What are the chances of DS self-weaning now I'm pregnant?

[BumgrapesofWrath]

I'm 6 weeks pregnant, and DS is 19 months old. DS feeds about 3 or 4 times a day, but I've been trying to cut it down as I feel very tired and it's starting to get painful...

What are the chances of him self-weaning? I don't really fancy tandem feeding, so maybe if I start cutting down his feeds he may hopefully stop of his own accord.

Any anecdotes or advice appreciated!

Hi Grapes. I'm in a similar situation. DD is 18 months old, and I'm just over 5 weeks pregnant. I'd been thinking I might try tandem feeding but I'm starting to get fed up with DD tweaking my very sensitive nips! She currently feeds at bedtime and on waking, but it's so much part of her routine I have no idea how I'm going to get her away from my boobs. Don't fancy wearing a polo neck in bed for the next 3 months....

Fingers crossed we'll get a bit of a break from the demands of feeding before number 2 comes along.

Hi, I can only give my experience...my 15 month old DD self weaned when I was about 12 weeks pregnant. She went from frequent feeding during the day and night- she was a real milk fiend - to very suddenly stopping. One day we got up and she didn't ask for it, and when I offered at bedtime she pushed my boob away. I was a little heartbroken but glad it had been so painless - she didn't seem bothered and never asked for it again! My midwife said it was quite normal for toddlers to do that in pregnancy - apparently your milk changes taste sometimes when you're pregnant. Good luck to both of you!

I can only give an anecdote too. Or actually, three.

My DD self weaned when I was about 16 weeks pregnant. She was about 21 months. She announced the milk was 'gone' and lost interest pretty abruptly - demanding a banana instead. A friend with a child the similar age had a similar experience at about 7 months. A final friend has a three year old and is currently pregnant - he is showing no signs of dropping feeds.

I have heard that 12-16 weeks is a very common time for your supply to drop off if it is going to. So you might get a better idea of how it will go in a few weeks. Lots of children aren't interested in dry nursing, but some are. If you wait until then and see what happens, you would still have plenty of time to actively wean before the new baby if you decided you wanted to?

My DD kind of self weaned when I was pregnant. Despite DD2 only being eleven weeks old I'm struggling to remember exactly when it happened!

My supply definitely dropped when I was pregnant. When I got pregnant DD1 was feeding first thing, mid afternoon and bedtime.
I encouraged her to drop the mid afternoon feed by pushing her in her buggy for her nap (previously she was fed to sleep). Morning fell by the wayside when DH started getting up with her in the morning as I was tired.

Then when I was about 22 ish weeks pregnant she started refusing to feed maybe twice a week at bedtime. So at about 24 weeks I stopped offering the bedtime feed. I always intended that if she asked for it I would feed her. But she was content with just a cuddle. She was about 20 months old at the time.

DD2 was born early so maybe a couple of months after DD1 stopped nursing. I was expressing for DD2 as she was in nnu, and then bfing once DD2 came home. Again, of DD1 had shown an interest I would have offered her a feed. But she has no interest beyond shoving DD2 onto me, or sticking her teddies up her top. I don't think she can remember feeding.

But there are definitely toddlers who are determined feeders throughout pregnancy. I think it maybe depends how frequently they were feeding pre pregnancy. But that's just my opinion