to think it's ok my toddler has upped his breastfeeding game?

[STANTER]

My son is nearly 16 months old. He's bloody amazing and I love every ounce of him. He had a shitty start in life and the fact I've even got him breastfeeding felt like a minor miracle at the time. Recently he's started feeding like a newborn again. Nothing has changed in his routine, he's just boob obsessed. Is this normal? He's gone back to searching for my boob at night (desperately) and sucking his fingers whilst whimpering half asleep about 8/9 times a night, until I feed him. No idea how to respond to it without being totally exhausted. He eats so well in the day. AIBU to be insanely frustrated by this?! 😅

Mine did this at a similar age. Now again at 3.

I think she’s trying to kill me.

Yanbu but neither is he. Sounds like a healthy and happy wee chap. So many changes in his development right now so it’s normal to want that comfort more- especially with teething etc.

If it's ok with you, then keep it up.
If not, try a dummy?
If he is eating ok, it probably isn't hunger.
Either the need to suck or wanting reassuring from the storms?
It could be atmospheric pressure causing him a problem that he cant vocalise.
I have had a storm induced migraine for the past couple of days.

@thehop 😅😅 it's exhausting! Awesome you're still feeding at 3 though. I feel judged now and mine is only 16 months. How do you deal with the funny looks/comments?

Aww! Co sleep and let him feed away. How lovely.

I think I'm just after reassurance that this is totally normal and he isn't just doing this to try and deprive me of my sanity 😁

We do co sleep. It's just us. Hard but I adore him so much. Wouldn't have it any other way!

Totally normal!
Both mine did this, then around the age of 2 it was the right time to night wean, only feeding to sleep and sometimes on wake up. They get there eventually.

Stock up on chocolate and enjoy the cuddles.

My 2yo is like that at the moment. No idea what’s going on. He eats loads and doesn’t need milk but he cries hysterically if he doesn’t get it and he won’t sleep unless I let him hold my boob. He obviously wants that comfort so I just let him.

@Thehop I'm so glad I'm not the only one!

DS from birth to 10 months wasn't fussed about the boob. At 14 months started to love it, at 18 months started to really love it. At 3? Obsessed (maybe an exaggeration but not far off) ... it'll sort itself out eventually, right??

My son won't let me cover my boobs. If I put the duvet over them before he falls asleep he desperately pulls the duvet back down and stares at them. Weirdo!

Seems normal to me. Snuggle away and go with it, he won't still be doing it when he's 15!

@partysong obsessed is about right! My first boy would go wild at night if i wore a fitted vest. If he wasn’t feeding he was twiddling and stroking. He’s 9 now and completely independent at night so I’m glad I have those toddler years to remember

It’s hard when you’re in it. We co sleep and self wean. Dd is 3.5 and fed to sleep then put in her own bed, and cones onto us when she wakes on the night. We’re definitely getting longer stretches before she cones in so hang in there!

I find reading all the studies on attachment and evidence that long term feeding creates very independent resilient children helps keep me sane when I’m knackered and sick of seeing formula fed babies sleep through at 8 weeks!

@STANTER my friends have written me off as a mad hippie now 😂 we don’t need to feed on public anymore so it’s easier than you think. It also doesn’t come up that often but I work in a nursery and were all quite respectful of each other’s very different choices thank goodness. My boys were huge though and I remember one lady approaching me in Tesco cafe as I fed my then 1 year old and saying “good lord you’re not still breastfeeding are you?” I replied “of course not, I’m nearly 40. That would be weird.”

Cow

You hang in there, you’re doing a bloody marvellous job x

Sorry for typos

I'm glad I found this thread! My 2yr old is the same. I thought he'd be easing up on boobs but no.... I'm just going to go with it. Glad I'm not the only one!

Yep. Mine is nearly 16 months and I spent last night being snacked on every hour or so. He also wanders over and yanks on the neck on my top! I was down to one morning feed but here we are again. I wush he'd drink more water tbh.

Ds3 is 2 and 9 months and he’s not feeding at night but is going through a stage where he’s trying his luck and demanding it several times a day.

We’ve been on one a day (at bedtime) for about 6 months now so it’s completely out of the blue! I was hoping he’d have stopped of his own accord by now!

Mine are all grown up now but I stopped breastfeeding them all at about 13 months, just before they walked, and I massively regret not carrying on another 6 months or so. Go with him, if you're ok with it - you won't get this precious time back!

I breastfed DS until he was 26 months, just before DD was born who is now 30 months and has gone from once or twice a night to demanding it several times a day/night - which is fine (and coincides with some viruses/bugs she has picked up so makes sense in terms of DD wanting more comfort), but either her latch has suddenly changed or my boobs just can’t keep up anymore with the stronger suck/sharper teeth combo as I have been getting the most painful cracked nipples! I was lucky enough to avoid them when my DC were newborns and have never experienced anything worse than temporary discomfort, but now I have three tubes of Lansinoh on the go and have just ordered some nipple shields! I tried to quit altogether about a week ago but she wasn’t having any of it and after four nights of horrifically broken sleep I’ve gone back to feeding (and wincing) when she asks for it. Hopefully it resolves itself soon! I really enjoy it normally and can see it is a great comfort...just hope it goes back to being pain-free!

I bf #4 until 4.5yrs, she often went through stages of feeding more etc. As a compromise, towards the end if I wanted a feed to be over I'd say she had to the count of ten... Then unlatch her after counting down. You can often tell by how they're feeding if it's a need (be it physical or emotional) feed or habit feed. The world is complicated and exhausting place, sometimes they just need to recenter themselves and connect with you. It won't last forever. It's not always easy and it's okay to dislike it at times. YANBU but..... Neither is your child.

My nearly 9 month old had a super bad start. Then wasn’t arsed at all about a boob. It killed me that he was so disinterested in breastfeeding and we ended Up supplementing 2 bottles a day of high calorie formula due to failure to thrive under dietician and a couple of paediatricians. He is now obsessed with boob and a totally bottle refuser. Massive separation anxiety and wakes 8+ time’s every night looking for a boob. No words of wisdom but I feel your pain!

I nursed mine until 3. They go through phases. It’s ok to set limits if you need to.

Mine did this, we weaned at 2 but she still likes sticking her hand down my top at any given opportunity a year later

Sounds normal. Possibly something going on with him, e.g. teething, fighting off a cold/virus, constipated. I hope for your sake it resolves soon.