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Original poster

Toddler still mad-keen on nursing

16 replies

AllyVee · 19/11/2019 21:25

She’s an only child and just turned two.

It is still her favourite thing to do with me. She’s asked to feed probably four times this evening, around dinner. I’m not offering - she’s asking.

... Her dad finishes work at a different time each day. Maybe she nurses when she is not sure what will happen when? I can try to be more regimented. :-/

Any other thoughts, I’d appreciate it! Long as it’s not to read someone like Gina Ford or the Baby Whisperer (BW)- I find them both a bit judgmental of anyone who habitually feeds on demand, which I did & still do at home.

BW’s assumption is that mums who feed into toddlerhood are doing it for themselves...

I personally would prefer not to be thirsty all the time. My daughter feels strongly about it though!

OP posts:

Waiting1987 · 19/11/2019 21:27

Almost 2 year old here and he would feed constantly. I let him feed on demand but really want to stop.

absopugginglutely · 19/11/2019 21:29

My DD did this when she had just turned two, I just carried on letting her until she was two and a half then I used distraction and eventually said you can have some before bed and some when the sun comes up otherwise I'll get you a drink. She never had any issue with it. She's now three and still has a night feed.

user1493494961 · 19/11/2019 21:32

Give her a cup of water if she's thirsty.

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Obsidian77 · 19/11/2019 21:32

Go shopping with her for a 'big girl' bottle and sit c

Obsidian77 · 19/11/2019 21:34

Go shopping with her for a 'big girl' bottle and sit cuddling her when she drinks from that?
It's probably the comfort and closeness she wants.

Swifey40 · 19/11/2019 21:35

Why don't you just say no? It'll take a few days, but she will just naturally stop asking. She's asking because you are letting her. I presume she is well and eating normally?

Swifey40 · 19/11/2019 21:36

Try a bottle and a story with cuddles?

smeerf · 19/11/2019 21:38

At 18m I just told him "later", reduced it to just morning and bedtime, then dropped the morning feed by distracting him with breakfast. He stopped asking after a while and then when I dropped the final feed (OH did bedtime for a week to break the habit) he was fine.

veewee · 19/11/2019 21:41

Just let her? Dd 1 fed until she was 3 1/2 years & dd2 is 2 1/2 years & still going! If it's working, keep going? They only feed for such a short time & they're only this little once, none of mine ever had a bottle.
During the day from about 2, they had a sippy cup, but still had boob in the morning, midday & bed time. You are doing amazingly!

eddiemairswife · 19/11/2019 21:42

I thought you meant she wanted to be a nurse.

FlibbertyGiblets · 19/11/2019 21:43

Er no to moving her onto a bottle, I don't think it is good for teeth (vague memory of dentist saying get rid at 12 months?)

Do you want to stop, or cut down? She's still v little. You don't have to, bf is a dyad, you and her.

JKScot4 · 19/11/2019 21:45

‘My daughter feels strongly about it though’
🤣🤣🤣🤣 dear god she’s 2!! You’re in charge here, need and want are two different things. Offer her a drink in a cup and keep offering, you’ll probably have a few hard days but it’ll be worth it.

icclemunchy · 19/11/2019 21:48

It's fairly normal op. That said no reason you can't introduce some boundaries "we're eating dinner now you can have milk after" "I know you want milk DD but mummy is going to finish the washing up first" she won't be impressed at first but she'll soon get the idea as long as you make sure you do what you've said

Cantsleeppast3am · 19/11/2019 21:49

It's hard, I fed my dd till her 3rd birthday and then she quit!
I had visions of her feeding till about 7!
I hated refusing as she got so upset and then I ended up giving in and she'd been broken-hearted for no reason.

They will quit eventually, comfort is what they want and I doubt they'd be placated by anything else.

Oh and throw out the baby whisperer books. Don't listen to a word off someone who clearly knows fuck all about the situation.

Cantsleeppast3am · 19/11/2019 21:49

They will quit eventually, comfort is what they want and I doubt they'd be placated by anything else.

Oh and throw out the baby whisperer books. Don't listen to a word off someone who clearly knows fuck all about the situation.

GorgeousLadyofWrestling · 19/11/2019 22:06

Still feeding my third DC here too. She’s 2.5 - will be 3 in April. We’ve gone the way of the older two, which was just cutting it down to one bedtime feed and the occasional night or super early morning feed. I sometimes wonder if there’s even any milk coming out. She only feeds from one side now - she tried the left side a few months ago but couldn’t latch on and looked at me, very confused.

She’s gone on for longer than my other two - they were two and 14 months, both stopping of their own accord. I keep thinking I should wean her off but then I think, this is the last time you will ever breastfeed, ever, ever. No more babies. No more breastfeeding. It’s been an incredible part of my life for the last 7 years! Not continuously but as part of the whole baby era and DC3 is the last baby, so it is the end of an era.

Rambling, sorry - can you just slowly make it a bedtime routine thing?

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