Extednded breastfeeding

[Yammas]

hi ladies,

My lo is almost 1 year old and though he will eat little bits here and there is majoritively bf. I'm getting a lot of pressure from family to stop bf, although 1 year was my original end goal I don't really mind continuing and they get a lot of comfort from it. LO will take a cup while I'm away so that's not a concern but there is a lot of comfort nursing at times that I would like to cut down on.

Is there anything I need to know about bf a toddler vs baby?
How do I handle teeth/biting?
Is there a way to curb comfort nursing without tears?
When we do stop how do I dry up my milk without leaking?

Any advice appreciated

 

[noon_child]

Is there anything I need to know about bf a toddler vs baby?
How do I handle teeth/biting?
Is there a way to curb comfort nursing without tears?
When we do stop how do I dry up my milk without leaking?

The main difference between baby feeding and toddler feeding is I think that it is more about reconnecting, returning to safety, comfort and less about nutrition (although it is still nutritionally important especially if your LO isn't a big eater - see this from WHO "Breast-milk is also an important source of energy and nutrients in children aged 6–23 months. It can provide half or more of a child’s energy needs between the ages of 6 and 12 months, and one third of energy needs between 12 and 24 months.").

Older toddlers can display bad behaviour around anything and sometimes this includes breastfeeding - for example pulling up your top without asking or tantrumming if they can't get a feed exactly when they want it. Just like ANY toddler behaviour you need to decide what your boundaries are and how you will consistently enforce it. Some people aren't bothered by their child helping themselves, some find it mortifying - if it is unacceptable to you, you have the right to let your child know this.

Teething can make the latch uncomfortable for a while but not everyone gets bitten. Teething often causes a reduction in feeding length and can cause fussy feeding but feeding can be more frequent down to the need for comfort. If you LO bites frequently, it might be behaviour linked to stimulating a letdown. Others bite as experimentation and a "game" in which case you deal with it as you would deal with your toddler biting any part of you as a "game".

Curbing comfort feeding is a tricky one because your LO might genuinely need that comfort and breastfeeding is a great tool for this. However it is totally normal to feel that you might struggle with continuing to be his only comfort during this time. However it doesn't always work to just withdraw his access to you. Some mums jump up every time LO approaches in the hope of distracting the child, or try to avoid cuddles because it inevitably leeds to feeds, however this can make some children MORE desperate to feed as they feel their mum is withdrawing from them emotionally and they are missing out on the cuddles and closeness that bf provides. So developing OTHER comfort strategies that LO can use before you try to reduce feeding can help.

If LO reduces his feeds slowly over time you shouldn't need to do anything to dry up, it will happen quite easily. Some women do leak for up to a few months after stopping, some never leak, but the more gradual the process the less discomfort there will be when you stop altogether.