Any chance of self weaning soon?

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I'm into baby led weaning and currently breast feeding my 16 mon old DS. However, I feel like I'm reaching my limit, but I would really like him to self wean, as cold turkey spuds drastic and he goes mental if I delay or refuse boob. I have created a boob monster! :) any chance of him self weaning soon?? What's the age when they loose the need to suck. He still wakes for boob several times a night and goes mad if I'm too tired and roll over so I end up giving in. We partly co sleep (and partly he's in his own room) x

Hello :) 16 months old is very young to self-wean, it's usually from about the age of 2.5 onwards. Anecdotally from what I have read, 4yo seems to be fairly average. You haven't created a boob monster at all! It is very normal for 16 mo babies to feed frequently. If you are not happy, however, then it is fine to schedule feeds at this age. Some mothers like to set a few times a day when they BF and offer other snacks and meals the rest of the time. Night weaning is also possible at this age.

I nightweaned at 13 months which did ease things for me at this stage.

I followed a gentle method suggested by dr jay Gordon link here

By night weaning, my dd then increased her food intake during the day and decreased the need for BF as much. I am still feeding now (19months) but it is much more manageable and she can be distracted easily if it isn't an appropriate time to feed.

I also follow "don't offer, don't refuse".

Thanks these are good tips. People are starting to look at me funny for breastfeeding a toddler - not that I care to be honest. Is it normal for mums to feel they've had enough at this stage. I feel guilty that I don't always feel like it anymore

Of course it's normal to feel how you are feeling. I think everyone has peaks and troughs of enjoying it or not.

I felt unhappy earlier in the year but then dd was unwell with her teeth and we'd just moved house and bf'ing was a huge comfort to her. Seeing her relax and happy for a few 10 minute slots a day felt very rewarding for me and far outweighed my "pissed off" days!

I also have found that in the middle of tantrum central, a breastfeed can calm a situation down

You sound fed up and that's more than ok. Just know that it can get better / easier as they grow and change in the coming months. At 18 months, dd dropped a lot, playing and play time is more important that a feed. I can't remember my last 'public' during the day feed to be honest so it must have been a while ago. If we're at home she'd ask more though so I'm ok with that.

Don't follow what anyone else's is doing as such unless it suits you and your needs, just change to what works for you. Hence our night weaning - at the time I was worried about my other extended bf friends thinking I was mean for doing it (silly I know) but for our family I needed to improve dd's sleep; it had become counter productive as feeding her wasnt settling her back to sleep, she was waking more than a new born at 13 months!! We tried it, and it worked. I've recommended to a friend a few weeks back, but it didn't work for her, that's fine too. They're all tools to help.

Stop feeling guilty and do what is right for you and your ds.

DD2 is 18 months and still feeding at night (a lot!) but from about 16 months I started reducing daytime feeds, as they were the ones I was really having trouble with. It felt like I couldn't sit down without her climbing up looking for a feed. I used distraction, snacks & cups of oat milk (she has dairy allergy). Now she only feeds once between 7am & 7pm - and that's at nap time.

I found dropping those feeds & leaving the nighttime ones meant I didn't feel quite as overwhelmed and was also happier to leave her with DH and at crèche (she doesn't really take a bottle at all)

Our next step is to try to stop the night waking so frequently - getting her to go asleep without bf to sleep seems to be helping there, but when she wakes we only occasionally manage to settle her without a bf. I may need to look into the Jay Gordon system again.

We stopped at 20 mos as I'd had enough. He had been less interested in feeds anyway. We were down to morning and night only before stopping. We stopped on Christmas day when there were lots of distractions and he's only asked once since.

I'd be lying if I said I'd never hidden in the bathroom It is totally normal to not love it every second of every day- if we did then how gutted would we be when they did wean?

If you want to meet other mothers that are breastfeeding older babies and toddlers then try LLL. If you do decide to wean then you'll be able to get tips about that too.

DS is 17 mo, and has just self weaned. For a couple of months he only wanted his bedtime feed and had dropped all daytime feeds. He does love his cows milk and is a very good eater now, after a shaky start to solids.

This last few weeks he hasn't been feeding at all at bedtime, just biting (doesn't seem to be teething atm though) and fiddling with my nipple (which makes me feel a bit sick!), so I tried sitting and reading a story to see how he'd respond and he's been absolutely fine with it all.

I don't think there's any right or wrong about it, just what's right for you and works really. Several friends stopped bf by cold turkey at 7/8 months and it was very difficult for them and baby, which is why I just took my lead from DS and its been quite an easy transition, with no boob pain for me :)