Customer Reviews

How Weaning Happens

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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.

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.

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).

This book is great! Its easy to read and very interesting [and a pretty quick read]. As a mother who has made the choice to continue to breastfeed past the first 12 months of my daughter's life, it was really reassuring to find a book like this. It gave me very practical information on how to decide when to wean and great ideas on how to achieve weaning when the time comes. I also really enjoyed reading the stories of many other mothers and babies and how they achieved weaning.

As a mother nursing a 2+ year old I am used to the question, "How long do you plan on doing that for?" and the occasional raised eyebrow or odd look. Modern society seems to view extended breastfeeding as unconventional and radical. Many people that know about my breastfeeding relationship with my daughter also assume that I share a bed with my children, finger-paint and eat tofu all day! Perhaps the disapproving and sometimes hostile attitude towards extended breastfeeding was the breeding ground for such an assertive book that is more about NOT weaning than weaning. At the time that I took an interest in the book I was grappling through some challenges with my own extended breastfeeding with my younger daughter. Though I certainly don't think weaning is something you would buy a straightforward guidebook for, How Weaning Happens was an inspiring book to read. The book is a collection of personal stories and experiences combined with information about natural weaning and weaning at mother and child's pace. I would suggest this book as counteraction to the negative views of extended breastfeeding... perhaps something to leave out on the coffee table when the disapproving neighbors or in-laws are coming by!

This book is very helpful. This book gives various views on weaning and doesn't say, Do It This Way Or Your Child Will be Screwed Up. I really enjoyed this book and it made me feel very good about myself as a mother. I am sure that if you are using attachment parenting you will find this book helpful.

I am nursing a toddler, and faced a lot of pressure to stop nursing from my mother-in-law and even from my son's preschool. I was surprised that many people viewed extended breastfeeding (after one year of age) as an "alternative" life style, much like gay/lesbian marriages. I find that the overwhelming attitude towards extended breastfeeding in the US is quite negative if not hostile, so I think it is good to have an agressive pro-breastfeeding publication like this one to balance it out.

Of course, La Leche League is pro-breastfeeding and is not going to advise to stop nursing. But, I don't think nursing and weaning is something you could buy a "do-it-yourself" book for and simply follow it. This is mother/child relationship we are talking about here, not a make-it-yourself scrap book. I wouldn't let ANY book substitute for my own opinion, or tell me what to do. "How Weaning Happens" was a great read, and made me feel like I was not the only one in the US nursing a toddler. That alone was invaluable. Other than that, it simply added to my knowledge on the subject and helped me form my own strategy on weaning. You don't need to agree with the approach the book suggests, but I highly advise it as a coutnerbalancing opinion to the predominantly negative view of extended breastfeeding.

no, this book doesnt tell you how to wean your child.
no, book doesnt tell you it is OK to wean for X, Y or Z reason.
What the book does do is tell you it is normal to nurse. Nurse into toddlerhood and even into preschool years.
My son is nearly 19 months and I am still nursing him. This book is a reassurance for me. It helps to know I am not alone and that my son (or me) is not weird. It reinforces the idea forcing him wean is not going to make him eat more or become independent. It convinces me weaning him for such reasons will surely backfire.
This books strength is its anecdotes. It is heartwarming to read about the struggles and truimphs of other nursing pairs. The diversity of experience is also reassuring. Every nursing pair is unique. The only thing to remember is to savour the few years the child does nurse.

This is a wonderful book. Easy to read, excellent "real life" stories with examples and suggestions for how to wean at different ages. All with an easy push for why to allow self-weaning and why to definitely wean gradually and with love.

It made me cry, all of the beautiful weaning stories. I am nursing my 21 month old girl and purchased the book for some advice. Factual encouragement as to the benefits of nursing a toddler and tips to help you wean a toddler or a baby of any age. It offers 3 different types of weaning and is very positive. A great read for any nursing mother. I have shared it with my friends and family. If your family is asking you why you are still nursing - give them this book to skim through!!