Toddler goes from breast to breast again and again!

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I’m aware with a toddler he’s not an infant so the category is slightly wrong but I wasn’t sure what else to pick

I am breastfeeding my almost 20 month old and intend to carry on for as long as he wants it. It’s been hard work but we’ve carried on and I thought I’d really got confident with it until within the last month or so, he’s kept wanting to go from one breast to the other, again and again and again; it’s exhausting for me and had me very worried that my supply was drying up or something similar. I rang the national breastfeeding helpline who were reassuring and the lady answering said it was very unlikely it would be a supply issue and she kindly sympathised and said toddlers can be challenging. I understand she was trying to help but it still didn’t answer my question of why he’s doing it.

I am just wondering if anyone else has experienced/is experiencing this and, if so, how long it has lasted/has been for you and if you happen to know why?

I feel terrible for writing this but I’m fed up of it and wish he would at least latch one one for a bit longer before switching to the other. I feel like I might as well not have a top on as he wants it all day, all night and I feel like I’m not satisfying him somehow. It’s really knocked my esteem.

thanks in advance

It's been a while since I was BFing sit I can remember them going through the odd little challenging phase like this.

I think that if you try and work out why it's going on you might drive yourself crazy and never get to the bottom of it

One thing that helped me was only feeding in one chair, then making sure I was busy all day and not sitting in it, unless I really had to feed them.

Have you tried any gentle night weaning? That might help you some sleep and might also help you to feel a bit less "touched out".

He’s doing it because he can! If you don't want him to constantly swap, you have to be firm with him. At his age, he’s not feeding for nutrition, he's feeding for comfort, which is absolutely fine! If you’re not comfortable with the situation, you need to put boundaries in place.

I think this is the age where it’s okay to bring in some breastfeeding manners.

In any other part of life if your toddler did something that you really didn’t like you wouldn’t let them do it. Especially if it involved your body. I’m not saying stop breastfeeding at all, I breastfed past age 2 but it’s completely fine to enforce a boundary.

if you only want them to feed from one breast at a time then make it clear and don’t let them swap, they’ll soon get used to it.

I agree that you’re very unlikely to have a problem with supply unless there’s illness or pregnancy.

He night be teething... I found those weeks painful!!

Agree with some breastfeeding manners. 'One more and then we're finished' and up you get. You're doing brilliantly but remember it must work for you both. I decreased to morning/naptime/bedtime feeds around this time and fed on well past 2 -3-

Yes comfort is main driver but don't dismiss the super nutritional value still of feeding a toddler.

It'll just be a phase, don't worry.

I'd talk to him. If he unlatches, say brightly "aren't you wanting a feed after all?" and don't offer the other side. If he clearly wants to bf, then tell him he's got to stay on the same side.

Also use breast compressions to increase the flow.

Switch feeding does increase supply so he might be doing this out of instinct to increase your supply.

Agree that it might be time to introduce some BFing

This article from might be useful