My daughter just turned 13 months and I was wondering how often children nurse at this age. For as long as I can remember she would nurse every two hours. But for the past week she has only nursed 3 or 4 times a day. Is that normal for this age or is she trying to self wean?
Thank you ladies! That makes me feel better. I've been going back and forth about weaning her completely, but since she's cut back so much I think I can stick with it a little longer. :)
Every kid, is different.
Both my kids self-weaned.
They were both different in frequency and in time-line and age, in which they did it.
I went back to work, so by that age it was morning and dinner, once in a while over night.
Once they started solid foods the intake went down. So I would say that it is not unusual.
Many older babies start to cut back on nursing around this time as they increase the amount of solid foods and other liquids they take in - but continue to nurse 3-4 times per day for many more months. So I think this is normal, and probably not weaning, just diversifying :)
My kids nursed 4 - 5 times per day at that age. First thing in the morning, before morning nap, once or twice in the afternoon (before and/or after nap) and once right before bed. I think 3 - 4 times a day is plenty for a baby over a year old.
My daughter started weening herself around one. I would nurse morning, nap time and evening but she started to not be interested at nap time and it went from there. She was done by 14 months old. When they are not interested, then just go with it. Just make sure she is getting all the nutrition she needs from solid foods.
She may be self weaning. My son did right before his first birthday. Starting at around ten months he would only nurse in the morning and at night, sometimes when I picked him up from daycare. Then one day he just refused. I wasn't going to force it and he got a full year so I was pleased.
She is eating more solids etc and may prefer that to the breast. I wouldn't worry about it.
My kids all nursed a lot at 13 months, but 3 or 4 times a day is certainly in the range of normal. Just be aware she may nurse a lot more some days, and not as much on others. Don't be afraid to offer to nurse when you know she needs to, and don't worry if she skips a usual nursing time one day and wants to nurse then the next day.
I found the book "Mothering Your Nursing Toddler" by Norma Jean Bumgarner very helpful and encouraging. Much more useful information than some of these posters who have no clue about nursing past the newborn stage, or somehow think that nursing is just like a bottle!
As often as she wants, but no more. It sounds like she's recognizing that she's now getting more nutrition from solids and is cutting back on nursing accordingly.
What a smart little girl!
I nursed my last baby every two hours night and day for at least the first year. She was just like that. After the first year you put three meals a day in front of them but I still nursed whenever she wanted and weaned her at 2 yrs old. I knew she was my last baby so I just enjoyed it and did not rush through. Do what feels right for you and your baby.
Nursing every two hours is very normal for babies fed on demand. I've attended many LLL meetings and spoken to many mothers over the years. There is a wide range of normal. As long as it works for both of you I wouldn't be concerned.
My son actually nursed more often than that up until about 14 months when he cut back during the day. He is now almost 17 months old and typically nurses when he wakes, before and sometimes after each of his two naps, and before bed. Sometimes he asks for more. It depends on the day. He still wakes between 1-3 times a night to nurse. He drinks approximately 12-15 oz of water each day as well.
I doubt your daughter is self-weaning at her age. It is very common for a toddler to cut back and only nurse 2-3 times a day for months. The majority of children do not wean on their own until much older.
Every two hours for thirteen months, I would have been in the home. Holy cow. How did you even do anything. At this point, morning and then nighttime seems like enough. I would not call four times a day weaning herself.
Around then, I was nursing my DD when she woke up, before her solid meals, and before she went to sleep for naps or bedtime. I also went "on demand," but she never really demanded more than that. Lol.
When she was around 15 months, she started losing interest in the nursing sessions before meals (she knew 'real' food was coming. Lol.) until she was only nursing in the morning and before sleeping... Then she dropped her morning session, then the nap ones, then finally her bedtime one until she had fully weaned herself at 17 months.
ETA: I just want to point out that there is absolutely NO NEED to rush weaning. It has been proven that nursing until the age of 2 still provides significant nutritional and health benefits, for mother and child. If it is right for you to wean, by all means do so... But don't so it because people tell you that "by is age she should be done." Because that is just outdated info.
By that age my kids were being nursed only in the morning when they first wrote up and right before bed. Sippy cups of water, juice and milk during the day. She is way too old for every 2 hours how do you get her to eat solid foods?
My 3 month old nurses 4 times daily, but he sleeps from 9p-10a and weighs 16 lbs. My older two were on the same schedule until they self-weaned at 12 months.
It's great that she's cut back and is learning to drink when actually hungry or thirsty instead of snacking.
By the time my boys were nine months they nursed at breakfast, lunch, dinner and bedtime. They nursed on that schedule until they weaned at 12 months.
Both my babies weaned between 13 and 14 months. It was right for us as a pair, me and each baby had equal input, not all me, not all them. At 13 months my babies nursed 1st thing in the morning and at bedtime. They had sippy cups of cows milk and water with meals and snacks during the day. Their solid food diets matched mine and my husband's by 12 months.
Seriously?
So each time she got a tiny bit thirsty you nursed her? That's dedication. She would have been getting juice (Total of 4 ounces per day only) and water in tippy cups by now and down to nursing only a couple of times per day. Maybe sometime in the morning/early afternoon then late in the evening.
At this age I'd expect it to be for comfort and not nutrition in any way. She should be getting all her nutritional needs from her food now.
Every two hours for a 13 month old? Oh my goodness you must be tired :)
Once they start eating more solids their need for constant nursing should go down. 3 or 4 times a day sounds like plenty. At that age mine were weened and off the bottle, drinking just a couple of sippy cups of milk a day. Just go off what feels right, and if he is weening then that is his choice, but if not then just keep seeing how often he feels he need it and go from there.
By that age, all 3 of my daughters nursed about 4 times per day - waking, going down for a nap, waking again, going to sleep - and mostly just for comfort. As long as she's eating normally, this sounds pretty normal. There comes a point when the world is more interesting and stimulating than nursing :)
