I think my DS has self-weaned but I'm too astonished to be sure. Words of experience please.

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My DS is 22mo. Never had a bottle, always been very pro-boob. I have been slowly cutting back on his feeds over the last few months with only minor opposition from him. Last week we dropped his first thing in the morning feed. He looked a bit confused on day one but after that was fine. This left us with 2 feeds - before bed and at 4/5 am (which always makes him drowsy enough to go back to sleep until a vaguely civilised hour).

Yesterday he seemed quite reluctant to feed at both bed time and 4 am, but eventually got on with it (albeit with a bit of coaxing from me). Tonight he just didn't seem to want it at all. He tentatively put the nipple to his mouth but then repeatedly pushed it away and snuggled up next to me instead. I tried a few more times but then decided to take the hint and after getting very dozy in my arms I put him in his cot and he went to sleep.

I am astonished. This boy has been fed to sleep every night of his life, with great enthusiasm until yesterday. Has he just had enough? One possibility is teething as I have suspected for a while that his back teeth are trying to come through, but in the past feeding has helped with teething discomfort and hasn't put him off. And I know I'm not pregnant as I am actually TTC and got my period very recently!

So I suppose what I'm asking is, is self-weaning really this sudden or is something else going on here?

I don't know - but I know that mine is the same age (23 months), and has occasionally made me think that he's giving up by doing similar, then goes back to it a bit later. He's never gone more than 24 hrs though.

We're down to a night time (off, then put in his own bed to fall asleep- he's forgotten the feed 3 times in the past 2 months), and first thing in the morning (I tell him it's too early if he wakes before 6, and shush him back to sleep if he protests - but he's only been sleeping through for about a month, so not so different to you) Oh, and he often feeds to sleep for a nap still.

Sometimes he forgets one, sometimes he remembers he's forgotten and tries to drag me off (we feed in bed) later on, but I wouldn't entirely bet on it being weaning - last time DS skipped it turned out he had hand, foot, and mouth (so probably found feeding a bit painful)

One of mine woke up one day and decided she didn't want to breast feed anymore, my breasts were as shocked as I was.

Thanks ChunkyPickle. I must admit I have never heard of hand, foot and mouth before but have just googled it and will try and check his mouth for ulcers tomorrow (easier said than done) as my first reaction was that there must be something in his mouth bothering him.

quoteunquote if this does turn out to be self-weaning I will be absolutely flabbergasted! My gut feeling is that it's too early to call yet, though... We'll see!

Self weaning isn't really sudden, a nursing strike on the other hand is usually out of the blue and unexpected. Teething is a quite common cause of a strike. Details here.

My DS self weaned at 13 months which I was really shocked about, as I expected to be feeding him for much longer, and he was a complete boob monster up until a few weeks before then, he just got disinterested and kept pushing me away, almost broke my heart, kept trying for a while with him but he was genuinely not interested. But yes I suppose it happened over a couple of weeks so not really sudden. I found it quie hard emotionally as I really wanted to feed him longer, and hadn't anticipated being 'rejected' but he has got himself to sleep fine since (last 3 months).
Babies I know that had hand foot and mouth recently had sore bums as well, that might be another symptom to look for?

Yes, it's the fact that it's so sudden that makes me think there's a physical reason for his reluctance. He's eaten well today but yesterday was pulling at his mouth during meals. I had wondered if this was teething but now strongly suspect hand foot and mouth.

Have his molars come through yet?? DS was uncomfortable with his front teeth coming through but not spectacularly so.....now his back teeth are coming through and its obviously really really painful, a whole different league to the others!! that might be painful enough to put him off? Ds wouldn't even entertain trying to eat his breakfast this morning until he'd had some pain relief :( hope situation resolves itself soon and you find out what's bothering him.

Thanks highlandbird. That was my original suspicion. I can't see or feel anything back there, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're not bothering him.

Last night was..... challenging. After going to sleep sans milk at 7 he slept until 3.30 (this is pretty good, he often wakes at around 1-ish too). What normally happens at this time is that DP settles him back to sleep or, if it's getting closer to 4-ish, I give him a bit of milk and he goes back to sleep until 6-7. Last night we were all awake from 3.30-6.00. He couldn't settle, didn't want milk, just wanted to be held but wailed as soon as either of us put him back in his cot. Wouldn't settle in bed with us either. At about 5 we dug out the Calpol, after which he did take a little bit of milk, but very tentatively and reluctantly, if that makes any sense. Even this didn't settle him though. Eventually he passed out at 6 am lying on my front in an armchair and I managed to get him back in to the cot where he slept until 8.

This morning I have checked his hands and feet (no spots) and his mouth (no ulcers or any sore patches I can see, but he does seem to be fiddling with his lower lip a bit). He's eaten a decent breakfast. In fact, he's been fine with solids throughout all this.

So, essentially, I'm none the wiser. Could be weaning, could be mysteriously sore mouth. Hmmm.

OP I could have written your last post myself word for word about several nights over the past couple of weeks. Hoping someones turns up with a miraculous explanation. Until then, I can offer some confused solidarity!