when do they typically self-wean?

[psophia17]

First off - I don't think arguing about when a baby starts being less interested in the breast is going to help anyone out...

That said, DS is still being breastfed at 8 months, but since he started paying attention to what my husband and I (and anyone else in the vicinity with a plate or bowl or cup) were consuming, he's more interested in that and it makes sense to me that if he's that interested in other stuff, that's the time to introduce it to him and see if he likes it or not. So far, the only things he hasn't liked were straight green beans and broccoli, although mixed with other stuff he was okay with them.

Also, at 6 months, we made a 3000 mile across country move, and although he was still nursed regularly, it wasn't as regular because we had so much running around to do beforehand. However, on days when there was time, he nursed often and well, and when there wasn't time, he nursed only a little (thankfully he LOVES the cup and whatever is in it), and my supply was never bothered.

I plan to nurse until he's at least a year, so another 5 months left, and if he wants it I'll nurse often, and if he's not interested so long as he's eating and drinking other things well, I'm not worried about it.

Just keep nursing, and as long as your baby is interested at least some of the time (morning and night are big ones) you shouldn't have a problem with your supply at all, and you'll get both the physical and emotional benefits, both for you and your baby.

Good luck,
Petra

DS - Nathan, 12/29/03

[llcoddington]

Lauren is about the same age as your daughter and we are going through the same thing. Very uninterested in nursing during the day; very interested in nursing at night. Not very easy on DH and me!

I too have been concerned about my supply but so far it seems ok.

I am planning to nurse to a year, so I hope to make it that far.

I have a very good friend who just about fought with her 10 month old to get him to nurse. They made it to a year but it was a struggle. She now has her second child and says that if the same thing happens, she will wean earlier than a year. And, she is the biggest advocate of breastfeeding that I know. (Well, in real life that is!)

Lana
mommy to Lauren 12/5/03

[sntm]

Oh, I agree with you with regards to Colin, but I think a 19 month old is very different than an under 12 month old.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
shannon
not-even-pregnant-yet-overachiever
trying-to-conceive :)
PREGNANT! EDD 6/9/03
mama to Jack 6/6/03
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_gold_12m.gif[/img][/url]
Breastfeeding 14 months and counting

[sntm]

I think Mrs Flagger did a terrific job of making it to 9 months despite supply issues and she should be commended, praised, lauded for her dedication.

I also think that her supply issues may have had something to do with Cocoa refusing the breast.

I will always encourage women to continue breastfeeding, because it is more than just a personal choice but a medical choice that affects their health and the health of their child. I am also glad that formula exists for those who need it, though I think in general it is overused.

But, I have never and will never try to make anyone feel guilty when despite their best efforts, they stop breastfeeding. I provide support, offer what factual/evidence-based information is out there, and correct misconceptions. What people do with the information is their own perogative. If they learn something that in retrospect causes them to regret something that they did or did not do, they have my sympathy for their feelings in that regret and my support and advice in any changes they would wish to make with their behavior for the future. If they don't regret any past decisions, then terrific -- that means they made good decisions based on the available information.

JMOs.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
shannon
not-even-pregnant-yet-overachiever
trying-to-conceive :)
PREGNANT! EDD 6/9/03
mama to Jack 6/6/03
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_gold_12m.gif[/img][/url]
Breastfeeding 14 months and counting

[Imperia]

Thank you for writing this all out and going more in depth than I did.

I probably should have mentioned the nursing strike angle, which seems to be very common with 9-10 months old babies!

I did not mean to stir up any contraversary, I simply wanted to reassure the OP that it most likely was not self weaning.

Again thank you you said it much better that I could have!

Imperia

[stillplayswithbarbies]

> Cocoa refused the breast when
>repeatedly offered it. She self-weaned by your own
>definition.

Please read my posts on this subject again. You are not understanding what I said. Or else you are deliberately taking one section of my post out of context and ignoring the rest. By my definition she did not self wean.

In my opinion, what happened with your baby was not self weaning. If it makes you feel better to call it that, that's fine. But calling it so does not make it so. I don't want other mothers who are faced with the same situation to get the idea that that is how it has to be when their baby goes on a nursing strike at 9 months.

You don't have to tell me how difficult it is to pump milk for a breastfed baby when you work outside of the home full time plus go on business trips away from home. I know it's difficult, I did it for 14 months and I have never said it's easy. Had my baby stopped nursing during all of that, I wouldn't have called it weaning, I would have looked up information about nursing strikes and waited it out while doing everything I could to get her back to the breast and then resumed nursing.

Anyone who breastfeeds their baby for any length of time should be proud to do so. It's funny because I wish that wasn't the case. I wish that breastfeeding were so common that it wasn't considered laudable at all and that it was just what people do. Like, changing diapers. No one gives medals for changing diapers for three years, it's just what needs done and people do it. I wish breastfeeding were that common and prosaic that people just did it without a thought and without all the drama. Perhaps one day we will be in that situation in this society. I can dream. :)

...Karen
DS Jake Feb 91, DD Logan Mar 03
http://members.aol.com/khowe14494/superpower.gif http://members.aol.com/khowe14494/bo...breastfed2.gif

[flagger]

You can call it semantics all you like, but I did go back and read your post. I don't know what you call child-led weaning anything other than self-weaning.

I want other mothers to get the idea that self/child weaning whatever you want to label it is not abnormal to happen at nine months as we experienced it in our own home. Information by non-professionals and non-doctors is just that, the opinion of one person. IMO it is far more advantageous to all parties to go on gut instinct instead of relying on online sources.

Back to the original poster, may you have success with whatever you choose. You mentioned that you are not ready to stop and that is fine. I wish you success in continuing the relationship you have begun. In some cases when the child is ready to wean, it is ok to stop as there are very safe and nutritional alternatives to breastmilk avaiable.

[lisams]

Totally off topic, but for the life of me I can't figure this out - what does the little camoflauge flag attached to the bottle mean? I thought I'd ask here since we're on the topic of feeding, LOL!

Lisa

[flagger]

It means we have finally, completely and successfully weaned from or dropped the bottle. A big developmental milestone IOHO and worthy of recognition.

[lisams]

Yayyyy!