Is this self-weaning?

[CoveredInWit]

Just looking for some advice as I'm a bit of a hormonal wreck this week.

DD is just about to turn 1 and we've dropped naturally down to only BF first thing in the morning and before bed.

For the last week or so though she's not been too bothered about the bedtime feed- doesn't look for it or goes on for a few seconds and then decides against it. She's given a few tentative bites also, though they've been gentle enough that I could unlatch calmly and not make a big deal of them. So for the last two nights I left it and she went down no problem.

Then this morning we were late getting up so I didn't have time to BF before her breakfast and going to work. She didn't look for any boob or appear remotely bothered without it.

She's in great form these days- eats really well, full of fun. Not teething or unwell.

My questions are; isn't a bit early for self-weaning? I thought 2 plus a more usual age. And also, even just having dropped the bedtime feed I feel all over the place this week- just a bit down in the dumps and snappy with DH. No period due, definitely not pregnant. Is this normal when feeds are dropped? Never noticed it at other times. And finally should I persist with the morning feed to see if she'll at least keep that? I was planning to BF till she was 2 so feeling a bit bereft at the moment!

I know a few babies who self weaned at this sort of age. So I don't think its unusual at all. But she could just be having an off couple of days!

If you are keen to feed til 2 then I'd keep offering and see what happens.

Thanks Jack. Going to offer again at bedtime and see. I'll leave it up to her. Just feels sad to think of her taking another little toddle towards independence!

And don't worry about feeling emotional about it, my friend wept and wept when her little one self-weaned! It's totally natural.

Sounds like self weaning to me, but she may change her mind. My DD2 self weaned at 9 months, and I remember feeling very rejected. She would feed for a few seconds then just stare at me.

I'm now struggling to get my DS3 to self wean, but he's still keen although he's 3.5. I'm going to have to shut up shop over the summer. We make our plans as mums, but the kids don't always play along!

I must admit I'm quite glad I decided to wean DS not long after I went back to work.

He was 13 months and we were already down to an am/pm feed and I was going away for a few nights with friends and so I just thought I'd see what happened when I got back. He wasn't bothered, and loved a bottle of milk by that point!

Trying to wean when they are older and know what's going on more must be much harder!

I think that sounds absolutely normal, but I can totally understand why it's making you a bit upset.

(There's a blogger with a site called Cup of Jo who wrote a blogpost about succumbing to depression twice in her life, and only realising afterwards that it was related to her kids weaning from the boob. Apparently there's been a bit of research into the chemistry behind it, recently.)

I know it might be making you feel rejected but in a way, it might be easier this way - a lot of people find it very hard to be the ones imposing the weaning, as it were.

Thanks so much for the replies. I feel a bit better knowing that it's not totally unusual and that I'm not alone in feeling sad about it!

DD actually did have a feed this afternoon after her nap as she woke up a bit upset. Good to know she'll still look for it for comfort