So sad. I think it's the end of BFing

[nanomey]

well done for successfully feeding this long
my girls all self weaned at 11m/13m/14m - i plan on feeding baby number 4 till about then and expect he will self wean about the same age!

 

[eeyore007]

All these responses really do stike me as having resonance with one of my first replies here. Why on earth do they keep on and on about the 18 months being the earliest a baby will self wean and any earlier than that is not 'true' self weaning.

Seems we really are not alone here, so thank you so much ladies. What would I do without you lot???

 

[Lu28]

I've often wondered that too since Aisling decided to stop. I suppose there is a big difference between a baby who has had both bottles and boob regularly and basically develops a late nipple preference and decides they're just not bothered with the boob anymore when a bottle is easier. I personally wouldn't call that true self weaning because it's not really that different a small baby preferring a bottle.

But when they get past a year and milk isn't their main source of nutrition anymore, I see their decision to stop as them taking the step towards the next phase of their lives. I strongly disagree with anyone who says that babies will do this if they've been fed to a schedule, trained to sleep through the night etc etc. Sometimes a baby just decides to stop earlier because that's what they want. I've been told Aisling was just on strike but I'd love to know when these people seem to think she would have started again because after 2 weeks she still wasn't interested It started to feel that she had made her decision and I was the one forcing the situation. I'm very baby led so that felt very unnatural to me.

I'm also quite sceptical of people saying don't offer don't refuse is a method of encouraging LO to wean early. As far as I'm concerned I would always feed her when she wanted but again I followed her lead. In not constantly offering, I don't think I instigated her making a decision to stop, it was just her time.

Sorry hon, went off on my own little rant there but it's something that's been irritating me for a little while now!

 

[lucy_x]

You should be so proud of yourself!

 

[eeyore007]

Lu28 - well said. I agree absolutely. Yes we had a routine, but it was largely by following her lead. If she wanted boob in between she would crawl up to me and start trying to eat me through my top. There were never any restrictions, so people saying it's down to don't offer / don't refuse is utter rubbish. IMO!
I agree with what you say about her moving on and going to the next phase. She's getting to be a little girl now and I think on this one has made her decision.
She has chosen not to feed anymore. Not me. Therefore it is utterly, by default, self weaning.
The more I think about it I'm rather chuffed my little girl has grown up to such a state where she is confident to make such a big decision herself, and at a point where she sees it's right.
My only regret is I simply don't have enough photos. Was always a 'tomorrow' job, but missed my opportunity. Will learn from that for sure!!

Last night she was so much happier and seems to have beaten the cold. Before bed we had a story and half a carton of formula (goats milk will be bought but I'm not venturing out in the car yet as she was wonderfully sick last time she had a cold), then she went down at 7.30 and woke at 8!! Didn't even do her pre cold 6 ish wake for milk. So she's done it!!

 

[Lu28]

Once I got over my initial disappointment, I was really happy it was her decision too. I was telling my HV about hoping for a bit of sympathy and he just said how great it was that she had the confidence to make such a major decision all by herself and I should be proud of her - that really changed how I thought about it