: What to do about a clingy 16-month-old son who is not weaned off breastfeeding? My son is about 16 months now and I've been breastfeeding him since he was born. I haven't been able to break the habit, because if I'm around

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To wean now or not is more of a parenting decision than something that can be answered objectively and definitively; but globally and biologically it is normal for a 16 month old to still be breastfed in addition to eating solid foods. (I would say that it's fairly common, if you consider the world as a whole, for babies up to 2 to nurse at least a few times a day, and biologically normal but less common for young children age 3-4).

Breastmilk is no longer a nutritional need for a baby over the age of 1, but still confers immune, nutritional, and bonding benefits, so don't have to worry that you are doing something wrong if you decide to keep going with part-time nursing (breastfeeding just when you and baby are able to be together) or if you decide to wean so that it's easier to leave the baby with others or overnight (or for any reason that makes sense to you).

A baby that is experiencing changes, like a parent going back to work, will often experience a bit of a behavior regression, and wanting to nurse more often, fussiness and clingy behavior are classic symptoms of a baby working through the stress of a change in routine.

I think the crankiness and clinging are far more likely to be related to being separated from you, and just normal behaviors for your baby's age and developmental stage, and not specifically related to or caused by to breastfeeding. If anything, this behavior will probably -increase- temporarily with weaning, as it's introducing another change that needs to be adjusted to. Either way, it will pass with time as your child gets comfortable in the new routine.