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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Extended breastfeeders - come and answer my 1 question poll

80 replies

theyoungvisiter · 25/07/2009 20:02

I've read a number of posts recently from extended breastfeeders who mentioned that they've pretty much had enough, but their kids are keen to carry on.

I thought it was an interesting contrast to the stereotype that extended bfers are just needy mums are forcing breastmilk down their protesting children's throats.

So my 1 question poll, if there was a magic button to make your child/toddler self-wean, would you press it? At what age?

Or, if you've stopped bfing but used to be an extended breast-feeder, would you have pressed it and if so at what age?

OP posts:
HumphreyCobbler · 25/07/2009 20:05

I would press it now. My ds is two and a half.

It is his habit of loudly demanding booby in public that is annoying me atm I had no intention of feeding him this long, so didn't think about what I CALLED it.

sybilfaulty · 25/07/2009 20:05

Probably about 2.

I fed DD1 til 15 months and DD 2 til 13 months, but stopped both times because I was pg and felt too ill. Now I have DS (nearly 8m) I intend to feed him until he is 1 and then let him self wean, unless he is still keen as he approaches 2 when I'll try to slacken off. Looking at my DD2 now (2.3) I could not imagine feeding her, but perhaps I'll feel differently when I am actually doing it.

HTH.

hercules1 · 25/07/2009 20:06

If there was an actual cut off point younger than when I stopped where I knew for a fact there were no more health/phsycological benefits to be had that would have been the age for me.

I fed ds till 4 mainly because he showed signs of getting asthma and excema and I wanted to him the best chance possible.

I fed dd till 3 because I also wanted to give her the best chance possible but she has never shown any signs of getting either so saw no benefit in doing it any longer.

If it came in bottles I'd have stopped a lot sooner tbh.

Olihan · 25/07/2009 20:09

I did press it!

I bf until ds2 was 2 then decided as he wasn't showing any signs of wanting to stop that I'd encourage it. It was starting to feel a bit odd to me and I really didn't feel comfortable doing it so I told him milkies was all gone and that was that.

I initially intended to let him self wean but couldn't get that far.

Original poster
theyoungvisiter · 25/07/2009 20:10

Perhaps I should post my own answer too just to be fair

I am tandem-feeding DS1 (3 and a bit) and DS2 (7 months). I would have been happy if DS1 had self-weaned around 2.5 and if there was a magic button I would be pressing it very hard with both hands right now!

Humphrey that makes me . I was at a party the other day, carrying DS1 and he said very loudly "Mummy, I want to nibble your lovely bops" (his word for boobs). I was sooooooooo mortified. I literally didn't know where to look...

OP posts:
Original poster
theyoungvisiter · 25/07/2009 20:11

Olihan I admire your strength of mind.

Unfortunately I think DS1 might smell a rat if I told him the milk was all gone, but DS2 was still merrily chugging away.

OP posts:
Grendle · 25/07/2009 20:13

Yes, there were times during the terrible 2s and also during the 4th year when I found it rather trying. In the end ds weaned by agreement just after I found out I was pregnant again when he was 3yrs 10 months. Dd is still feeding aged almost 2 and that's fine at the moment.

hercules1 · 25/07/2009 20:14

So come on then where are all those people who are forcing it on their kids?

Feenie · 25/07/2009 20:16

I would have pressed it at 2. Ds stopped on his 3rd birthday by agreement. He asked the night afterwards, was reminded of the agreement, and accepted it perfectly happily - it was obviously the right time for him then.

Babieseverywhere · 25/07/2009 20:18

I can't make my mind up. Despite my nursing my 2.11 year old DD and 11 month old DS and finding it difficult at times, I am loathed to give up the advantages of having older nurselings like have an instant calm down, cheer up, go to sleep, comfort that owie, milk.

So purely on the advantages of nursing I would have to delcine to answer at the moment and see how things go in the future.

Lilyloo · 25/07/2009 20:22

My dd slef weaned at 15 mths , i was ready then and glad she was

LeninGrad · 25/07/2009 20:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

PuzzleRocks · 25/07/2009 20:27

DD1 is 2yrs 4 mths. Tonight she asked for a feed and I offered her cows milk instead. I have a 4 month old and am finding it hard work to feed both. She seemed happy enough to take the cows milk so we shall see what happens from here.
I do feel a little bit sad but also, if i'm honest, a bit relieved that this may be the beginning of the end. So I guess I would say that this is magic button time.
I fully expect to, and will be happy to, feed DD2 for a similar length of time unless she chooses to wean earlier. Whether I feed her any longer will probably depend on whether I have any more children and how attached she seems to be.
As I say DD1 seemed happy enough tonight.

whomovedmychocolate · 25/07/2009 20:37

Well actually, a few months ago I would have said yes I'd do that for DD but she's 2.9 now and self weaning and it's soooo hard to deal with.

DS is still going strong though!

Original poster
theyoungvisiter · 25/07/2009 20:39

it's quite interesting that only a few people so far have managed to make their child stop at a time of the mother's choosing.

I think I am a fairly strict parent, or at least I'm certainly not a pushover. Why am I such a softie over this one issue? It's all very conflicting.

OP posts:
PuzzleRocks · 25/07/2009 20:44

Because it's such a beautiful bond.

mumofmaniacs · 25/07/2009 20:46

Yes. I would press it at 2.

mumofmaniacs · 25/07/2009 20:49

Actually you are all vile! Anything after a month is purely about the mother

Original poster
theyoungvisiter · 25/07/2009 20:49

It is, isn't it PR - and also it's so tied up with all the things you want to be as a mother - source of comfort, giver of cuddles, provider of food.

OP posts:
ButterbeerAndLemon · 25/07/2009 20:49

Probably about two and a half. DS self-weaned at 3.2 and DD is still going at nearly 16 months.

LeninGrad · 25/07/2009 20:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

PinkTulips · 25/07/2009 20:55

with ds1 i would happily have ended it at about 22/24 months as i was pregnant and in agony.

LeninGrad · 25/07/2009 21:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Hulla · 25/07/2009 21:04

whomovedmychocolate why is self weaning hard to deal with? I am aiming to let dd self-wean but have realised I know nothing about it.

Original poster
theyoungvisiter · 25/07/2009 21:05

Leningrad - I fed all through pg and it was agony towards the end, I used to tell DS he could feed for the count of ten because I literally couldn't bear his teeth on my breast longer than that.

But it went as soon as I gave birth - and DS1's face when the milk came in was so sweet, it was like he'd had christmas and birthdays all at once.

Although he did get a terrible shock when I let down unexpectedly one mornign while dressing and it sprayed everywhere. He squeaked, "Mummy, there's milk coming out of your - your milky place!" He obviously didn't know the word for nipple .

OP posts:
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