Will any baby self wean from the boob?

[MamaMilkMachine]

Hi everyone, my LO is 1 in a couple of weeks and still absolutely loves the boob.... for comfort and for food. It's my magic tool and it's the only thing that gets her to sleep for me. I'm starting to wonder if I'm going to have to take it off her or if she will wean off it by herself. She eats solids well but we do BLW and she won't be fed by me so I have no control over the amount that goes in. She has point blank refused formula and won't even have breast milk from anywhere other than the boob. I've just returned to work and she's fine without it when I'm not there but when I'm with her she will actually pull my top down and help herself I don't think she's too old for breastfeeding but I do get funny looks when I tel people I'm still doing it. I guess what I want to know is does anyone have any success stories of LO self weaning from the boob or stopping it without upset and tears?

I weaned both of mine around 11 months, just reduced gradually and gave a bottle instead, neither of them were bothered in the end - though I didn’t really do the feed for comfort thing, I always tried to comfort by cuddling etc first and only fed when hungry or as a last resort.

My youngest self weaned around 11 months she just wasn't interested anymore! I was quite she just wasn't fussed about milk, neither was my eldest who weaned herself off milk/bottles around the same age!

If you actually feed her to sleep I can't see her being keen to give it up though!

Mine didn’t self wean but weaned with very little effort from me. She was 16 months and down to morning and bedtime feeds, taking cows milk in a cup when I was at work. I offered a cup of milk instead of breast in the morning and she happily took it. Waited 2 weeks then offered a cup at bedtime instead of breast. She never asked to BF again!

I would say what helped was that my supply dipped during my period. If you do it at that time the baby might naturally just prefer not to nurse.

Thanks for your replies, they all sound positive but nothing like my daughter. Maybe in the next few months she will accept cows milk but at the minute refuses that and formula entirely and also refuses breast milk from any device that's not my breast she also refused a dummy so there's nothing else for comfort. I think I will start by stopping day time feeds and only allowing breastfeeding in the morning and at night see how we go. I don't suppose there's any point in introducing a bottle at this age. I am willing to breastfeed at night up until around 18 months / 2 years so I have some time yet.

@AssassinatedBeauty thanks for that link I like kellymom website and that was a good read

My first self weaned at 12 months, went from mammoth feeder to absolutely no interest in a flash. Didn’t ever take expressed / any kind of bottle. Wouldn’t drink cows milk but accepted follow on formula in a cup, or water. My second fed til a little over 2 and had to be persuaded to stop but it wasn’t too difficult. DC2 drank everything, cows milk, follow on, water, in a bottle, cup or anything else, so totally not fussy but still preferred the boob to any of it.

Mine were bottle refusing self weaners. One at 15 months one at about 2. Just lost interest and it was all very untraumatic all round. Bed time was the last to go so try not to worry :)

My DD aged five and a half still occasionally breastfeeds, maybe once a month now. I went for the don't offer unless she asks, she was a horror and always lifted tops but by 27 months only did it in private. Apparently the milk is still there. I don't mind it went on for so long, and asked her about it apparently she did it when she was thirsty so better to offer a drink first and also because it was relaxing and the milk is delicious. She is a very healthy child.

I had to actively wean mine between 3 and 4 as I reached my limit. Never offer, never refuse was a disaster and though I limited to bedtime only, neither child wanted to stop.

I would introduce a specific blanket or cuddly toy (machine washable!) that is always cuddled when you feed her and hopefully she may come to use it as a comforter.

My daughter was bottle refusing and fed to sleep night and day. I spent a lot of time worrying about how to wean.
One day just shy of 18m she stopped asking for a breastfeed and happily took a sippy cup of cows milk, that was that!

IME it varies considerably.

DS loved solid food and dropped milk feeds himself in favour of solids quite quickly, so by about 9 months he was on three meals a day, plus 2/3 breastfeeds. By 12 months, he only fed morning and night - again let by him, and he self weaned at 14 months old.

OTOH, DD was completely disinterested in BLW at 6 months and continues to peck on tiny amounts of food and vv regular breastfeeds. When I returned to work at 1yr, she refused milk from any other source, continued to eat small amounts and then fed all night long. By 18 months, I was exhausted because she was so demanding whenever I was there and she fed all night long, so I weaned her at 20 months. She's 5 now and still v clingy, we joke that she'd still be feeding given the chance.

I would have liked to have fed her for longer, but I had to start having regular overnights away for work and I thought it would be less confusing for her if I weaned her.

Thanks everyone for your replies. I'm glad there isn't any traumatic stories I hope LO just decides to stop around 18 months or so. Don't want to take it away when she still wants it and cause upset but I'm also very tired 💤 and hoping that the end of breastfeeding will mean she will sleep through the night (one can only hope) as I haven't had more than 4 hours unbroken sleep since I was about 4 months pregnant.

You can force her to cut down without completely weaning her. Like just morning and bedtime milk. Although she isnt even one yet so tbh I would still be feeding more or less on demand.

My dd self weaned at 22 months because if given birth. She said it was disgusting. My ds was so difficult to stop. He was 2 and a half. I did consider having another baby to see if he thought colostrum was disgusting too.

If youre being made to feel uncomfortable telling people youre bfing, dont tell them.