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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

At what age did your bf babies self wean?

27 replies

burmesegrumbler · 26/02/2011 21:14

I'm not sure if we are going through another nursing strike or if this is it now with bf. DD turns nine months next week and feeds the past week have been down to less than 20 mins in total, 5-10 in the morning and 10-15 at bedtime. She dropped the afternoon feeds a few weeks ago (I still offer as I work from home) and the past two nights she has refused an evening feed. She will drink 2-3 ounces of formula from a cup at mealtimes as I just don't have time to express anymore.

Is this too early to self wean? She does eat well and so far is maintaining her growth curve, though it is slowing, but she is very active, standing and trying to walk all day.

I'm worried my milk will dry up if it's just a strike, but I would welcome moving on from bf now.

I would like to know your experiences of unforced breast weaning.

OP posts:

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stottiecake · 26/02/2011 21:23

Hi! I've just posted my experience in the breastfeeding topic. Ds seems to be self weaning now at 2.3yrs - I think it's because my milk is drying up with being pregnant. He has just stopped asking for it and I am not offering.

It doesn't sound so much like a strike as she is still taking it at certain times of the day so perhaps she is now naturally weaning. I don't think it's too early to wean but then don't they need to take milk in some form until they are a year?

Sorry for being a bit vague.. Hope someone comes along with some info shortly!

stottiecake · 26/02/2011 21:24

Also you could try posting this in the breastfeeding/formula feeding topic.

Original poster

burmesegrumbler · 26/02/2011 22:02

Good idea! Not scrolled that far down the website before!

OP posts:

Skimty · 27/02/2011 08:01

DD did exactly the same at the same age - aided i think by a heatwave which meant we both found the whole thing uncomfortable. I also know of several others who had it happen at this age and incidently was the age I moved DS off bottles.

DD wasn't a great milk drinker at the time and we were under the care of a dietician because she has multiple allergies who suggested we up her milk content in meals.

baskingseals · 27/02/2011 08:06

dd never self weaned, but I'd had enough when she was about 2.6 and made her stop

ds1 again didn't, but i got pregnant and had v sensitive boobs, so i stopped when he was about 18mths.

ds2 was never that into bfing and it naturally stopped when he was about 14mths.

ironically i miss it now. both boys have a bottle at 3 and 18mths, and i think i should have probably gone on a bit longer especially with ds1

BlooCowWonders · 27/02/2011 08:51

dc1 about 13 months
dc2 11 months
dc3 16 months

but 9 months does seem a bit early to me to stop completely. Maybe your baby is just more efficient than you realise, and has finished sooner than the time you think. Mine have all varied in how long they fed each time, but one got it down to 4 minutes a go by about 6 months!

Loopymumsy · 27/02/2011 08:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

KristinaM · 27/02/2011 08:58

One seemed to stop at 15 months, but I think it's because I was pg and the taste of the milk changed. I just let him stop as it was painful for me but now regret it, I wonder if it was just a nursing strike and I should have persevered.

Next one stoppedd at 3 1/2, but under a bit of pressure from me so not totally self weaned

Roo83 · 27/02/2011 10:15

Ds was pretty much just having a morning and evening bf at that age-he was too distracted during the day to feed properly so used to give him a snack and drink instead. He completely self weaned at about 14mnths but would take a cup of milk. I'm thinking dd will cut her milk down in the daytime even earlier as she's already nosier than ds and only 6mnths!

telsa · 27/02/2011 12:08

Nearly 3 - still going strong. Baskingseals - how did you make your 2.6 year old stop?

bonkers20 · 27/02/2011 12:21

DS1 self weaned at just over 3 and DS2 is still going strong (bed time, nap time and a couple of times during the night) at nearly 2.

cory · 27/02/2011 15:34

11 months. I wasn't fussed either way, would have carried on if she had wanted it, but was quite happy to let it go.

everythingchangeseverything · 27/02/2011 15:35

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

gillybean2 · 27/02/2011 15:37

Ds dropped all but his bed time feed at about that age (he was usually too tired to complain much). Was probably at 13-14mnths he dropped the night feed too.

LadyAlex · 27/02/2011 20:46

We dropped down to just night fees at that age too but then I found that he prefered a cup of warm cows milk and would guzzle that much better than a bf so i let hom make that decision. I was ready to move on too. We would still have a snuggle together in his room, low light and his teddy and have nice quiet time before putting him in his bed.

if it feels right for you, go with it. It may be hard later when u want to call it a day.

JemimaMop · 27/02/2011 20:47

DS2 stopped at 9 months, he just wasn't interested any more. I was quite sad as I had intended feeding him for longer.

Tigresswoods · 27/02/2011 21:38

Yep, finished completely the day he turned 8 months, it was the right time for both of us. Go with what feels right for both of you.

Good luck!

dinkystinky · 27/02/2011 21:39

DS1 at about 14 months (he went to morning and evening only at just before 6 months when I returned to work), DS2 selfweaning now just over 2 (again on to morning and evening only from 6 months onwards) - now down to morning feed only.

Mumbybumby · 27/02/2011 21:46

DD was about 15-16 months. I was 3 months pg and she had flu the week before, didn't come off my boob for the entire week, then next week point blank refused it. Was a little sad I didn't get any warning but am glad she instigated it herself.

Bubbamumma · 28/02/2011 10:02

DS stopped at 2.8, with a bit of gentle encouragement from me.

maxybrown · 28/02/2011 10:58

DS was 19 months - but had only been a before bed feed (and comfort night feed grrr) for quite a while

Guitargirl · 28/02/2011 11:01

20 months - both DCs

megapixels · 28/02/2011 11:09

DD1 went on strike for a few days at this age, and then again a few months later. Self-weaned at 18 months (I thought it was another strike and tried and tried and tried to force her and finally accepted that she has self-weaned ).

DD2 never had any strikes and self-weaned at 23 months.

bessie26 · 28/02/2011 15:36

DD went down to just having morning & night time bf at about 9-10months, these got shorter & shorter until 2 weeks before her first birthday when she started laughing at me when I got my boobs out - so we stopped - my boobs didn't even notice, so she must have been taking very little anyway & loved having a big beaker of cow's milk instead!

I was a bit upset about it to begin with as I had thought we would continue with morning & evening bf when I went back to work, but she had other ideas!

londontj · 28/02/2011 20:28

Mine stopped at 9 months too. She spent her whole time looking round rather than feeding and I just sat there like a wally trying to interest her in my boob. I'd gone back to work so she was having a couple of bottles a day and she decided she liked her milk with a more interesting view. I was quite sad about it as had expected to keep night and morning feeds going until she was at least one, but great to get back into normal bras and dresses that I hadn't been able to wear for ages.

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