Poor Kathleen! Your story gave me the chills. I have put myself in this position countless times, and have always been lucky so far. I get calls constantly at the hospital asking how to wean early, and I always feel bad for the baby. I assure the moms they've come to the right place, saying there are good and bad ways to wean and I can help them do it safely. Then I ask why they want to wean (and after some sympathetic noises) tell them that while I understand what they are saying, I prefer, "as a nutritionist," that mothers bf babies longer (or, "for at least a year" if the baby is very young), and that I don't see any particular reason to wean in their case. (Portentous silence while I wait to see what they say next.) I have been lucky so far, no one's gotten angry and many decide not to wean at this point after all. Just as some moms are looking for permission to quit bf, some are looking for permission to keep on bf. I always try to get them to keep bf, unless they have a really sound reason for quitting (chemotherapy was one I agreed with!). Most moms just think the baby's old enough not to bf (and so far it's always been under a year! I admitted to a mom yesterday that once I get everyone in the valley to accept a year of bf as the norm, I'm going to push for two!). But since no one has hung up on me and cut off the dialogue (yet!), I always get a chance to teach them the humane (for the baby) and healthy (for them) way to wean. I'm sorry you had such a heartbreak, but it may help prepare me and other Lactnetters for the possibility (eventuality?) that it may (or will) happen to us. I think it's better to take the risk of offending someone than to blithely tell everyone how to wean without a little professional advice not to. Sending you a virtual hug, Arly Helm [log in to unmask] (Arly Helm, LC)