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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Self weaning at 11 months?

7 replies

okthen · 03/10/2013 19:08

DS has been exclusively breastfed since birth, plus solids of course since around 5 months. Breastfeeding has always been easy with him, and for the first few months he fed extremely frequently.

In recent weeks we have reduced feeding to twice a day, with no issues.

The last couple of days he has point blank refused to breastfeed. He turns his face away and fusses, or just lies still with his face on my boob, not trying to latch on- as if he's deliberately ignoring it!

At night he has gone to sleep non problem without boob- this is unprecedented.

He has been ill, so might this be something to do with it?
Or could he be self-weaning? I am not bothered either way. I'd aim to stop breastfeeding in the next few months anyway, but don't have an agenda- ie I'm not imagining his refusal as an excuse to stop (as some websites suggest....). So if he started again that would be fine- but a part of me thinks I should seize the day and stop now. I don't want to do this if he's not really ready though.
We have given him beakers of cow's milk since he's refused b'milk and he has drunk those no problem.

He eats solids like a horse- and eats everything- but has been off his food too since being ill, which makes me think the boob refusal is down to illness. But then usually when he's ill he wants more breast feeds...

Any thoughts?

OP posts:
PregnantRunner · 04/10/2013 16:49

Watching with interest as mine is doing the same thing. He's had a tummy bug, and will drink formula from a bottle but screams if I offer him the boob. I'm not really ready to stop yet

UriGeller · 04/10/2013 16:51

You might be pregnant? Ds went right off my boob at 14 months, he knew I was pregnant before I did !

RedKites · 04/10/2013 17:33

When mine have been ill, they've sometimes wanted more milk, and sometimes wanted less (or sometimes started off wanting less than usual then switched to wanting more than normal like DS2 has done this week...), so IMO it could be illness-related. Depending on what the illness is, is it worth seeing the GP to get his ears/throat checked? And did any of the sites you've looked at mention nursing strikes? My understanding is that when it happens suddenly, it is most likely a nursing strike rather than self weaning. If so, there are things you can do to encourage him to feed again if you want to, but like you say, it could also be an opportunity to stop if you prefer.

okthen · 05/10/2013 07:04

Thanks for replies.

Turns out he probably has hand, foot & mouth virus which gives them sores inside the mouth. So that definitely could be the reason he's refusing the breast.

However, as he has got better and has started eating more food and drinking from cups again, he is still refusing milk from me. So maybe it is the end.

My boobs are so painful! Confused

Oh and I am deffo not pregnant, thank god!

OP posts:
justwondering72 · 05/10/2013 12:30

He may be choosing not to feed, but that didn't men he's self weaning. He's too young for that. It sound like you've been gently encouraging him to reduce his feeds down to a couple a day, offering him lots of solids, offering him alternative ways of getting milk and other liquids via a cup - all these actions can contribute to a baby weaning prematurely, if gently and without protest.

The usual advice if you want to keep nursing is to put bf first - offer frequently through the day, whether he accepts or not, to not go mad offering lots of solid, to offer bf rather than s cup drink or snack, etc.

True self weaning rarely happens before 18 months and most usually around 3 or 4 years. But you sound like you are happy to let your lo move away from bf and towards solids etc, which is fair enough. It can be a nice way to call a halt to bf.

okthen · 06/10/2013 19:18

Well it turns out it was the illness which put him off bf- I guess it was the sores in his mouth, poor thing Hmm Anyway he is now feeding happily again, tho only when offered- he hasn't 'asked'- and only a little feed.

I'll be offering bm morning and evening for the next month or two. I'm quite keen to keep it going til he's settled at childcare (for immunity mainly). But one thing this episode has shown me is that he can go to sleep fine without bf. so I'm not too apprehensive about stopping.

Thanks again for advice Smile

OP posts:
RedKites · 07/10/2013 10:04

I'm glad he's feeling a bit better, and that it's resolved in a way you are both happy Smile

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