Latch Is Suddenly Very Strong at 11Months?

I only breastfed one side at a time. So I let the child feed till they came off or fell off (because they fell asleep....) Rarely did I have to break the latch unless I needed to take them off before they were done. Although my babies were either fast eaters or my milk came out fast. They were both done within 10 to 15 minutes tops! And that was a full out feed where they were good for a couple hours.... My son did have a VERY strong latch as well so sometimes even after he fell asleep I would have to break it.

I would think it's coming from you probably producing less asa she is getting older or she is going through a growth spurt and is trying to make your body produce more. If you've nursed her this long and never had pain in your breasts, you have been doing it right!!!

I proudly nursed both of our kids anywhere and everywhere. My milk dried up when our daughter was about 6 months. (I was doing daycare and she had to usually wait for me to feed her.) Our son was nursed for 18 months ON demand as I was then staying home and farming with my husband.

Could she be teething? My son's latch was always strong anyway, but it seems to have gotten stronger now (he's 14 mos.). I noticed around the time he was teething that he tried to bite me so I gave him the quick finger flick and he hasn't done it since. I wouldn't worry too much about your flow or having an incorrect latch all this time. I guess you may just have to use your finger to "unlatch" her. It could be that she's just sucking stronger because she's growing. :)

My second son has such a strong latch that I had blisters on my nipples the day he was born. I had lactation consultants look and not be able to figure that I was doing anything wrong, and to this day (he's two today!) he still has a very strong latch. I find he latches a lot harder when he's teething, and now that he's aware that being removed from the breast means he's done, he's ticked when I take him off! Both of my kids hit a point at about 9 months when I could have easily weaned--they were ready to be done. But by the time we hit 12 months, they were very very attached to nursing--and had definitely feelings about being told they were done for now! Anyway--my son even gnaws so much when he's teething that I have tooth marks around my nipple. So I would say it's even perhaps a developmental thing.

I've always had to gently pull my son away from the breast unless he fell asleep, which happened less and less frequently the older he's become. I'm guessing you've been doing it right all along and she's either suddenly realized she has the ability to make it hard to switch her or it is a teething issue or even an ear pain issue.

My son has had a few ear infections and lots of pain from teething and he tends to nurse a little more voraciously when either of those issues are affecting him. Honestly I wouldn't worry about it as long as she still seems to be getting enough to eat.

Maybe she is not done and not ready to switch sides? Maybe your flow is slower, or her appetite is increasing, so she is having to suck harder to get more at a time? I bfed all 3 of my kids and never had to break the latch with my finger (unless I had to suddenly stop nursing for some reason really quick when they weren't done yet).
S.