Rating: 
Summary: I felt more anxious about weaning after reading it
Review: Although The Nursing Mother's Guide to Weaning provides good information about the normalcy of extended breastfeeding, I felt there was too much emphasis on mother-led weaning, even including some rather harsh methods such as applying a foul-tasting substance to the breasts.My two year old is a heavy nurser, and this book actually fueled my anxiety by suggesting that he should be breastfed after eating solids. The book does not give guidance for what (if anything) I should do when my son refuses solids and escalates his requests to nurse. I would recommend Diane Bengson's How Weaning Happens for a more reassuring approach.
Rating: 
Summary: the synopsis says it all
Review: excellent book that I read while considering weaning my almost 3 yo after the birth of my baby. Helps a woman examine why she feels like weaning and how to do it
Rating: 
Summary: greatly lacking in real advice, unsupportive of mom's needs
Review: I absolutely loved Huggins' guide to breastfeeding, so I turned to her weaning book, hoping for some practical advice for weaning my 16-month old from her going-to-bed feedings (and to slowly start weaning her in the next 6 months or so). Not only was there almost no practical advice for either, but I was left feeling like I'm doing a horrible thing by wanting to wean my daughter before her 3rd or 4th birthday! Huggins would start a section that would imply she's about to give you some advice, but she would turn it around and end it by basically saying that she doesn't recommend any of these methods! In an ideal world, yes, I would love my daughter to wean herself when she's ready. But she wants to continue nursing to sleep and it's just not effective anymore (she gets frustrated at not falling asleep nursing, and I get resentful that she's staying up until midnight and I'm at the end of my rope). I'm going to try out "How Weaning Happens" at the recommendation of an ex-toddler-nursing girlfriend.
Rating: 
Summary: Great for cultural perspectives, Poor for actual weaning.
Review: I actually give this book 5 stars for historical and cultural/social perspective on nursing and weaning but 2 stars for the actual process of weaning.
I felt this book really tried to sway a Mom to not wean even at 2-3 years old! The actual weaning processes could have been written in 4 pages and disbursed as a pamphlet.
I really came away from this book with the same knowledge as I had when I started to read it.
So, if you are looking for a book to read to gather information on nursing in general as it relates to history and culture then this book is fantastic.
But if you are looking for just some good practical advice and support then this book will most likely not help you.
Rating:
Summary: Long on theory, short on guidance
Review: I bought and returned this book because it's not for me. I have been nursing my daughter for almost 10 months and bought it for guidance on balancing solids, breastmilk, and eventual weaning, but there was very little practical information. It contains interesting discussions of nursing and lots of refutations of potential reasons for weaning. While some are valid, the book spends a lot of time trying to talk women out of their feelings. I think a happy mother is as important to a toddler's development as time at a breast, so if a woman feels it's time to wean, I think she deserves support, not "here's why you shouldn't feel that way." I had to wean my first daughter at 4 months because of a medical problem and I'm glad I hadn't read this book then; I had enough guilt. At present, I'm committed to giving my baby the "most beautiful, most natural, immunologically and nutritionally sound, etc." form of feeding during her infancy but I'm not sure that means I should still be nursing her four years from now. Enough with the pressure.
Rating:
Summary: If you want to wean your baby DO NOT buy this book!!!!
Review: I cannot even begin to express my disappointment with this book. I had to wean my baby for medical reasons and was completely lost with how to even start. I waited anxiously for the arrival of this book, which I thought would be a tremendous help. When I first started to page through it, I almost began to cry. The entire book is propaganda to continue breastfeeding. The author repeats the same information over and over, explaining why there is no good reason to wean your child. The title should be changed, so other women who need help don't make the mistake of purchasing this book.
Rating:
Summary: If you want to wean your baby DO NOT buy this book!!!!
Review: I cannot even begin to express my disappointment with this book. I had to wean my baby for medical reasons and was completely lost with how to even start. I waited anxiously for the arrival of this book, which I thought would be a tremendous help. When I first started to page through it, I almost began to cry. The entire book is propaganda to continue breastfeeding. The author repeats the same information over and over, explaining why there is no good reason to wean your child. The title should be changed, so other women who need help don't make the mistake of purchasing this book.
Rating:
Summary: Gives some good advice
Review: I checked this book out at my local library, and am glad I did not spend the money on it. I was looking for advice on how and when to begin the weaning process for my 10 1/2 month old child (I plan on continuing to nurse until a year), and while the book gave good advice on some of the things you can do, the authors also seemed to discourage mothers from weaning their children until the toddler years (3+ years). The authors go into the history of nursing (at great length), and how other cultures do it, as well as strongly discouraging formula feeding. I found their philosophies to be unrealistic at times and think that this type of information better belongs in the nursing book, not a book on weaning. What I was hoping to see in this book was more advice on what to substitute nursing with in cases such as getting a cranky baby to take a nap or to get the child down to sleep for the night (when all other methods fail). There was little, if any, information on this. Save yourself the money and check this book out at your local library.
Rating:
Summary: Gives some good advice
Review: I checked this book out at my local library, and am glad I did not spend the money on it. I was looking for advice on how and when to begin the weaning process for my 10 1/2 month old child (I plan on continuing to nurse until a year), and while the book gave good advice on some of the things you can do, the authors also seemed to discourage mothers from weaning their children until the toddler years (3+ years). The authors go into the history of nursing (at great length), and how other cultures do it, as well as strongly discouraging formula feeding. I found their philosophies to be unrealistic at times and think that this type of information better belongs in the nursing book, not a book on weaning. What I was hoping to see in this book was more advice on what to substitute nursing with in cases such as getting a cranky baby to take a nap or to get the child down to sleep for the night (when all other methods fail). There was little, if any, information on this. Save yourself the money and check this book out at your local library.
Rating: 
Summary: supportive and informative
Review: I found this book to be supportive of your decision to wean whether it be at 5 days or 5 years. It covered the pros and cons of a variety of weaning methods from substitution (to a bottle or cup) distraction, gradual weaning and abrupt weaning. It talked about aversion techniques and just saying no. It recognizes that not all children or mothers are the same and that in different times in history and different cultures weaning is accomplished at different ages and with different methods. The book discusses ramifications of weaning on the child (both long-term and short term) for these techiques and also about the mothers potential feelings and physical changes once she has weaned. Both my husband and I found this book to be very useful as we navigate our way through the weaning of our 2 1/2 year old. If you are looking for a quick and easy answer for how to wean I am not sure that you will find it here or in any book but if you want a very open analysis of a variety of methods then check this one out.
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