Self weaning in a 12 month old?

[maxmamma]

I am trying to come to terms with the possibility that my son is weaning at 12 months. It is heartbreaking as I thought we'd be happily nursing till he was older (at least 18 months and even longer). We were down to 3-5 feedings a day when I was home (for 3 days he is with a sitter when I work) - first thing in the morning, morning nap, afternoon nap, post-afternoon nap and then bedtime. He has not nursed since last thursday night and I am beginning to think this is it. He is not teething I don't think. Anyone else going through / have gone through this?

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

All you can do is offer. Does he get bottles of any kind with the sitter? If he does I would stop those and only offer the breast when you are home no cups etc then.

[TiredX2]

At 12 months, it is 99% positive that it is a nursing strike, not child-led weaning.

Can you give us a little bit better idea of your schedule, what DS is currently eating & drinking and if anything has changed recently?

[MangoMommy]

Are you near getting your period? I find my 12 mo nurses differently during that, like doesn't nurse good KWIM?

[AnnaNova]

we went through something similar when my son was 12 mo - now 16. he never stopped nursing completely, but he would not 'really' nurse. just kinda latch on and play around and not even wait for a letdown or anything. i attributed it to him turning 1 and reaching some important milestones. he started walking around that time, became more 'aware' of all the endless possibilities for fun and play, some sounds were actually coming together into mama, dada and so on, i think breastfeeding just sort of faded into background for a while... he was all about foods we ate, too.
he did return to his regular eating schedule, but i dont think he cares about it as much anymore. there are times - when i come back from work or sometimes early in the morning when he is excited to nurse, but during the day he has to be really exhausted to take it seriously. oh well, ill just take it as it goes.

[maxmamma]

thanks everyone for the responses - this really helps. To reply:

TiredX2 and MCatLvrMom2A&X - From 8 weeks till around 11 1/2 months he was getting either breastmilk directly from me when I was home (4/7 days) or was getting bottles of pumped milk when he babysitter was here. We had a really great schedule up until about a month ago when I think we may have overdone it with the sippy cups of soymilk - when my supply plummeted from pumping less at work and him sleeping through the night. it was kind of done so innocently and I had no idea that this would mean the end of breastfeeding altogether. it seemed that my son became less interested in daytime feedings and so I started carrying sippycups around instead. I really thought we would be able to continue after 12 months with just 2-4 feedings a day (mornings, nights, naps) until he was much older. He got his first teeth (all 4 at once, then another 4 at the same time) at 5 months and since then expressed interests in solids but we did not start them until about 6 1/2 months. Now, we he eats a lot of varied foods and seems to like it.

AnnaNova - did you pump to keep up your supply? Or did your baby just not really nurse and just comfort nurse after 12 months? When you say he returned to his regular eating schedule what do you mean?

MangoMommy - yes, i did/do have my period. i wish/hope it was that. this is all like a very bad dream.

[TiredX2]

Can you stop the sippy cups & bottles cold turkey? Only source of sucking needs to be at the breast for now (bmilk in a normal cup, no other milk sources). If he is nursing 3-4 times a day he needs no other milk source at this point!

Do you have the weekend off? Can you go around topless, take baths together, nurse together... to get him back attached?

Good luck!

[lilliansmom]

First let me say I am sorry I know how heartbreaking it can be for bfing relationship to end earlier then you planned. DD number 1 stopped nursing around 12 months. I was freaking out. I was at home with her 24/7 and offered the boob often. It all started at 10 1/2 months as a nursing strike from teething but after offering for 6 plus weeks (she only accepted to nursed to sleep) my supply dwindled which did not help. I tried pumping to keep up the supply but it did not. So she self weaned by having a long nursing strike or is that child led weaning... My DS is still nursing (15 months) often and shows no signs of a strike or self weaning. Not sure why DS wants to nurse for the long haul and I couldn't get DD to come back around.

Good Luck.