Breastfeeding toddler - sudden interest in cows milk

[Mafiti]

I work and feed my 17 month old morning and evening. She is insistent on her milk in the mornings - gets really cross if I make myself a cuppa or go for a wee before I feed her! Evenings are a bit more relaxed unless she's completely knackered after nursery.

She has always refused anything other than breast milk and refused to drink from anything except a boob (we tried every bottle/cup we could find for MONTHS!)

Last night I couldn't be around after work so DP put her to bed. Big sis had some warm milk, which she hasn't done for ages, so my little one had some too. Guzzled it, apparently.

This morning I was showering when she woke up and she demanded her cup with milk from Daddy, so he gave her some. I had to leave early for work and so didn't feed her - I did ask if she wanted some but she said no.

This evening she demanded her cup again and shook her head when I offered boob (big sis was drinking milk again). I gave her cows milk but also gave her boob which I almost had to force on her cos she really wasn't interested!

So after a lot of preamble here finally is my question - as we only feed morning and evening, how many feeds can I miss before it affects my milk? 17 months seems very early to be self weaning so I'm wary of not feeding her whilst she's in what could be just a cows milk fad.

I'm not sure but my little girl self weaned at 18 months. One evening before bed, just didn't want it anymore. Following morning, same thing. Same thing next day and then just never asked again. I tried again about a week after that and she literally acted like she had no idea how to breastfeed anymore and laughed. So, that was the end of that!

My daughter self weaned at 18 months. Just stopped asking for it one day, and never asked again. If you're really worried I'd suggest pumping a bit maybe once s day so you've still got a supply if she asks again, then you can easily up if you need to.

Both my boys (formula fed) have stopped taking bottles and drinking formula entirely around 12mo.

They don't really drink cows milk either.

They were both eating 3 healthy meals per day with at least 2 snacks and lots of dairy so I just chucked the bottles away and was glad not to bother with it anymore!

I guess it's a bit different with breast feeding in that your baby gets comfort from it too - but just wanted to share my experience of two babies who nutritionally didn't need any milk at all much younger than your LO! (Both boys 91st centile for height and weight before AND after shunning the milk by the way)

It could be a blessing, I felt I had to force mine to wean (not enjoyable, but I had had enough!), so this might be your natural cue to let things wind down peacefully.

I think start pumping, mine dropped off within 3-4 days of not feeding much. My dd1 went completely cold turkey around 11 months, she got a sore throat, hardly fed for a few days (we were very worried) and went from being absolutely desperate to bf to total lack of interest. I found it a tricky adjustment, and the same with dd2, it's surprisingly sad to accept the bf baby part is over and I still feel nostalgic when I see bf mums

DS1 self weaned at 19 months. We were mornings only for a good 3-4 months before that. I know it's said that that's early for self-weaning but I know a fair few with a similar pattern.

I'll prob get slated but here goes

Your DD wants to be a big girl like her sister and copy her. This is NORMAL behaviour. Practically forcing your boob on her (your words) is for selfish reasons imo. If she doesn't want it, leave her be. She's fed, she's happy, she's doing what she wants. It's not about what you want, it's about her and her feeling grown up.
I know it's hard to take a step back but kids grow up at various stages and this is just one phase she has out grown

Thanks for all the replies. Seems weaning this "early" isn't that unusual after all, so that's comforting to know. DD1 went off milk at 9 months and at the time I thought that was her telling me she wanted to stop. With hindsight, she was picking up on hormonal changes as I got my period back and went on a feeding strike, so I think I had some guilt about that as I maybe "should" have fed her for longer. But at the time I was happy to stop and she was fine, too. She always happily took bottles and formula anyway.

With DD2, it's not been a great BF relationship from the start but I definitely wanted to try and keep going until weaning happened naturally. I guess I just realised that I'm not sure what that actually looks like!

So for my part, I'll be happy to stop (though of course also already nostalgic as this is my last baby). Only reason I have been persevering is cos I wasn't sure how quickly my milk might go. If it's OK to go a day or two without feeding, that's fine with me. I just didn't want to be in a situation where I'm happy to stop, but she changes her mind after a couple of days and gets upset cos there's no more milk.

Since first writing my post, I am realising that she really is just less interested. So if she doesn't want to feed, that's OK. Some night it's that she wants to read her book first. This morning she woke up late and just wanted to go straight to breakfast cos she was hungry. So that's how we'll do it from hereon in.

Don't offer, don't refuse.

Thanks again, everyone.