Stay at home mom trying to wean

[Bianca]

My 15 mo. old daughter still nurses during the day and through the night. How do I get through the days, but most importantly the nights. My daughter co-sleeps with my husband and if I try to ignore her she begins screaming. My friends and family talk about me. She also has seperation anxiety which I know is normal for her age but she has never been without me by her side (anyone elses little ones have the anxiety problem?).
Thanks for reading and i'm open to all suggestions.
Bianca

[sweetpea]

I completly understand the seperation anxiety. My Ds is also 15 months and will not go to anyone other than his dad.
I can't leave the room in someone elses house without him freaking out.
Recently my aunt comes by and the minute she walks thru my door he cries.
If there is someone in our home he doesn't know he won't even let you go .
I so know those days. Im hoping it passes soon.

[Jacksmommy]

How are you trying to wean? Why are you trying to wean? Normally when a child is ready to wean, you begin by reducing the number of nursing sessions by one. You take away the least important feeding first. After they get used to that one being gone, you get rid of the next one. It doesn't sound like your daughter is ready to wean though. If you don't absolutely have to do this, I'd wait til she's older. She's at an age where she's probably cutting teeth and is very mommy attatched (very normal), and nursing is probably very important and comforting to her. Nursing until at least age 2 is what is recommended by the World Health Organization. That's what I told people who bugged me about weaning when my son was less than 2.

It's normal for her to want to be with you. It's fine that you've never left her side. If you're wanting to change that and have someone babysit, you could do that, too. I found it easiest to stay with my child. At about 18 months I started leaving him for short periods of time once a week with my husband( 1/2 an hour to an hour). Then just this week (my child is almost 3), I let his grandparents babysit for the first time. We go there every Sunday - have since he was just a few weeks old. He knows them and loves them. He has toys and a slide there. They babysat him for just over an hour.

Anyway, how you do these things is, of course, up to you. I just wanted to let you know that we all do things differently. If you are happy being with your daughter 24/7 and nursing her day and night, then do that. There are other moms - like me - who did/do exactly the same thing. What other people do is up to them, but you have to do what your comfortable with. If that's weaning earlier or signing your little one up for a play group so she has time away from you, then that's fine, too, but it should be because it's what's right for you - not because friends and family talk about you.

[Bianca]

Thanks for the advice.I really don't mind nursing. It's nice to know that I'm not alone. I have only known one other person that has nursed ever in my life and she's no longer nursing and her child is younger than mine, so I had no idea what to think. It's nice to be able to get support from this site.
Thanks moms!

[KaraJ]

I WISH I could understand the seperation anxiety! I'M the one one who gets teary eyed when Rebekah is dropped off at the babysitters!