Self weaning (bf) at 1 year?!

[crystal7]

Right. Baby has just turned 1 and for the last 2 mights has refused his bedtime breastfeed. He bit me when I offered him again- hard! I have only been feeding him first and last thing since he was about 9 months. He doesn't have any bottles, sometimes I offer him a bit of cow's milk in a cup. I'm not really sure what to do, is this the start of self weaning? He had a feed this morning by the way. His sister self weaned (I assume) when she was 16 months but that was shortly after I night weaned her whereas baby hasn't been fed at night for a while. Tried to pump last night but didn't get much, just don't want there to be nothing there if he changes his mind!

Has anyone else experienced this sort of thing at a similar age? Did baby start feeding again? I was hoping to feed him as long as I did his sister...

I will add that he is a big chubby boy and I'm not worried about him wasting away if he gives up breastfeeding, it's more that I wanted to feed him a bit longer if that doesn't sound to weird/needy/selfish...

[Gooders79]

Ours did the same at about 13 mo, I was ready to stop though so was quite a relief!!

[bonacara]

My little boy stopped at 11 months. He got a cold and i guess he could not breathe, probably got frustrated and just refused the boob flat out. We were a bit lost for a week or two, but git into new routine pretty soon. I also missed the feeds, and tried to offer it a few times but he always just refused from then on. You will settle into a new routine soon, i am sure. Get lots of cuddles and kisses to make up for it!

[Ruth_Baldock]

Seb did this when he was about 11 months old, and I was baffled. Turned out I was pregnant...

[Gooders79]

I was pregnant too...

[Blueskies]

My lo self weaned at night at 12.5 months (that was her only feed at that point, we were doing cows milk in day and formula before bed) and I was also pregnant (about 12 weeks at that point). X

[Blueskies]

Oh and she also did the biting too, was excruciating!

[Pickle]

Tee hee, my son self weaned at 10 months, I was pregnant...

Something you want to share Crystal7?! ;-)

[Bouncy]

Mine also self-weaned at 10/11 months - but I definitely wasn't pregnant!! Felt rather put out by it - after all the emmotional and physical energy put into the whole thing, to suddenly be met with a total lack of interest was a bit upsetting, really! And I guess I'd always imagined that I'd be the one to decide when the last feed was. But decided eventually that, actually, it's great when they decide to wean themsleves - you're not having to force it and 'deprive' them of something they still want - and I suppose they're getting their comfort and nutrition in other ways, and just don't need it any more...

[Beagle]

At 11.5 months baby bypassed me and reached out for a bottle. Was only doing morning and night feeds, think supply was down as i was back at work and a bottle easier for her.

To be honest I was relieved, was dreading trying to wean a reluctant baby so great to have the issue resolved by her, and was definitely not pregnant!

[sunbob]

When M stopped wanting to feed, at 15 months, it took me a couple of days to realise it was actually because she had a big mouth ulcer which was making it painful for her to feed. By the time I managed to get the prescription and treat it effectively (about a week) she wasn't interested anymore. I think I would be a lot more pushy about an urgent appointment these days and spend longer trolling the local pharmacies for one with it in stock.

[blackkat]

I did baby signing with my lo and had mixed emotions when she signed her first two word sentence of 'no milk'!! It was a week before her first birthday and she'd just started nursery where she'd been given been given cow's milk in a cup and presumably realised how much quicker and easier that was?? I was hoping to feed her for a bit longer, but like bouncy said at least I didn't have to feel bad about depriving her of anything! It's not at all wierd or selfish to want to keep going, good luck whichever way it goes :)

[crystal7]

Ha ha no definitely nothing to share, Mr Crystal7 would have heart failiure! Pickle you're made of stronger stuff than me, I can only just about hold it together with 2!

I'll just see how it goes I suppose, if he doesn't want to anymore then so be it. Hard not to feel a little rejected though and yes a little bit put out! Like Beagle I've recently gone back to work, it's a bit stressful and Im not looking after myself as well as I could be, lost a bit of weight etc so that could have something to do with it plus he's probably teething.

Thanks for all the comments.