Weaning: a long hard road

Hafsa is just about officially 18 months old and I am feeling like I am ready to start the gradual process of weaning her. Traveling and breastfeeding was very difficult the last time, as she is very insistent when she wants to nurse. Like, on a city bus, say? Or, while they are serving dinner on the plane? Or if she sees me, say, sitting on the couch? It's the one thing that will bring out the tantrum in her, and I'd rather not be dealing with this in December on our next family journey to Ottawa. So I'm giving myself... 3.5 months to work this out. And I'm realizing that I should have started 2 months AGO.

Just to clarify, I know that most babies are down to 2 or 3 nursings at this age, like at bedtime or at nap. But strangely, Hafsa's needs have never really decreased. I remember a friend asking me when she was about a year old, how many times she nursed in a day, 3 or 4? "Before LUNCH!" was my reply.

Perhaps it's because she is so active (moving every moment). She eats solids, I guess to supplement the fact that she needs enough calories to sustain her, but never let go of many nursing sessions. It took us until she was almost a year old to stop night feedings. Now I would say she nurses 6 to 7 times in a 24 hour period (real, ten-minute, both-sides nursing sessions).

Today was my first shot at it. After her nap she's making signs for milk (actually she learned the word "milk" so it's pretty obvious, that and the pointing) and I suggest a cup of milk, in an extremely cheerful voice and hurry to the kitchen. Two minutes later I'm standing there with a sippy cup of milk and the child is writhing around on the ground like she's in pain. She's not crying so much as complaining loudly and every time she lifts her head and sees the cup she throws her hands over her eyes again and thrashes about some more. "Nooooo...! Nooooo...!"

I decide the best tactic is to keep busy and we head out for a walk with Maymuna. Up the street, down the street, we see squirrels, try to climb trees, etc. When we get home I suggest a video for the girls while I fix some dinner, presuming that we've moved on... Hafsa turns to me, "NO. MEK!!" Yikes!

This weaning thing is going to take a while... (but don't worry comrades, she's with sippy as we speak ;)