early weaning?

[rachieface]

I recently read an article that suggested that if your baby is not a comfort nurser, they may be likely to self-wean around 9 months. Has anyone found this to be true? My 4 month old is definitely not a comfort nurser....he will really only nurse for comfort if he is extremely tired/overstimulated.

I definitely do not want him to wean that early, so I was just wondering if anyone has heard anything similar?

[Parker'smommy]

Originally Posted by rachieface

I recently read an article that suggested that if your baby is not a comfort nurser, they may be likely to self-wean around 9 months. Has anyone found this to be true? My 4 month old is definitely not a comfort nurser....he will really only nurse for comfort if he is extremely tired/overstimulated.

I definitely do not want him to wean that early, so I was just wondering if anyone has heard anything similar?

No, I definitely don't believe that.

My first was not a comfort nurser when he was under a year and he nursed till I weaned him at 3 years old. In fact, I was pregnant for 8 of those months, and didn't have milk for 4 of them. I guess it became a comfort to him over time? Who knows.

Also, he wasn't bottlefed at all. So, why would he wean? He didn't know he had any other option for feeding, ya know? Sure, he got solids at 6 months, but it was only for experiementing and not really true nutrition until after a year. He also didn't take a pacifier.

My dd was very attatched from the beginning, but had a pacifier and went on to nurse till her 4th bday.

Your babe is still young. Try not to worry about it too much. If babe does seem to strike before you are ready to wean, come here and many of the mommas here will help you to get baby back to the breast.

[rachieface]

Thanks Heather. I'm just slightly paranoid as a first time mom. He does use a paci and occasionally takes a bottle....he likes his paci because if he feels like sucking and there's ANY milk coming out he gets mad at me!

[maddymama]

Hi mama,
I think most children would not wean themselves before age 2 or 3. I personally believe people take a nursing strike (a sudden loss of interest in nursing, sometimes due to an ear infection or nasal allergies) as a cue to wean rather then a cue to look for another source of why the child refuses to eat. Children's main nutrition comes from the mom for well over a year, so why would a child choose to loose his/her main source of nutrition? Weaning usually occurs gradually, with a reduction of feedings occuring gradually over time, not suddenly.
~maddymama

[PatioGardener]

I agree with the PPs. If a baby stops nursing at 9 months, it's a nursing strike.

Congratulations on 4 months of breastfeeding! And best wishes for many more to come.

[LadyCatherine185]

A baby who is breastfed on demand/cue, and who is offered solids in a Baby Led Weaning/Solids approach will not self-wean before 18 months-ish. Even that is early, but I have heard of it happening. Most children wean themselves at the earliest at age 2. Obviously there are nursing strikes, distracted nursers, etc, but nothing you can't work through.

Now, a baby who is spoon-fed purees from an early age, only breastfed on a schedule, and frequently offered bottles/pacis may refuse the breast in favor of the easier route to food. That would not be "self-weaning" though.

[blessedwithboys]

All of the babies I know who stopped nursing at the 9-month mark have mamas who swear they self-weaned, but really, it was a nursing strike that went unrecognized, or in the case of one friend, it was her 3rd baby and she didn't want to work to make him go back to the breast.

[ktgrok]

I will never understand this concept. If the baby isn't given a bottle, how on earth can they self wean? Most are not adept at a cup at that age, so when they get thirsty or hungry they HAVE to nurse, if they weaned they would dehydrate and/or starve!!! So how on earth can they be ready to wean???

I hear this all the time and it always confuses me.