Is there any way back with a child who has weaned?

[redwallday]

My daughter is 14 months and I have now stopped feeding her as over the last 2 months she has bit me at every feed. The biting is getting worse and over the last few days she hasn't fed just bit! So now I'm not offering but I desperately want her to feed. My car broke down earlier and she was starving hungry and kept asking for milk but I said no because I know she will bite me! She's been going to a childminders since christmas and has recently upped her days so now has 3 days a week with just bottles. I'm putting her weaning down to this basically. Too many bottles and my supply not being as 'instant fix' as a big fat bottle. I know it's a long shot and she hasn't fed properly for about a week but is there any hope of getting her back on the boob? Or should I just give up?

I have no idea but think maybe she wanted actual solid food rather than b

I should think that perhaps she is self-weaning. 14 months is a brilliant innings, but if she's causing you pain, and there's no longer any real physiological need, perhaps it's time to stop. Hard, I know, but it has to happen eventually. I was very sad when DD2 lost interest at 15 months.

I have no idea but think maybe she wanted actual solid food rather than boob? Maybe why she was biting? I'm still feeding my 7month old on demand but if she wants "real food" she will bite, if it's night time and she is sleepy she loves the milk. Also maybe it was just time for her to self wean?

Hum not sure, maybe a chat to a breastfeeding counciler would be a good idea. You will still have milk as once feeding is well established it takes some time for your milk to dry up. It is normally possible to teach a toddler a better latch. I think you'll find a chat with someone useful.

I'm sceptical on the food idea as having fed two toddlers they both took a lot longer then 14 months to recognise the difference between milk and solids. As in when hungry either would do.

Annie, I'm not sure what you mean by no physiology needed. Its vary rare for a baby to naturally self wean younger then 18 months, not just for nutrinal need but due to feeding supporting the immune system. we do things in the west that causes early weaning but its not natural. The WHO recommends breastfeeding until at lest two years and beyond for a reason. If op wants help to continue feeding then she get the support she needs.

Biting isn't part of self weaning, why would she latch on if she didn't want to nurse (and I am assuming she's biting your nipples during feeding not randomly biting your breasts - say when you are in the bath or getting dressed!).

Self weaning is characterised by a gradual dropping of asking to nurse/interest in nursing when offered - e.g. if I had asked DD2 if she wanted to nurse (a few months ago as she has now self weaned at 4y 8m) and she wasn't interested, she would have just said no, if I ask DD3 (2y 10m) is she wants to nurse and she doesn't she just says no, they wouldn't latch on and then bite me!

If she didn't want to nurse at all then she wouldn't be latching on in the first place, so something must be prompting the biting - teething pain, slower flow compared to bottles, ear pain, enjoying the response she gets from biting, etc - so working what is causing the biting could well help you to get back to nursing.

Kellymom.com has lots of info on stopping biting while bfing, and info on getting bfing started again after a strike or halt in nursing so have a look for some tips.

Good luck

I agree, it doesn't sound like self weaning. 14 mo is quite young for self weaning anyway.

Truth made some good points, as always!

A lot of mothers overcome biting and manage to carry on breastfeeding for longer, so it can be done :) Do you think it could be teething pain? It can be relentless at times, one tooth after another.

Some of the tricks people use with newborns might help- massage, skin-to-skin, taking a bath together etc.

Some of this might help.

Good luck!

MigGril - you're right, I had a brain fart, lost the ability to do maths and for some reason was thinking 14 months was older than 2.

I've heard of women having success with gently removing a biting child from the breast with a stern "no", and then starting again. They apparently get the point soon enough that a bite means breast goes away, and that's not what they want.