Breastfeeding agitation at 16months

[Sarah Lou 80]

I've started experiencing agitation when feeding my 16 month old Even the thought of feeding her is bothering me. I get such a weird feeling that I can't explain but it makes my feet feel uncomfortable and wriggly! It's like a skin crawling feeling.

It's making me a bit blue and a bit anxious. Has anyone got any advice about this? I don't want to stop feeding her although I know I don't want to feed her when she's 2 (I don't think I do anyway!)

I wasn't expecting this as I thought it was something that happened if you were pregnant and bfing, which I'm not.

I mentioned it to OH and he said perhaps I should see it as a sign to stop feeding? I dont want to stop and certainly not because of this as it would seem like a negative end to our breastfeeding journey.

Is there anything I can do or is it just a case of riding it out? Will it just stop or is it likely to always be a thing now?

 

[redneckhippy]

I had the same thing around the same time. My son was nursing a lot less as he had become really enthusiastic about solids and when he would nurse I would often get that agitated feeling you described. For us I felt like we were at a natural weaning time then, so I never refused but I didn't offer nursing either. Over several weeks he would ask less and less and then very easily weaned. I never got engorged and he never cried or seemed bothered by weaning. It was a very positive experience.

 

[staralfur]

I started experiencing nursing aversion when my LO was about 2 and went on to nurse her for another year.

For me the key was cutting out night feeds as that's when I experienced the aversion the worst, and eventually cutting down to only specific times a day. If I knew I'd be nursing her before nap and bedtime it wasn't as bad, but if I was nursing on demand and didn't know when/how often I'd be feeding at any given point it made the aversion almost unbearable.

How often is she feeding/are you feeding on demand? Perhaps cutting out even one feed or adding some structure might help like it did for me.

 

[Sarah Lou 80]

I started experiencing nursing aversion when my LO was about 2 and went on to nurse her for another year.

For me the key was cutting out night feeds as that's when I experienced the aversion the worst, and eventually cutting down to only specific times a day. If I knew I'd be nursing her before nap and bedtime it wasn't as bad, but if I was nursing on demand and didn't know when/how often I'd be feeding at any given point it made the aversion almost unbearable.

How often is she feeding/are you feeding on demand? Perhaps cutting out even one feed or adding some structure might help like it did for me.

This makes sense as I feed on demand and she's been so clingy lately with illness and teething. The night feeds are OK as she's pretty much cut those out.

I think I need to try and add structure for sure. Not sure how as I try distracting her or offering water and/or a snack and she tugs away at my top! I need to firm up a bit I guess!!