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Infant feeding

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

Is this self weaning?

2 replies

strawberrybubblegum · 27/05/2014 21:36

My DD is 16 mo, and I currently breast feed her just twice a day: first thing in the morning and also before bed. She doesn't drink any other milk, but eats solids fairly well including plenty of dairy, and drinks water. Reducing feeds has generally been led by me (eg when I went back to work 4 months ago, we dropped our afternoon breast feed) but she's never seemed bothered about it or asked for additional feeds. She does enjoy breastfeeding though - she always seems so content afterwards, and we both enjoy the connection.

But I'm worried that for the last few weeks, she seems to be taking much less milk than before. It's a bit hard to tell, but there's no concentrated bit where I can hear her sucking any more, and she just seems to be playing around. In fact, just recently, if she can get hold of a dummy (if I've made the mistake of leaving it in view) or another object, she'll alternate a few sucks at the breast with a few sucks of her dummy or toy! She does love dummies (usually only has it to sleep, but I've been pretty lax recently since she's been miserable with chickenpox) and loves holding several and sucking each in turn, so it's really just a continuation of that. But she hasn't done that while breastfeeding before. When this reduced drinking started a few weeks ago, it was mainly during the evening feed, and she was still quite focused for the morning feed (though she always wants a solid breakfast asap afterwards, the milk hasn't stopped her morning hunger for quite a long time), but now it's both feeds.

I don't know if I even have milk now, I've always tended to under-supply.

So, I know this is a bit young for self-weaning, but is that what's happening? And if so, what do I do next? She's still fairly happy having a bit of a suck, but if that's all she's doing I think I'd rather just let it dwindle away. Which feed should I cut first? I think she's more interested in the morning one for milk, but we'll both miss the evening bonding. It's a lovely way to reconnect, especially when I've been at work. I'm not too sure how we'll replace that! We do read a bedtime story, but if she's tired then she's not always interested. It will be good to have the flexibility if she weans, but I'll miss breast feeding!

OP posts:
Misty9 · 28/05/2014 02:43

My first self weaned at 15 months and the morning feed was the last to go. He would have happily continued that one but by then I was producing so little that he'd get really frustrated and it was kinder to everyone to go cold turkey on it. If you'd rather let it tail off it sounds like that'd be easy enough. Equally it sounds like you could continue the comfort sucking if you like the connection.

I've got a 5wk old now and that stage seems a long way off again!

Sunflower1985 · 28/05/2014 20:26

Would co-bathing work for you as a replacement

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