Self weaning?

Gataloca

Gataloca

Registered User
Since my 13 month old know how to stand up by holding on different objects around the house, he is less interested in breastfeeding. He does show interest in breastfeeding, though, but usually would be very easily distracted, and would try to finish as soon as possible, so that he would explore other more interesting things.

Now he hardly empty my breasts, even when I change position. He also hates it when I use compression, and would unlatch immediately and try to go away.

Currently I am breastfeeding him 3 times a day (before bed, midnight, morning), and he is having 8 oz of expressed milk in the afternoon.

I am really struggling if I should continue pumping to keep my supply up (since he is still having expressed milk in the afternoon), or if I should take this as a sign that my baby is self weaning... If so, I think I will stop pumping and just continue giving him his 3 breastfeed a day, until he completely wean on his own....
 
At that age, it sounds like he's eating heaps! By 13 months, my older daughter was only breastfeeding twice a day and no bottles at all. Don't worry about it, just keep offering and if he's hungry he'll eat. My daughter ended up self-weaning at around 15 months but I think it was in part due to my pregnancy. When they're over 1, they don't need to be drinking as much as they were at 6 months. Sounds like your son is normal, and not even necessarily in the process of self-weaning at all!!
 
Thanks a lot, Nicole! Do you think I should continue pumping during the day? or he would get enough milk if I just breastfeed him when I am at home? Would he get enough milk? Would I have to supplement with formula if I stop pumping? .... actually one of my pump is broken, so if I continue pumping, I would probably have to buy a new one....... :-(
 
Hi Gataloca... That sounds an awful lot of milk for a one year old. Around the time they are an year old, children are supposed to reduce their milk intake (any milk - bf, cows or formula) to two feeds a day. Most of their nutrition should be coming from solids. And more than required milk interfers with that.

Around the time my son was one, we weened him from BF to cow's milk. So that can also be an option.
 
I would stop pumping and let it run it's course. My first daughter self-weaned at 15 months and before that she only nursed twice a day, once in the morning and once at bedtime.

After one year your LO can start drinking whole cow's milk and shouldn't need to switch to formula.
 
I personally would stop pumping and just breastfeed as he wants - whether it's 3 times a day or less. At that age, even just once a day is still a benefit, they don't "need" it so much. There's no need to supplement at all, even if he is weaned completely. You could just give cows milk, or dairy products, or even tofu/soy products. Formula is not necessary over 12 months old.
 
Thanks a lot gals. I was a bit worried cause according to the instructions printed on #3 formulas, a baby should have 8 oz formula 3 times a day, and my baby is definitely having less than that (actually it takes me 2 pumping session for me to get 8 oz of milk)

I am definitely going to stop pumping and replace his afternoon bottle with solid.
 
Of course formula cans are going to say that, that way they drink more and the company gets more money ;)

My 12 month old currently is having on average 2-3 bottles a day. She has about 6 oz each bottle. I give her formula in the morning (I WOULD be giving her cows milk but she's allergic so she needs soy, I MAY replace the formula with fresh, unsweetened soy milk but I haven't done so yet. I want to research a bit more before I decide) and breast milk in the evening. She sometimes has more formula throughout the night, but I generally only make up 4oz for those feedings rather than the full 6oz. During the day, she eats whenever she is hungry and she drinks water.
 
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miran said:
Around the time they are an year old, children are supposed to reduce their milk intake (any milk - bf, cows or formula) to two feeds a day. Most of their nutrition should be coming from solids. And more than required milk interfers with that.

Around the time my son was one, we weened him from BF to cow's milk. So that can also be an option.
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Not really. There's no age at which a BF child is "supposed" to reduce their milk intake. They reduce as they want/need, and it depends on the child. At 13 months my son was only eating one meal of solids a day and a couple of snacks, and nursing between 5-8x a day. Most of his nutrition came from BFing until he was about 18 months old, and then it was probably 50/50.

Personally I would keep providing the bottle of expressed milk as long as he takes it.

There's no reason for formula or any other type of milk.
 
Koan - had more than one paed's advice on this. so i would rather take their word. it's nothing to do with BF / formula or any other type of milk. it's just part of growing up - and yes each child has his / her own rate and needs. to each their own :)
 
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