Self weaning off breast? Advice please

[happy-chick]

Ellie is definately self weaning & shes totally loosing interest in breastfeeding on the whole. Over the past few months she has gradually dropped several feeds so that we were left with morning/bedtime feeding. Then over the past month shes really lost interest in the bedtime feed, she will happily stay there for a few mins but then after that she decides she doesnt want to feed and wriggles until she's put down/gets down, I offer several times but shes just doesnt seem interested. Its getting to a point where its feeling like a task to get her to have a breastfeed in the evening & I dont want it to feel like that . She still LOVES her morning feed and feeds for a good while then so we dont have any problems there.

I always imagined that i'd encourage her to self wean as i wanted to stop but it seems shes doing it all on her own & i'm so happy about that! I'm gunna miss breastfeeding soooo much and I honestly cant imagine life without 'boob' but i'm also looking forward to having my body back for a bit!

When Ellie is tired and wants to go to bed she picks up her pillow (comforter) and takes it to the baby gate ready to be taken to bed so its as though she doesnt really mind not having boob. I'm wondering when I should stop offering the bedtime boob? Should I stop offering it & just give it her if she asks or should I continue offering every night? Is it realistic for my supply to be ok to continue with morning feed alone?

Any input would be appreciated, especially that from mums who's babies have self weaned

Thanks! x

 

[beanie]

one morning she didn't want a feed, then wanted one the next day, then stopped again - eventually she stopped and never wanted it again. Whilst I was relieved because of the uncomfortableness, and was very prouid as she had chosen herself when to stop I was also a bit sad as well as it was the end of something that I was very proud of and something that both me and my daughter got a lot of phappiness from doing.

 

[happy-chick]

Thanks for your reply Beanie, its made me feel alot less daft cos i feel so emotional about it all

What age was Seren? I think Ellie is quite young to be weaning isnt she?

It feels right to stop offering it to Ellie in the evening I think & only give if she asks, she asks in the morning still but never in the evening which is what has made me feel like shes lost interest. Its started to become a task rather than something we enjoy and i definately dont want it to feel like that.

I always said I wanted to stop at 12 months but at around 12 months she seemed to being doing it herself so have left her to it. Im so glad its been her choice & not mine, I feel alot happier that i've not 'taken it away' iykwim. Im so proud we've got this far as I never expected to! Im also pretty emotional at the thought of never breastfeeding her again, its been a huge part of my everyday life for 13 months so its strange thinking it wont be soon enough. I spose all what im feeling is normal though

Thanks for advice

 

[beanie]

What you are feeling is totally normal, its like the end of one stage and the start of another - you are happy but sad at the same time. you did a great job hun

 

[Melly+2]

Well done jo you have done so well to have done bf for so long, your a credit to your little girl for that

 

[valentine]

What you are feeling is totally normal honey, I don't know if you remember my over-emotional 'the end....' thread when my DD self weaned at a few days short of a year. The things you have on your side is that you've reached your target (so to speak, of a year) and you are quite prepared for it. It doesn't mean its any less sad though and I do understand exactly how you feel.

I don't really have any advice about the offering/asking thing or the supply problem as my DD weaned from 2/3 feeds a day to none - one day was normal, the next day she just point blank refused. If I was you though, I'd be tempted to keep the happy morning feed and only give her the evening feed if she asks for it.

You have done brilliantly and I am very proud of you and Ellie!

Valentine Xxx

 

[happy-chick]

Thanks girls, I started filling up reading your posts so over emotional at the moment lol!
I'm going to let her lead now and let her have an evening feed if she asks but not worry if she doesnt, just concentrate on the morning feed now. I watched her feed this morning and felt so sad but so very proud at the same time, my little baby girl is growing up & becoming independant!
I'll be back to update xx

 

[Laur_250]

I agree, you've done amazingly well to get this far and its great you can end on a high making it past 12 months and allowing her to make the decision. Well done again xx

 

[Bloom]

Hiya Jo you have done a great job to get this far

I posted this last week viewtopic.php?f=55&t=111761 but got hardly any response but i really feel like dd is self weaning she has no interest in the boob and only asks for it in the night if she wakes up which i think is more comfort. I have managed fine with just the morning feed. Shes only 10 months so surely shes too young. Sorry im hijacking your thread only one person replied to mine but i know how you feel, im really hoping to drag it out to a year if i can.

 

[happy-chick]

Hiya Jo you have done a great job to get this far

I posted this last week viewtopic.php?f=55&t=111761 but got hardly any response but i really feel like dd is self weaning she has no interest in the boob and only asks for it in the night if she wakes up which i think is more comfort. I have managed fine with just the morning feed. Shes only 10 months so surely shes too young. Sorry im hijacking your thread only one person replied to mine but i know how you feel, im really hoping to drag it out to a year if i can.

Aww sorry u got hardly any replies hun

Is your DD at a milestone age, like waking or anything cos i've read that stuff like that can temporarily make them loose interest? If not then maybe she is weaning off herself, all babies vary i spose. Its good to hear that you've been ok with just the morning feed, hopefully I will too Its a pretty emotional time isnt it, its kind of a sign that our babies are growing up & getting independant & although that makes us VERY proud it also makes us a little sad too so its a mixture of emotions, for me anyway.

I hope you manage to get to a year if thats your target but also dont feel too upset if you dont cos you've done amazingly & if your daughter feels shes ready to face the world without boobie then you should be very proud Good luck hun xx

 

[Jen & Her Men]

Well missus you know i cant offer you any advice as your the experienced one out of the two of us! But I just wanted to tell you how proud I am of you and that you really are my role model and inspiration for the imminent boobage feeding of Oliver!

Ellie is a credit to you and you should feel so proud of your achievement. Well done hun

 

[valentine]

Hiya Jo you have done a great job to get this far

I posted this last week viewtopic.php?f=55&t=111761 but got hardly any response but i really feel like dd is self weaning she has no interest in the boob and only asks for it in the night if she wakes up which i think is more comfort. I have managed fine with just the morning feed. Shes only 10 months so surely shes too young. Sorry im hijacking your thread only one person replied to mine but i know how you feel, im really hoping to drag it out to a year if i can.

Aw so sorry I missed your post Bloom - I haven't been on much recently.

h_c has given some excellent advice, I hope its working well for you with just one feed a day. Are you supplementing other missed feeds with formula?

I hope you manage a year if that's your target. If not, then remember what we said when you were talking about weaning her at Christmas time at around 9 months - at least this way she's asserting her independence and deciding for herself when is right to stop.

Valentine Xxx

 

[Nicky_Jones]

Our Ellie dropped to just the night time feed at a very similar age (maybe a bit older). However she then carried on with just that one feed until she was 20months. At that point we went a week or so, when she just took a few sucks and that was it. So I waited for her to ask, and she didn't, I was so suprised when I put her down and she went down happily. It was about 1 week later that she actually asked for a night time feed but I said no, as I didn't think there were would be anything there for her. She wasn't upset by me saying no. You have done really well, and just keep following her lead.

 

[happy-chick]

Thank you everyone! She's gone to bed tonight quite happily without a breastfeed, she didnt ask so I didnt give. It feels weird that I havent fed her though, it was a big part of our routine and its now suddenly changed. Just thought i'd update x

 

[keli]

xx ... and for getting so far.

 

[Charlie:-)]

Wow Jo you have done an amazing job on feeding Ellie and rightly so that you should feel proud but at the same time I understand how upsetting it must be for you. Im glad she settled last night for you. Its quite normal for babies to self wean anywhere from 9 months to 2 years, but generally boys tend to self wean earlier than girls. Saying that theres a lady on my breastfeeding peer support training who's daughter self weaned at 9 months and she was devastated. Its nice that you can still have your morning cuddles and I think your supply should hold out for that one feed, one of my friends feeds her daughter on a morning only and has been doing for a good few months now so it is possible. Well done Jo for getting this far, you've done so well.