. and then again at 4:15 !!!! so...we'll see what tonight brings. i let her nurse this morning but i also told her that mommy's milka's hurt and we need to only nurse in the morning so they can rest.

who knows.

thanks for listening again!

just wanted to post an update and say thanks to you mamas for your words of encouragement. i really appreciate having you all so close.

dd is going to sleep sooo easily now. she tells me when she's sleepy..wants to go "night nike"

i go up with her and we lay down together in the bed....and most of the time she falls right to sleep.

tonight...i laid her down in her big bed...turned the music on, the humidifier on, made sure her nightlight was on...and kissed her goodnight.

she let out one little cry when i closed the door..but stayed in bed and has been asleep ever since!

i can't believe how fast things change.

sigh...my little girl is getting so big!

thanks again mamas!