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Weaning

Find weaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Weaning forum. Use our child development calendar for more information.

Original poster

Worried about leaving breastfed 15 month old

41 replies

Poptyping123 · 29/12/2025 10:58

Hi guys, I have a 15 month old little girl who's exclusively breastfed. She comes and goes for milk whenever she pleases! So no set times or every couple of hours. I'm looking at a job just 9.5 hours a week as really needing the extra money right now, the times are 10am til 2.45pm Monday and Fridays and so id be leaving her for 5.5 hours. The longest we've gone has been 4 hours which she has been fine (with her dad). The thing that worries me is she barely eats. Like Im talking maybe half a pouch of yogurt and a bite of banana! So I'm really worrying about leaving her for this long. I know nursery will offer her food though and I can provide cows milk but she's just so use to her milk. Has anyone experienced anything similar? How was their baby being left for so long? I just worry she's going to starve! 😭 P.s i can barely pump milk so can't even send her with a cup of milk. Thank yoy

OP posts:
MiddleAgedDread · 29/12/2025 11:01

She’s 15months not 5 months, she’s a baby not a toddler! In the nicest possible you need to stop feeding on demand and stick to regular food and meal times. If she’s hungry she’ll eat.

BuffaloCauliflower · 29/12/2025 11:02

Both my kids were EBF, no pumping, no bottles ever etc. I went back to work 3 days a week with both of them at 11-12 months and they were fine. They had food and water without me and milk when they were with me. She’ll probably eat more when you’re not around smelling of milk, it’ll probably do her good.

Smartiepants79 · 29/12/2025 11:03

You’re behaving like she’s 6 months old. She’s a toddler. She doesn’t eat probably because she’s so full of milk. It’s time start feeding her les breast milk and encouraging her to eat more food.

ExperiencedTeacher · 29/12/2025 11:04

I think this is a good opportunity to get her more used to food. My DS was an absolute boob monster (he also loved food though!) but I had to return to work when he was 11 months. This really helped his daytime weaning. He carried on having morning and bedtime milk for a long time so we didn’t lose BF completely.

WonderingWanda · 29/12/2025 11:09

I went back to work work at 11 months and dd just made up for it by waking all night long and still refusing food and milk in a cup. In the end I just gave up bf totally and she started eating properly and drinking milk. I think whilst breastmilk is still very healthy it isn't really enough beyond a year and you need to get her eating more solids.

Original poster
Poptyping123 · 29/12/2025 11:53

Thank you, I know I'm probably worrying for no reason, as people have said, she will most likely start to eat more because there's no milk on offer. My son was exactly the same though, he breastfed up til he was 2 and barely ate solids. Definitely made up for it once he stopped feeding though! Thanks all

OP posts:
taIao · 29/12/2025 12:03

MiddleAgedDread · 29/12/2025 11:01

She’s 15months not 5 months, she’s a baby not a toddler! In the nicest possible you need to stop feeding on demand and stick to regular food and meal times. If she’s hungry she’ll eat.

Tell me you know nothing about breastfeeding without telling me you know nothing about breastfeeding! The whole point of BF is that you feed on demand.

That said, OP, your baby will adapt just fine - you’ll be surprised! Go for the job 😊

HappyNewTaxYear · 29/12/2025 12:04

taIao · 29/12/2025 12:03

Tell me you know nothing about breastfeeding without telling me you know nothing about breastfeeding! The whole point of BF is that you feed on demand.

That said, OP, your baby will adapt just fine - you’ll be surprised! Go for the job 😊

Show quote history

Not at 15 months though

WhatMe123 · 29/12/2025 12:05

She's not eating as she's full of milk. She needs to be weened so she eats food over milk. This should allow you more time and freedom

NerrSnerr · 29/12/2025 12:07

Both of my children were being breastfed at this age and I went back to work (30 hours per week) when they were 12 months. It was fine- at first they had loads when they got home to make up for it and then it just evened out.

Does she go out with her dad for a few hours? If not, I’d start doing that now (or you go out and leave them at home) just so she’s used to not having you there all the time.

taIao · 29/12/2025 12:30

HappyNewTaxYear · 29/12/2025 12:04

Not at 15 months though

Edited
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Yes - at 15 months and beyond. 😊

Original poster
Poptyping123 · 29/12/2025 13:21

taIao · 29/12/2025 12:03

Tell me you know nothing about breastfeeding without telling me you know nothing about breastfeeding! The whole point of BF is that you feed on demand.

That said, OP, your baby will adapt just fine - you’ll be surprised! Go for the job 😊

Show quote history

I appreciate this reply back💕 I didn't find it sightly harsh🙈

OP posts:
Original poster
Poptyping123 · 29/12/2025 13:21

Poptyping123 · 29/12/2025 13:21

I appreciate this reply back💕 I didn't find it sightly harsh🙈

Show quote history

Did! *

OP posts:
Original poster
Poptyping123 · 29/12/2025 13:23

NerrSnerr · 29/12/2025 12:07

Both of my children were being breastfed at this age and I went back to work (30 hours per week) when they were 12 months. It was fine- at first they had loads when they got home to make up for it and then it just evened out.

Does she go out with her dad for a few hours? If not, I’d start doing that now (or you go out and leave them at home) just so she’s used to not having you there all the time.

Thank you for the reply. Yes, she's stayed with her dad for 4 hours max and been absolutely fine. I think it's more the fact she doesn't eat solids, I worry she's going to be so hungry but as others have said, it may do her the world of good and encourage her to eat more 😊

OP posts:
Splendidlydidy · 29/12/2025 13:24

She actually needs more food than milk now, so see this as a positive thing. It will help her to move on with her nutrition.

You’ve done incredibly well with your breastfeeding.

MiddleAgedDread · 29/12/2025 16:11

taIao · 29/12/2025 12:03

Tell me you know nothing about breastfeeding without telling me you know nothing about breastfeeding! The whole point of BF is that you feed on demand.

That said, OP, your baby will adapt just fine - you’ll be surprised! Go for the job 😊

Show quote history

For tiny babies maybe, not a 15month old! She should be eating 3 square meals a day not demanding boobs.

taIao · 29/12/2025 22:22

MiddleAgedDread · 29/12/2025 16:11

For tiny babies maybe, not a 15month old! She should be eating 3 square meals a day not demanding boobs.

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‘Demanding’ milk - what language to describe a breastfeeding 15 month old!

Anyway, no. The whole point of breastfeeding is that it is responsive to the child. You don’t offer feeds according to a schedule or arbitrary number of feeds a day.

abathofmilkwithladydi · 29/12/2025 22:29

Stop offering milk and she will eat more solids. A 15 month old absolutely shouldn’t be existing mainly on milk.

eurochick · 30/12/2025 06:42

We had paediatric appointments until my daughter turned one as she was prem. she wasn’t particularly interested in food and preferred milk. At her 12 month appointment we were told to cut her milk to force her to start eating more food. We did and she did. This could be a good thing for your toddler as it will for her to eat more food if you are not there. At 15 months she needs to be having more than just small bits of yoghurt and fruit.

MiddleAgedDread · 30/12/2025 06:46

taIao · 29/12/2025 22:22

‘Demanding’ milk - what language to describe a breastfeeding 15 month old!

Anyway, no. The whole point of breastfeeding is that it is responsive to the child. You don’t offer feeds according to a schedule or arbitrary number of feeds a day.

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That’s exactly what a child her age is doing, demanding milk!! She’s 15 months not 5 months FFS! Most mothers are back at work by the time their children are that age so they’re all managing just fine without breast milk during the day. Look at what they do at nursery at that age……. It’s actually stunting her development to not be eating solid foods.

Ygfrhj · 30/12/2025 07:04

The whole point of weaning is that you don't have to breastfeed on demand at this age. I breast fed to 18 months but stopped feeding on demand around 11 months when she started nursery and I went back to work.

I said no when she asked, distracted her and offered food or water to get her more used to it before she started nursery. She will adapt and you can continue feeding as you like outside nursery hours.

Babyybabyyy · 30/12/2025 07:39

You need to stop feeding her so much milk. 1 year olds don’t need milk anymore. She needs regular meals as she’s nearly 1 1/2 years old! My dd started nursery at 12 months old as that’s when I returned to work.

DappledThings · 30/12/2025 07:49

taIao · 29/12/2025 12:30

Yes - at 15 months and beyond. 😊

Show quote history

By choice. I ebf on demand for 6 months then started weaning. At 7 months I started making breastfeeding scheduled not on demand. Carried on like that for another 8 months.

Bf doesn't have to continue to be on demand to be effective once you've started weaning unless you want it to.

Allswellthatendswelll · 30/12/2025 08:00

I went back to work part time when DS was 9 months did nine hour days and he had a cup of formula and solids. Breastfed until about 15 months. With DD she'll be 10 months when I go back. Hoping to feed until 18 at least.

DD is 8 months, ebf and I've left her for 5 hours and she's not needed any milk just had solids and I've fed when back.

At 15 months she can have a cup of cows milk? Or yoghurt and puree.

ffdsrgb · 30/12/2025 08:09

OP - if you wish to continue breastfeeding on demand you absolutely can. I’ve breastfed two of my children beyond a year on demand and went back to work when they were both one year old for 16 hours a week, away from them for 9-10 hours a day once commute was factored in.

They both adapted, ate more food and drank more water while apart from me. One would take cows milk, one wouldn’t. Both carried on breastfeeding on demand while I was home. To start off with they wanted to breastfeed more than normal when I got home/overnight but in time that levelled out too.

If you wish to introduce more boundaries around breastfeeding or to feed at set times you can do this too but only if you want to. Over time I have introduced mine to the idea that I won’t always say yes to a breastfeed if I am busy or just simply don’t want to. But it was a slow and gradual process that wasn’t required for me to successfully go back to work.

They were absolutely fine while I was gone, it was a case of out of sight out of mind and they didn’t even seem to think about it.

Encouraging more solids at this age wouldn’t be the worst idea though, from around age 1 ideally they would be having 3 meals plus milk. But some of them are definitely slower to get going with solids than others!