Taking back The Titties.

My daughter has always been The Perfect Sleeper.
I’ve not talked much about it, only because I have friends who have problems with their children sleeping and I didn’t want to come off as bragging or rubbing it in their faces. I’m sensitive like that.

She started sleeping through the night at around 4 weeks old. At 5 months old, I stopped rocking her to sleep and let her cry it out. It took exactly 2 days and after that? I could lay her down, kiss her goodnight and within 5 minutes she’d be out for at least 9 hours. (I know people like to get all “high and mighty” about letting a child cry it out, but the way I see it? I did my babies a favor, by letting them learn how to go to sleep on their own. End of discussion.) She’s been sleeping through the night ever since AND she still takes 3 naps a day (at least an hour each).
BUT THAT ALL OF THAT HAS CHANGED.
And I blame The Bobs.
When I lay her down now? She starts screaming for me.
“MOM. MOOOOOM. MOOOOOOOOM”
Followed by “One More. One More.”
Followed by “Please? BOBS. BOBSBOBS PLEEEEAAAASE.”
The first night it happened, I made the mistake of going back into her room. As soon as she saw me, she started LAUGHING! Like, “haha, sucker, it didn’t take much to make you cave, did it?” Then, she reached for my boobs.
“One more?”
I gave in because, well, I was tired of the screaming.
Big mistake.
Last night, she pulled that crap again. And this, I put my foot down (and The Bobs away) and refused to go in there to get her.
Man, was she pissed. She screamed at me for a good hour. Then, she started screaming for dad. Then, for brubers. At first, it was funny. I mean, my baby girl, screaming for “One more Bob.” But, as 11 approached and she was still screaming, it wasn’t funny anymore. I began to feel desperate and it became very clear to me that “It’s time to stop breastfeeding.”
I don’t like the way she is demanding that I give her more and then holding my sleep hostage if I do not meet her demands.
I admit a big reason that I’m still breastfeeding her is due to my emotional attachment and very little to do with her needs. Knowing this is my last baby, that this is the last time I’ll ever be a “nursing mother” is hard for me to accept and deal with, so, I continue to nurse her.
But three nights of very little sleep due to a child who thinks SHE OWNS MY BOOBS AND THE MILK THEY PRODUCE and I’m thinking I may be ready to quit and to let The Tittymilk dry up for good.
I’m just not sure I’m prepared for the HELL that Gabby is going to put me through once I make the “No more BOBS for you” decision.

20 thoughts on “Taking back The Titties.

  1. Hed

    Good for you! You are the boss! You own the bobs! You make the decisions, and she’s just going to have to deal. She’ll get it soon enough, probably sooner than you think.
    Do what’s right for you. It will be right for her too.
    -H

  2. Pamalamadingdong

    she is not the boss of the bobs!
    You tell her!
    Hell I hung breastfeeding for 18months, knowing I would never breastfeed another baby. Weaning was FAR harder on me than him.
    little thankless buggers!!!!

  3. Kristin

    i am the bad mother who, shall we say, rejoiced, at the end of breastfeeding… i was all, ready for a sippy cup? avent bottle? wine glass? anything other than my boobs???!!!

  4. kristal

    Hmmmm… I’m having the same problem with Mike. [wink, wink]
    Please let me know when you find a solution because the constant begging and screaming is driving me crazy!

  5. Mary

    You think that’s funny?
    My daughter calls it “Ga ga goo goo”
    where the hell did she get that from?
    If I sit down to watch TV she attacks me.
    She is freaking 2 1/2!
    It is definitely a control thing.

  6. Jamie

    Hi
    Well you are on your way to freedom 🙂 (bittersweet as it is) for some unsolicited advice now: one thing that helped me was to tell the kiddos that after the sun goes down the the “bobs” are now going to bed. As long as its dark the bobs are off limits. It was hard but you’ll find the two of you will substitite other ways to stay connected..:) and the daytime sessions will dwindle till one day she’ll stop asking..*sniff* (on the plus side it is rather nice to know that no more babies are a possibility, and the bobs are your to do whatever you want with 😉

  7. Jennifer

    I have a confession, and I will probably get hate mail, but oh well. I nursed my third child until she was 2 and 1/2 and then I just wanted to stop so I kept a little bottle of balsamic vinegar handy and cotton balls and I would dab a little on the “milkies” just before she would nurse. It took three times and she was done. No tears, just a look like, “Hmm, that doesn’t taste very good.” I made sure to have a sippy cup of milk handy to offer instead.
    It worked so well I did the same thing with my fourth baby to wean her when I was ready. Selfish? Oh yeah. It’s what I had to do, and I’m not sorry.

  8. CNL

    Didn’t I see this on Nanny 911? Or was it it Super Nanny? Hmmm. Maybe you should call one of them? 😉
    No, seriously. Sun goes down, Bobs are in bed. Sounds like a plan to me – much better than what I did to wean my then almost three year old – I went to Norfolk VA, with my friend for 3 days, and left his father in charge. When I got back, I told him “nye-nye” was broke and he was like, “ok, whatever.”
    Not nearly as traumatic as I had hoped for. They only trauma involved was when Daddy realized that when Mommy stopped nursing, the big-guns went away. :-/

  9. demondoll

    With us it was “maymay” and it was a long road to weaning, it seriously took months. No one else seemed to have a problem weaning by 2 yrs-
    Every once in a while I catch him looking at them mournfully, like lost friends

  10. danelle

    I only look at my bobs mournfully when I see how un-perky they’ve become and I slap myself, saying “Why the hell did I nurse for so long!!!”
    Not really, I only nursed for a year. But anyway, I think when it becomes a crutch for you and an annoyance for her, it’s time to stop.

  11. Debbie

    Wow, Jennifer and the vinegar titties. That was a good idea!
    I believe Gabby is using the Bobs now for soothing, not for true nursing. You are wise to end it now before it gets any worse.
    Own the Bobs! Can we all make posters and go picket somewhere?

  12. Tammy

    That vinegar idea was the best I’ve ever heard! It’s hard for me to say what to do, since I didn’t breastfeed either of the Terrors. But I know the hell that is teaching a two year old to go to sleep with no bottle….and the bottle was not attached to me! Get out the wine, and prepare for battle. You can do it!

  13. NinaKaye

    My kid was a good sleeper, too. It was nice.
    I didn’t breastfeed so I have no ideas in that area, but my daughter is 3 1/2 and still on the pacifier. I keep telling myself “next Monday we’ll toss it out” but I just don’t know how much crying I’ll be able to withstand.

  14. Bronwen

    I feel guilty for saying this, but Miss Peanut pretty much weaned herself at 11 months. She started to bite – OUCH! – so I cut her off and gave her a bottle of milk instead. She was completely indifferent to the change. I was crushed, as I was prepared to nurse until 18 months, but my baby thought I was chewy. I knew from the outset that this was the only baby I’d ever have, so losing that bond was heartbreaking for me.
    I like the vinegar idea. That may work. And the bobs are in bed. And that they’re broken – that may work, too.
    At any rate, keep us posted.

  15. Amy A

    My daughter is only 6 months old, and she can’t fall asleep without nursing first, so OMG I don’t know what I’m going to do when the time comes. I guess neither of us will sleep for days until utter exhaustion takes over.

  16. lex

    I started wanting to ease off the “boo” for Isa at around the same time. It took until she was 2 1/2 until she was finally boo-free. Good luck, Y!!

  17. kim

    once they start DEMANDING THE BOOB it’s definetely time to stop it. even when it hurts. seriously. your boobs belong to you. an infant needs mom’s boob to survive. gabby plays the drums now and demands the boobs – Y, i’m begging you to stop. overall it’s totally your decision though…

  18. Emma

    I’m a ‘bad’ mother! I couldn’t wait to stop breastfeeding. I gave my first just 8 weeks worth of breastfeeding and my second about 7. Breastfeeding made me feel like a cow!

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