Weaned for a month, then asking to nurse again?

[Novus]

DS is 22 mos old and has been fully weaned for a month now.  It wasn't fully child-led, as I did help the process along by shortening nursing sessions (I'm pregnant and it HURT!) and offering water when he asked to nurse after not nursing for a few days, but he's the one who initiated dropping nursing sessions.

The past two nights, when he's woken up in the middle of the night, he's asked to nurse.  The first night, he was just really hungry (he'd skipped dinner), so he ate a banana instead, but last night, he'd had a good dinner and didn't want anything to eat.  Is this kind of regression common after weaning?  I'm not entirely sure how to respond--I was starting to explore the idea of tandem nursing DS & Baby # 2, but since DS gave it up so easily, I'd gotten used to the idea of only having to nurse one.  He went back to sleep after a few minutes with a song and some back-patting, but I do feel bad about refusing to nurse him.  Has anyone experienced something like this & if so, how did you handle it?

[APToddlerMama]

This happened to me when DS was 19 months old.  I had mastitis about a billion times and my LC told me I had built up so much scar tissue in one breast that I may not be able to nurse another baby well on that side, so I just let it go with DS.  He was fairly easy to distract though I did feel sad.  I figured that since he had given it up in the first place, it was better than if I had just cut him off.

[maddymama]

Asking to nurse after being weaned is completely normal.  DD1 asked to nurse me over a year after she weaned (she was down to one nursing session per day of CLW, I initiated weaning out the last feeding).  Anyway, it seems to me that she would ask when she was going through a growth spurt (physical, emotional, cognitive, etc.) or when something happened in her life that was worrying her..... i.e. moving houses, new baby in the family, etc.

DD would nurse once or twice, and then drop it for a month or two, and then ask for a bit again.  I just let her.  The last time she tried to latch on, realized that she didn't remember how to nurse, and let it go. 

~maddymama

[staceychev]

Originally Posted by maddymama 

Asking to nurse after being weaned is completely normal.  DD1 asked to nurse me over a year after she weaned (she was down to one nursing session per day of CLW, I initiated weaning out the last feeding).  Anyway, it seems to me that she would ask when she was going through a growth spurt (physical, emotional, cognitive, etc.) or when something happened in her life that was worrying her..... i.e. moving houses, new baby in the family, etc.

DD would nurse once or twice, and then drop it for a month or two, and then ask for a bit again.  I just let her.  The last time she tried to latch on, realized that she didn't remember how to nurse, and let it go. 

~maddymama

This was pretty much our experience, too. I actually gave her a bit of pumped milk in a glass twice, too. The first time she loved it. The second time, she said it was gross, which made me sad. :(
 

[D_McG]

DD seemed to ask for a while. I think DS only asked for a week. I was always just kind of dismissive of it. We'd have a snuggle instead of whatever. When I was done, I was DONE. Never entertained tandeming or pumping or anything. I think it's just a learning curve. They're figuring out how life works without boobs