What is going on with my 17 month old with bf?

[MamaMaiasaura]

Am still bfing ds2, usually 3x a day, morning, before morning naptime and bedtime.

He has started being very breast focused and keeps swapping from one to the other, wanting both available at all times throughout feed. He feed on one side for a couple of minutes and clamber over to the other and then repeat this. Whilst he is on one is is trying to twiddle with my other and gets very upset if i cover it (which i keep doing as uncomfy after a while). Last night he ended up having a 1am mil feed to sleep which is unusual for him. DOnt know if this is linked or a one off.

Want to bfeed ds2 and gradually wean but really wanting to follow his 'needs'. Love nursing and enjoy the comfort it gives him. Am i alone in this almost 'obssession' he has with them. I think he sees them as exclusively his and he should have them whenever and wherever. I guess i wouldnt have a problem with this if i wasnt ttc and that due to fertility issues i may have to wait till he has stopped compeltely to get any further help.

Sorry for the ramble. Just googled and couldnt find any answers (may there isnt any ) Anyone in the same boat? Is ds2 doing what all toddlers bfing do or is there some need of his i am missing completely?

There is a definite phase around this age when they do become obsessed with it. I came very close to giving up at that point because he just wanted it all the time. It made me feel very claustrophobic almost because I never had any physical space to myself. Everytime I sat down he was climbing on me, pulling on my t'shirt and 'messing' me. It was a tough time but it didn't last too long, in retrospect, maybe a couple of months but it did seem endless at the time.

We did come out the other side and I eventually weaned him just after his 2nd birthday. It felt like the right time for me and he gave it up with no obvious distress or trauma .

Hang on in there and repeat after me .

• am repeating

You've hit the nail on the head with the physical space needed. Ds2 clambers on me at every chance.. here he comes again He is wonderfully affectionate and very very sweet, but just hoping this phase will pass as you say. I do love feeding him

If you can hold of the LLL's Mothering your Nursing Toddler by Jennifer Bumgarner it has a very good section on this age/phase and helped me keep hold of what little sanity I had left. Basically it says the bfing is their main constant in the world and because they are suddenly processing so much more information the bfing keeps them reassured that some things are the same.

The book makes far more sense than me though .

It sounds as though you are both doing exactly what you should be and as long as you're still loving it 51% of the time it's worth it, imo.

Have similar problem.... thought about buying Mothering Nursing Toddler and also Politics of breast feeding. We also have issue of DS not wanting to eat anything other than toast, crackers, yoghurt and fruit.... Constantly have people implying that its cos i'm letting him have too much milk but he's obsessed esp when teething. Sorry to jump thread but could do with advice / encouragement too.

Definitely just a phase, which too will pass......

My ds did this, probably around this age.

At night time, he would feed on one side, then go mountaineering over to the other side, and back umpteen times a night.

I put up with it because he became dairy intolerent around this time so I wanted him to get as much breastmilk as possible.

Eventually he stopped doing it, but I can't remember when.

DS is 3.7yo now and still a twiddler. It seems to be part and parcel of the experience for him, he still gets very upset if I try to stop him. He says it makes more milk come out.

Good luck, hope you get through the phase with your humour intact.

Am going to look for book on amazon now thank you. Ellie - ignore what people are saying about the bfing affecting his food intake. My bet is they didnt breastfeed a toddler. x

Thanks Awen! Good luck with your DS too. X