A question for breastfeeding mums

[Hope54321]

Breastfeeding mums, did you or do you feed your LO on demand at 12 months and above?

Yes and no. At 2 he has never had any formula or cows milk but he's been at nursery since he was 12 months and obviously doesn't breastfeed there. I also night weaned.

I will feed him on demand when I am around though he tends to only ask first thing and/or at bedtime. Since he turned 2, I also discourage it on the odd occasion he asks out and about

Yes up to a point. DD is 2.9. If we're chilling out at home then it's pretty much on demand. However, if I'm really not in the mood (or she's already had loads that morning) or we're out and about I will sometimes distract her with a cuddle and a snack or a game.

No, from 12 months I offered food instead and that was usually enough. From then up to age 3 it was before sleeping and after waking up (and when ill). You can guide the routine a lot more at that age. Bfing is a partnership and it has to work for you as well. I stopped feeding outside the house, for example, because I hated planning my clothes around it.

I guess not, at that age I feed more when it suits me. I’m in work for chunks of the day so they have water/food with grandparents. I then feeds soon as I get home. I also feed when I think they need a nap, when they hurt themselves, when I forget to bring water out and about and then also when they ask. It’s a relationship in my opinion and there’s give or take on both sides

My DD self weaned at 13 months, so it was on demand but she didn’t demand it very much. Whenever we dropped feeds it was a case of her being fussy/distracted during the feed and eventually I would stop offering. If she ever needed a comfort feed I would offer but it was increasingly rare. By 13m she was just having a morning feed which she dropped naturally. I’m glad about that as I was also ready to stop by then.

With DD1 i needed her to be on solids at her Childminder’s during the day by 9 months as she refused formula and I wasn’t able to express well. She to to it really well and so fed on demand from 5pm to 9am. I think by about 13 months it was one night feed only and she didn’t resist much when I stopped those around 16mo. In fact she slept much better

No. I fed broadly to a routine once mine were in one for sleep, feeding to sleep at each nap.

DD1 stopped mid feed at ten months and never went back. DD2 is 13 months and I'm feeding her first and last thing and no more. I was doing a dream feed and occasional night feeds until quite recently but I've been back at work since she was ten months so haven't been feeding in the day since then.

Mine is almost 14 months, I feed on demand ish when I’m with her (if I’m in the middle of something she might have to wait a few minutes) but I work full time so she goes without during the day in the week.
I think a lot of her feeds are more about connection / reassurance at the moment. She’ll have a big feed when I pick her up after work and to nap at the weekends but the rest of the time just has a quick snack just to make sure I’m still there I think!
The only time I really say no is if we’re just about to have a meal.

No at this point my little one was having 3 feeds a day- morning, afternoon nap and evening. We developed a routine in the day (4 feeds) but fed on demand at night from around 4 months until baby slept through at ten months.

No. Fed to a routine from about 8 weeks onwards, so 4/5 feeds a day, whatever was needed overnight and reduced as baby got older, at 12 months just a morning and evening feed. There would hve been odd growth spurts when fed more. Guess it’s up to you but I couldn’t have coped with being a constant ‘boob’ I don’t offer lunch or dinner constantly to children didn’t see the need to offer milk all the time and quite happy to comfort child with cuddles etc. Bf to 15
Months for 2 and plan to do same for 3rd.