Has anyone breastfed subsequent DC for less time than DC1?

[DitaVonCheese]

I think generally speaking that most people tend to breastfeed subsequent children for longer than their first. My 2.5 yo DD is a boobfiend who is still nursing at least once a day despite me being 20ish wks pg.

For various reasons, I would quite like to wean DC2 a bit earlier than this. I know that no one can tell me what DC2 will actually be like, but I was wondering whether anyone else had had a boobmonster DC followed by one who magically moves on to solids and loses all interest in bfing like all the other mums I seem to know had!

Any thoughts much appreciated.

DS1 1yr
Ds2 just under 1 yr
DD1 4 months (I hadn't heard of breast feeding strike at the time so i gave up trying .
DD2 18mths

Thanks :)

I have only one, but I know my mum fed her first longest, her second for only 3.5 months (recovering from a botched c-section, looking after a toddler and a bad bout of mastitis finished her off!) and then I'm not sure about the third, but somewhere in between the first two.

dc1 - 10 months
dc2 - 2 weeks
dc3 - 4 years (yes, years!)
dc4 - 2.5 years.

Me probably. Fed DC1 for 2y3m, still feeding DC2 at 17m but getting very fed up of it (have been feeding for nigh on 4 years). Am starting the slow process of weaning, but DC2 is a boob fiend so it may take some time.

I think magically moving onto solids and then losing interest in BF with NO encouragement is a myth, TBH. I only know one person this happened to and she was pregnant - which can be a cue to self-wean (a bit drastic though )

Weaning before age 2 or so is probably going to need a bit of encouragement, no reason why it couldn't be gentle encouragement though.

how are you weaning pow?
watching with interest

Well he is going to nursery a couple of days a week, so has managed with only 3 feeds a day then (7am, 5pm and 7.30pm). So on other days have tried to restrict him to 3 also (but one is 12.30pm when he has his nap). This is working so far, but he asks persistently and I have to avoid sitting on the sofa (where we used to feed) . We are offering more milk in a beaker when he asks for boob, and he is grudgingly drinking more cows milk.

Haven't had much luck with night weaning yet (still feeds at least 2 times a night). We did get it down to 1 feed, but he has had teething/cold/sickness issues which has meant I didn't like to deny him his comfort . Once we are down to no feeds during the day (other than on waking and bedtime) then will tackle the night feeds (offer water & cuddles). I can probably cope with just 2 feeds a day TBH.

Lenin

Bertie, I am always slightly when people say that their child just completely lost interest in milk, but then I only have one DC and she ate barely anything for her first 14+ months but is still a milkmonster. My mum says my youngest brother was down to one night feed at 12 months and then just stopped waking up for it, but then she also says things like I slept through from 6 weeks so I'm not sure whether I believe her

One of the reasons I'd like to wean DC2 a bit earlier is so that I can flirt with the possibility of DC3 (took ages to conceive DC2 while still bfing :(). It has helped DD cut down on feeds though.

I do wonder whether my second child will wean/sleep through before my first does!

POW, for us nightweaning took a few goes but was eventually fairly painless - we were co-sleeping and I ended up moving to the spare room for a bit and trusted DH to be able to soothe her in the night. It was quite a long time before I could move back in again but she doesn't generally ask for milk at night now (touch wood). Telling her that beebie was asleep worked a bit as well.

Thanks all :)