Boob addict

[Panda74]

Hi, I'd love to hear from any other parents of boob obsessed toddlers. How do/did you handle it? Did you ride it out or gently encourage some weaning? DS is 24 months and addicted to 'booby', breastfeeding several times a day and all through the night. I can't sit on our couch without being attacked! I'm not so much worried about the inconvenience (I do have another baby though!) or even the lack of sleep, its the fact that it causes him distress to be denied boob when he wants it
and that he can not sleep without it.

I feel like I have let him down a bit with the sleep thing because at 2 he must be breastfed to sleep for his day nap or he doesn't nap. So now that DS2 is here he has been missing naps completely as I am simply unable to lie down and breatsfeed him some days. I've read No Cry Sleep Solution and am working on the 'pull-off' during the night but yet to see results..

Oh, he goes to daycare two days a week - copes without boob AND sleeps with a bottom pat!

[nothing2lose]

Sorry can't help! I thought it was going to be a thread about my dp!!

Good luck though!

[feeb]

I have a boobie obsessed nearly 3 yr old!! He regularly asks for boobie and screams and crys if I say no!!!! He will say "bubby floor" wanting me to put his brother on floor so he can have boobie!!!
DS2 is 14 months old.

I was lucky that DS1 stopped needing to be BF to sleep at night at 11 months and during day at 13 months old (before that at night he had to be BF to sleep and once in a deep sleep put down, during day he would feed to sleep and only stay on my knee but at 13 months suddenly something clicked and he could whinge for 5 mins in cot and go to sleep)

DS1 I have days of thinking I need to stop feeding him but then other days I think nah its ok he will stop in his own time, he sleeps thru the night though and doesnt need a BF to get back to sleep if he does wake.

Good luck I think you might just need to be strong and consistent in your approach and start by stopping night feeds as you must be stuffed feeding 2 over night.

Hugs hun xoxo

[helle]

subbing for future reference

[Heaven]

Oh, he goes to daycare two days a week - copes without boob AND sleeps with a bottom pat!

This is good! He CAN sleep without booby, he just doesn't want you to know that My DD was the same as yours. I stopped the night feeds around 16 months I think. It became clear she wasn't growing out of it, lol, and I had to do something. I used my variation of the Dr Jay Gordon method (google it, it's a gentle parenting approach). Then a couple of months before DD2 was born I decided to teach her to go to sleep without booby. I just told her what we were going to do saying 'Today lets do something different! Let's have a cuddle to go to sleep instead and then you can have booby when you wake up!' She thought that was ok and when she would ask for booby I would just say 'remember we're having cuddles instead and you can have booby when you wake up? So quick, lets go to sleep!!'. Then when she was comfortable with that I moved to sitting on the end of the bed while she went to sleep, then the floor, then next to the door, and finally I can just put her in her room and tell her to go to sleep! I never thought this day would come, lol. She was a hard case and it took about 2 months to get to that stage but I wanted to do it gently and she never got distressed. There is hope!

[BellyBelly]

I would have been too if I knew how good the stuff in it was

I think at that age (or any age really) they can get a little clingy - be it from a developmental stage - or if they feel they need more attention from mummy. I know from working as much as I did back then, it made him more boob crazy. It was also not long before my divorce, so I think they can sense things and seek security. Perhaps look at whats going on at home, any changes (moves, new people, new carers), stresses and if you've been busier than normal too. Maybe some more one on one time with distractions, looking at things, doing things.

I know at the height of that obsession for my son, I decided to cold wean him at 3. He was so upset by this that he no longer went to me when he was upset and cried for daddy. He was really upset with me and it broke my heart.

So look for things on the outside first, it may well improve things.

[Panda74]

Thanks feeb and Heaven, I am encouraged! Feeb, the 'bubby floor' thing is funny and I do have to laugh at my DS sometimes as he is much the same, he'll even drag the bouncy over for DS2.

Heaven, I remember when you night weaned your DD and I was impressed - I was thinking about doing it with DS ages ago too but there never seemed to be a good time eg i returned to work, he started daycare, changed daycare, got sick, then DS2 was coming soon! I tried the 'something different' approach last week and he thought it was a really funny game but hey at least he didn't get upset! Again, I'm impressed with your DDs efforts (and a bit jealous!). Will check out the Jay Gordon stuff again..

I know I'm going to have to go slow. You're spot on Kelly, I think he has a bit of separation anxiety (if he's latched on I can't go anywhere!). And I will watch out for external factors more e.g. a really booby day is a sure sign that somethings not right - he's anxious, sick, exhausted, bored and this is reeeally stupid but every now and then I realise he's just thirsty the poor thing - we've forgotten to give him water!!

I think we have made some progress in the last week - we have 'booby breaks' at night where he stops breastfeeding, rolls over, shuts his eyes and tries to go to sleep, no pressure, when he's had enough trying he gets back on the breast. He has fallen asleep a couple of times on a 'booby break' - even said no to boob when I've offered just to be cheeky or because he's busy doing his fake snoring.