How Weaning Happens [Paperback]

Diane Bengson (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0912500549 | ISBN-13: 978-0912500546 | Publication Date: March 2000 | Edition: 1

When counseling breastfeeding families who ask How Weaning Happens, author Diane Bengson says, "Gradually, with love." She answers the many questions she's seen hundreds of families bring up through her years as a La Leche League Leader and wrapped her own as well as their personal experiences into her book How Weaning Happens. She covers social and cultural differences among the breastfeeding families, pressures to wean, natural weaning and various other reasons to wean. She also writes about the physical and emotional changes of mother and child in a nursing relationship. Weaning is the first complete book on the topic from LLLI, though the organization has a number of shorter publications on the subject.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"Other LLL books help mothers get started and continue the breastfeeding relationship through various circumstances," said LLLI Director of Publications Judy Torgus. "Weaning, however, answers their questions about how that relationship will end. We are thrilled to be able to offer an entire book on the topic for all nursing families."

"Knowing and understanding the weaning process is as significant to a mother as her initial decision to breastfeed her child," said Torgus. "Therefore, LLLI has come full circle after more than 40 years in the business with its new book."

From the Author

"Weaning can be a bittersweet thing," said Bengson. "It's the closing of a certain part of a relationship, but it doesn't necessarily have to be negative."

"Breastfeeding is actually a way to build independence within the child because the child outgrows the need. Now doctors recognize the benefits of breastfeeding for a year, but research shows there's nothing harmful in longer nursing and that there's actually benefits to it."

"The topic of weaning comes up at La Leche League meetings, and I always thought it would be nice to have a book available to give mothers some insight," said Bengson, who has learned a multitude of gentle and supportive ways to assist mothers through weaning.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: La Leche League International; 1 edition (March 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0912500549
• ISBN-13: 978-0912500546
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #115,644 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

64 of 65 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unique book on the child-led/natural weaning process, January 23, 2000

By 

christinemm - The Thinking Mother (Houston Texas USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: How Weaning Happens (Paperback)

Wonderful book whose focus is allowing the toddler to determine when he wants to wean, which is also termed "child-led" weaning. Explains benefits of toddler nursing and how the toddler does stop nursing when the NEED to nurse is no longer present! Many stories and quotes from mothers who have "been there and done that"--something that I especially like. Easy to read and informative. Nice for mothers who nurse a toddler, such as myself, to read what may be in store for us in the future and wonder how the weaning process may go for us when that day comes. I learned that every toddler weans in a different way. Great book on subject material that is hard to come by despite the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations that breastfeeding should continue until at least 12 months of age and beyond so long as mutually desirable by mother and child.

90 of 95 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars BabyLounge.com gave How Weaning Happens 3-pacifiers, June 13, 2001

By 

Vicky Collins - See all my reviews

This review is from: How Weaning Happens (Paperback)

Knowing how and when to wean your baby from nursing can be a difficult and emotional experience. Reading How Weaning Happens, published by La Leche League, can be of great assistance.

This book is written from a pro-nursing perspective and is more of a primer about why you should continue nursing book, than it is a "how to wean" guide. If you know that before you purchase the book, then you probably won't be disappointed.

The book is broken down into helpful chapters, such as thinking about weaning, stories of natural weaning, weaning because of medical advice, and gently encouraging weaning, just to name a few.

Throughout each of the chapters there are a number of mini-stories, written by real mothers who share their personal experiences, of how they weaned or, in some cases how they decided not to wean.

How Weaning Happens is a book that is best suited for a mother who is not sure if she is ready to wean, and is looking for support to continue breastfeeding.

39 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is about how a child will wean himself, May 30, 2006

By 

W. Overton (Louisiana, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How Weaning Happens (Paperback)

This book is about how a child will eventually wean himself--NOT how you can wean your child. It provides support to a mother as she nurses her growing child--both to help the mother understand the child's needs and to help her "fend off" well-meaning onlookers who don't understand the mother's choice to let the child decide on when to wean.

Do not buy this book for help on how YOU can wean your child--you'll probably be disappointed. However, the book does give good advice on when you as a mother may want to set some boundaries regarding nursing your young child.This was one of the main benefits I received from the book.

I wanted to let my daughter nurse as long as she wanted and then let her wean when she decided to wean. We usually nursed at bedtime, nap time and other times of the day when she was in need of comfort and love. However, I began noticing the bedtime/naptime nursing sessions started to backfire on us. Instead of drifting off to a blissful sleep like she did when she was an infant, a few minutes of nursing was all she needed to regain her energy. She'd be up for another hour while I struggled to get her to sleep.

So, I instituted "nursing boundaries" at about 16 months. She was allowed to nurse whenever she wanted, just NOT at naptime and bedtime. My intent was not to wean her--the nursing boundaries were a loving way to help us avoid battles over bedtime. The result? Although given free access to nurse anytime except before sleep, my daughter decided to wean herself by 18 months. I offered, but she wasn't interested. Life was much too exciting by then to her to be slowed down by nursing.

Bottom line:
*Buy this book if you want to let your child wean himself.
*Don't buy this book if you want to stop nursing.
*Consider buying this book if you think you want to let your child nurse a while longer but are looking for some advice and alternate viewpoints on the subject, or you are thinking about weaning just because of a few problems caused by nursing (as in my bedtime struggles with my daughter).