baby led weaning from breast milk... help please

[TTT]

My baby is almost 11 months and has stopped feeding in the day. He has a feed when he wakes up around 6:30 and doesn't feed now until bath time (we bath together around 6pm and he feeds in there) and another right before bed often falling asleep at the breast.

I haven't encouraged this in a way that I am aware of. He soon went down to feeding from me in the day just after nap times. Then naps reduced to.one or two a day and now he's stopped feeding after them. I offer and he turns away.

The problem is he has increased his night feeds to every two hours again. I can cope with that if that what he needs but the problem is he's feeding so much at night that his nappies are so full (pampers night time plus) that they're leaking, sometimes twice!! This obviously upsets him when he has to have a complete clothes change and sometimes he's up for an hour then. It also makes him cranky in the morning and need a nap about two hours after waking when this happens.

Any ideas?

Should I try to get him to feed from me in the day again? Not sure how though. Should I give him more water in the day? He loves water and drinks from a cup - refuses a sippy cup and wants my cup of water when I drink lol copies me.

I give him loads of cuddles - he can be quite clingy - and am sensitive to his needs for closeness like kellymom suggests. I let him lead in every aspect of his development - I haven't.pushed anything in any way except praise. I have gone back to work just one day a week and he goes to my mums which he has done since September and he loves it - he pushes me away giggling and waving.

There is a chance I could be pregnant but if so only 3/4 weeks, I wonder if he's gone off my milk in the day?

Thank you for reading.

 

[Maud]

Have you tried trying to get him back to sleep without a feed when he wakes in the night? If he naps without milk in the day then he should be capable of sleeping without it and it is unlikely that he 'needs' milk overnight from a dietary point of view if he is eating well in the day and having milk before bed. Of course it can be very hard to break the emotional need (we all know that breastfeeding is about more than just milk), but every two hours overnight must be totally exhausting for you so certainly worth giving it a try...

 

[TTT]

Thanks maud.

It is exhausting but I co sleep and go to bed when he does so I manage ok. I just get disturbed obviously and very crampy from being in bed for so long.

Its a bit of a vicious circle, I'm too tired to get out of bed and rock him plus he's over ten kilos now. If he wakes my husband gets up.

I'm pretty sure he doesn't need it for dietary purposes too as hes basically pissing it straight out. I've tried leaving him and he just rolls about and fidgets in his sleep then starts rooting. He doesn't wake.or.cry but he keeps me awake so I feed him so we can all sleep again. The only way we've managed to get him back off to sleep otherwise is for someone to sit up and have him sleep on them but then someone is missing out on sleep for 30-60 mins.

I was going too just soldier on and see if it was a phase that would pass as his body/habits adjust to no milk in the day but was worried there might be an underlying reason he's self weaning so early.

 

[Phoenix85]

Self weaning rarely happens before 2 and not before 1.
It's likely a combination of things, first, food and water during the day fills him so he has no room for milk, second, at 11 months there are too many distractions and fun things to be missed by breastfeeding.
If you want to encourage him to keep breastfeeding but reduce night feeds try offering breastfeed before food, and limit water or juice to just a couple of ounces with his meals. If you are able to express you could also try giving breastmilk in his cup or on cereal.
As for at night, maybe on the short term you could try a heavy duty cloth nappy or something to avoid leaks.
Personally I alway had issues with pampers leaking so mostly used cloth or moltex oko, occasionally huggies.

 

[TTT]

Thank you. Lots of food for thought there

 

[TTT]

Just thought id update in case anyone else reads for advice. My husband does the dressing.for bed as lo bathes with me and he was still lathering him in zinc and caster oil cream so he's stopped that and the leaks have stopped.

Iv managed.to get lo to have the odd extra feed and its made no difference in his sleep, last night was possibly the worst night ever in terms of how.long he was awake for and how much comforting he requires.

He's not upset at night so tonight if he wakes I'm going to leave him laying in bed until he requires something more as our approach is normally to get up quick and soothe him to try and.minimise his waking and attempt to get hum back.to sleep. So I think we shall try just leaving him and see what happens. See if he's old enough to fall back to sleep on his own.... I wont hold breath haha