Is she about to wean?

Around Christmas time, I stopped offering boobies to DD and just let her ask for them instead. It's all been going well, she was down to 2 a day (first thing and after dinner). Since I stopped offering, she goes through stages. Will not have any for about 5 days, then will have both feeds for 2 days.

She really has a strong association with me getting her up in the mornings and having some. If DH gets her up, she doesn't tend to be interested, but if I do it, she is clawing at my top and if we don't move immediately from the cot to the couch there is screaming. Won't even let me take her sleeping bag off her. I try to distract her a bit as I don't think she is particularly after the feed, it is more an association thing. Not having much success with that either.

Also, whenever I end the feed (I tend to let her go about 10 min, if I didn't she would be on there for more than 20 minutes) we also have a tantrum. Last night she went running across to DH, crying and pointing at me accusingly because I covered them up! She swops sides constantly, comes off, looks around, and I'm just getting a little bit over it (especially the groping of the other side!!).

I'd like her to wean herself, but I am starting to wonder when it's going to happen seeing as she can go days without it. And I'm sure the poor bb's are getting pretty confused!!

She was still doing 5 feeds a day until 11 months at which stage I weaned her from the daytime ones as I was about to go back to work. That all went fine.

Any ideas - is she about to wean? Does your toddler do a similar thing?

Cally, Missy E did the on-off, swap sides, muck around thing for a few weeks before I stopped offering. I started getting a warm milk in a sippy cup ready before I sat down with her. When the on-off started, I'd pop my boob away and offer the sippy cup. She was cranky the first couple of times until she realised that the cup was by far the more reliable drink source (my supply was getting pretty patchy by this stage). Since then she pats me every so often but is happy to have the milk drink and a cuddle at the same time. I was feeling ready to wean altogether so it did take some assertive action by myself. I have no doubt we would still be having on-off mucking around (and no solid feeding) still if I'd let her keep going. HTH

Thanks MD.

K loves her milk, but she tends to have it cold - she was never interested in it when I warmed it up. Might try warming it up and see if she is more interested in that than in me!

Just wanted to say good luck Cally.

Cally, it sounds like she's probably getting frustrated because your supply is affected, plus, toddlers like to control small things if they can!

Try having her favourite toys out where she can see them when you sit down. The distraction might help to shorten the bfs and if she really isn't interested then it might grab her. Also, if you play with her for a few minutes she is still getting your undivided attention (which is probably what she's after as much as the bf).

Well done for such a great job bfing her for so long!!