35: How to wean a clingy toddler from breastfeeding

In this episode, I discuss the challenges of weaning your booby-obsessed toddler when they're not quite ready to stop breastfeeding. I explore the role of internal experiences, stress, and co-regulation in this process.

Key Points:

1. You Can't Magically Make Them Ready: Unfortunately, you can't instantly make your toddler ready to wean - no matter how badly you might want to! It's important to understand that their internal experiences and feelings can't be changed on a whim - but that doesn't mean you don't have anything within your control...
2. The Toddler Breastfeeding Stress Spiral: I delve into the "toddler breastfeeding stress cycle" where a stressed parent can lead to more frequent breastfeeding, creating a cycle of stress for both child and parent. This is the part you CAN control!
3. Addressing Your Internal Experience: By addressing your own internal experiences and managing your stress, you can turn down the dial of intensity in your child's breastfeeding demands and clinginess. But, your ability to influence your toddler's readiness doesn't stop there.
4. External Stressors: Examine your child's environment to identify external stressors that might be affecting them. Reducing these stressors can empower your child to handle the stress associated with weaning more effectively.
5. Empowering Your Child: Weaning is a big change, and if they haven't stopped breastfeeding on their own they probably aren't "ready to stop" - BUT if you have laid the foundation well, you can empower them to move through the change of weaning without too much stress. And the stress that is there will be met with connection & co-regulation from you that will strengthen your bond.
6. Upcoming Workshop: Don't forget to register for the upcoming workshop on October 27th at 2 p.m. Eastern, where I'll dive deeper into these topics and answer your questions. The replay will be available if you can't attend live.

Stay Tuned: In the next podcast episode, I'll be talking about how to know if YOU are truly ready to wean.

Thank you for tuning in to this episode.

Grab your free guide to say "No" to the feed while still saying "yes" to the need at www.ownyourparentingstory.com/guide
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