When did your baby start to wean? Did it start suddenly, slowly, cold turkey? My son is almost 8 months old and I have been breastfeeding exclusively. I am curious to know what to expect and how I am going to feel at the end. He's already cut down to about 5 feedings during the day and still a lot through the night(night snacker).
My son was nursed for the first 7 months, and then kind of suddenly he weaned himself. He is very independent and likes to do things himself. He liked being able to hold the bottle. I wished he would have nursed longer, but you just cant force such a thing. They want, what they want. Every child weans at a different time, it could range anywhere. Its whatever feels right for you and for him.
yeah my kids never weaned on their own. They would just keep nursing round the clock if I let them. With both my girls I just started weaning around a year. I started by cutting out one feeding and then if they acted hungry i would offer a sippy of milk or a snack. After about a month of just taking out feedings here and there they were totally weaned. But usually with most babies you have to start the weaning process.
My DD didn't wean til 2.5. I started leading her that direction after she turned 2. It was the right choice for us. The sessions got less and less and shorter and shorter and then they just faded away. For about the last 6-12 months it was bedtime only and then she was asking only once a week and then not at all.
I wanted to nurse my first for 2 years. He stopped nursing one day when he was 9 months, and it ended up bc I was pregnant. #2 is now 5 months, and I would like to keep him going as long as her wants. I was so sad when I stopped breastfeeding my oldest, it really took me a while to get used to him not wanting to nurse. IDK if youll feel the same way, but I was sad... But now that I have my second son, I feel a renewed joy of bonding through the breast with my baby :):)
My oldest nursed until he was 3 years old, through my pregnancy with #2 and I nursed both of them for 2 months. He cut back during my pregnancy, sometimes to only once a week. I never forced him.
My second nursed until a few months shy of his 5th birthday. He only nursed once or twice a day if at all. I found out I was pregnant with my third a few days after the last time he nursed.
My third is only 21 months old and nurses a good deal right now. I plan to let her naturally stop on her own.
As time went on they'd nurse less some days and more others. As they ate larger meals of food the family was eating they'd nurse a little less. It was very gradual.
My twins started weaning around 10 months. I noticed they were going about 4 hours in between feedings, and they flat out started dropping some. They were no longer interested in nursing at certain times of day and would rather play. I was fine with that - I had no desire to keep them feeding if they didn't want to. We finally weaned completely at 15 months, and since I did it so gradually I never had any engorgement issues.
Up until about 13-14 months - baby will go between frenzied cluster feeding during growth spurts and normal nursing.
!3-24 months, it's a hit or miss. Most are so busy learning, being active and distracted, that they make up for all the missed daytime feedings with nighttime and overnight nursing. This is normal!!
After 2, it really tapers down to maybe 3 quick sessions: usually first thing upon waking, naptimes and right before bed.
The natural weaning process is VERY gradual, like YEARS gradual. If you push them along to stop, shame them into stopping, for it or seriously encourage it - it stops at that time.
For my older 2 it was a slow, gradual process that took place from about 10-12 months old. They self-weaned. It started with going longer between feedings and replacing some nursing sessions with solids. The early morning and nighttime feedings were the last to go. I've also got a 4 month old that I'm ebf-ing.
Okay here is what they never told you...some babies have no desire to wean. As long as you're content and he is content you can continue to nurse as long as you both wish. Some babies self wean, mine were not one of them. Instead I read books like How Weaning Happens trying to figure out how to stop. The whole gradually cutting back never worked for me. I found that it took dad's intervention to help move things along around the age of 2 1/2 and 2. Some mothers wish to continue longer. No matter how long you continue you have done an awesome job and you should be proud!
