So you’re committed to breastfeeding your little one, but you’re still in the throes of full-time breastfeeding and wondering if you’ll ever get your body back. Perhaps you have decided to let your baby self-wean, but you are not sure how it is going to play out in everyday life. Part of you is afraid your baby will never give up her “nanas” (or whatever your little one calls them). That’s one of the main reasons many moms decide to wean at a certain age. Not having a concrete end in sight is hard for some moms. For others, weaning is a sad thought and they are happy to give milk as long as it is wanted from baby. Is there a right way or a wrong way? I do not think so. But, if you are leaning towards self-weaning, I can tell you about my experience in hopes that it will put your mind at ease.
My son is 17 months old and from the very beginning, we have followed an on-demand feeding schedule. It has worked out well for our lifestyle, and since I do not work outside of the home, it is extremely convenient for me. I exclusively breastfed until my son was about 8 months old. He continued to breastfeed full time (along with his solid foods) until about 15 months, at which point he began dropping feedings on his own at random intervals.
The first one to go was the bedtime feeding. I had honestly expected this to be the most difficult transition, but as he moved into his toddler bed and began a new bedtime ritual to go with it, the feedings fell by the wayside. I hardly even noticed until some time went by and I realized I had not nursed him before bed for a week.
As he got busier and busier, playing and discovering new things around the house, many of the daytime feedings were abruptly abandoned. He simply stopped approaching me and often went for his sippy cup instead if given the option.
Currently the only feeding he consistently asks for is his morning nursing session, which I relish and resist giving up any time soon. He is very sweet and quiet in the mornings instead of the adorable little tornado he becomes after breakfast. I love both aspects of his personality, but I know those cuddle sessions are going to get farther and farther apart once he weans altogether.
I was always apprehensive about initiating the weaning schedule on my own, and I am glad that I decided to let my son self-wean. It is going really well and it is far from stressful for either of us. I have not experienced any engorgement as my supply slowly diminishes and his feelings are not hurt from me refusing to nurse him when he wants it. Another question I always get about nursing a toddler: does it hurt (because he has a mouth full of teeth)? The answer to that is, “not at all,” with one exception: if he is too hyper during an afternoon feeding and is trying to climb on my lap and look around while latched on, it’s uncomfortable. That is when I say, “okay, all done,” and remove him from my lap. Sometimes he pitches a fit, but he always moves on to something else pretty quickly. That is the perfect time to offer a sippy cup instead.