My daughter has given up breast feeding and its made me feel very sad.

[NAR4]

My daughter is 19 months old and has decided she no longer likes the taste of my milk (I'm 23 weeks pregnant). She has gone from feeding at least every 2 hours, to completely stopping, over about a month. It seems really sudden.

Nobody seems to understand and instead thinks I am bonkers and it was about time she stopped feeding. I also get told that it is better for me and the baby that she is not feeding now (which isn't true).

Why do so many people think its abnormal to feed, or want to feed a child over about a year old?

At least it will stop people telling me I should stop feeding her now I'm pregnant, (which even complete strangers did on occassion).

Hi - I only have 1 DD - only 10wks so I don't really know how you are feeling but I just wanted to post back - bf is so special I would be sad too in your position - I guess knowing you've given her the best nutritional and attachment start is no consolation right now. Hope you can enjoy extra snuggles instead. Really hard.

X

I understand! And I don't think you are bonkers.

She might ask to start again after the baby is born. How would you feel about that?

Do you think DD doesn't much like the taste of colostrum setting in? I think that happens round about 5-6 months pregnant, but am not sure. So that might be why she's no longer keen to feed, if it's no longer milk.

Your sadness is understandable and I can share a little of it: DS hasn't fed for a week today. I had been trying to encourage him to stop wanting to feed when he wakes in the night (he's 2.10 BTW), but I didn't expect him to stop completely straight away! Around elevenses today I had such a strong urge to offer a BF, and was starting to let down (which i haven't noticed happening for about two and half years!), but i didn't want to confuse him so waited so see whether he'd ask. But he didn't. Probably for the best as I had been wanting to stop some point soon, but I didn't think it would happen all at once.

One compensation of DS weaning though, is that when he got into bed with us during the night a few days ago, it was lovely to have him snuggle into my neck to settle down, rather than diving under my top!

I understand too and sympathise. My dd is on a nursing strike and I'm finding it very difficult.

It's not weird at all to breastfeed past a year.

Is there a local LLL meet up near you? They would be able to give you advice.

In the meantime have some hand holding. When you've nursed for so long it becomes a huge part of the way you mother I found. I took it for granted and I'm only now realising how much more than just milk it was.

Thankyou everyone for your support. I think the real problem is I have strangely found it quite a shock that she has stopped. I wouldn't mind at all if she started again when the baby was born, but think it likely that she will have moved on by then. 3 months is such a long time at her age.

I felt like this too, I was about 6 months pregnant when my 2.3 year old DS lost interest, but when the baby was born he decided that actually he did want mummy milk again and is now bf on request again and is now waking up at 4am every morning asking to bf!!! You might find your DD wants to join in when she sees her new baby sibling feeding, three months is a long time but she'll still remember how lovely it is to feel so close to her mummy

DD self weaned at 25months, she is 27months and recently decided shed help herself again although I decided not to enable that.

She may very well return to feeding, and you are not bonkers, I sobbed when I had finished feeding dd