The Weaning Project!

Finally weaning is going quite well.

As I mentioned before, I decided to slow things down a little and take the weaning more gradually. And thankfully, over the past week, Jack has been quite amenable to this plan of action. Ironically he has adapted to it more quickly than I expected and is now fairly content to drink from a cup during the day.

A trick I employed was to buy him a few special cups - one of which features a picture of his favourite character, Thomas the Tank Engine. I've also said to him on a few occasions that he's a big boy now and big boys drink from big cups and pointed out how daddy and his sisters drink from their cups! That has worked a treat!

As for the night-time feeding, Jack has moved from wakening for a feed three times a night to between once and twice. I still let him feed once at night but if he awakens a second time I turn away from him and he just holds onto my hair for a few moments before falling back to sleep. He doesn't even cry as he seems to have accepted that that is the way it is now!

So like I said, it's going well. He usually has a breastfeed on waking, one mid-morning,  once in the afternoon, one in the evening , another just before bed and then one during the night.

And he doesn't have one every single time I sit down anymore!!

However, that said, this new routine is not strictly adhered to. For example, we went to Belfast Zoo during the week and he didn't have a breastfeed at all that day - just when he woke up in the morning and again at bedtime. So I had almost a whole day off! And on other occasions if I think he really wants a feed during the day I just let him. The daytime feeding has never really been the issue, just the night-time - and it looks like we may have finally got that sussed!

I now feel at long last that I am the one in control of the feeds. If Jack wants a feed and it's inconvenient then he is now happily accepting a cup. On the other hand if convenience isn't a problem then I oblige and again he's happy!

Bingo!! One happy mummy and one happy and still breastfed toddler... I just hope now that I haven't spoken too soon! And who knows - we might even make it to the two year mark after all?