7mo mix fed dd is rejecting breast. Does this mean she is ready to stop bf?

[yellowflowers]

We mix feed and have from beginning. Usually she has bf before bed, during night, morning and 4pm and bottle rest of the time unless she asks for breast by nuzzling which is once or twice a day for short snacks or if she is upset. But last few days she's nuzzled for milk then as I put her to the breast she's arced her back and squirmed away. She's only accepted it for short feed before going back to bed or in middle of night.

Does this mean she wants to stop? I am a bit sad if so as having struggled to bf at all I now really love it and was planning to continue in the evenings and mornings for as long as she wanted but assumed this would be another year or so.

I've read that it is extremely rare for babies to truly self wean before 2 years; it is perhaps more likely to be a nursing strike. I am no expert but posted not long ago abt my own dd refusing feeds and people suggested this & turned out to be right.

Am on phone so no links but try the Kelly Mom site for comprehensive info. Good luck :)

PS ours lasted 48 hrs, but apparently they can be shorter or a lot longer - but if you are armed w the info you can save yourself lots of uncertainty and worry, and just gently persevere.

It might be the start of a nursing strike or prehaps the beginning of a bottle preference. Or she could have teething pain/earache/cold coming.

How many bottles does your DD have a day?

As 4+ breastfeeds a day sounds fairly reasonable for a 7m old baby (assuming she is having solids too). Admittedly mine had more than that but I know plenty of babies who had 4/5 feeds at 6-12m.

Could you switch her bottles for a free flow beaker/open cup so that if she wants to suckle she has to bf?

I know the HV in my area are keen to get babies off bottles as early as possible and onto free flow or open cups to minimise oral issues associated with bottles so if she will swap now and keep bfing you're on to a good thing .

Perhaps try offering a beaker an hour before lunch in her highchair or bumbo/play station thingummie if she has one as she may go for it for the novelty factor.