Wondering how old your children were when they stopped breastfeeding, at daytime or night.
I think I imagined when I had my baby that I might feed for the first year and then that would be it, finished easypeasy! I’m thinking as my son is very attached to it, that I do not want to forcefully wean, and yet at the moment, I can’t see me nursing a child much older than 18 months.
Interested in your experience and when you weaned (or how old your children are if still nursing).
Can you recommend any good books on the subject?
DD1 was 2, I led the weaning because I was pregnant and just couldn’t do the sleepless nights anymore, and she was an avid through the night feeder.
DD2 was 2 and a half, she led the weaning because I wasn’t in such a rush second time round (knowing it would be my last) and because she didn’t feed through the night so it didn’t affect my sleep,.
I think I could never imagine myself feeding a 2 yr old, or a three yr old, then a four yr old. But it just happens, and when you look down at them nursing, they still look/feel so young. *shrug* It’s normal, I never really thought much about it, they just weaned and then one day I would realise wow they have not nursed for a good long while, and that was it. I never forced it. One of the LLL favourite bits of advice when it comes to ‘weaning’ is never offer, but never refuse. That way they feel comfortable and not clingy/anxious because they are worried you’ll refuse etc.
20 months for DS2, he self weaned, and DD was 5 years and 4 months, she decided when she lost her fist milk tooth that it was time to stop ) I know that thinking you can’t imagine nursing a 2,3,4, 5 year old. They are all so different aren’t they )
Dd1 was two weeks off 12months and weaned herself. I was pregnant with dd2 and she had a bad cold, think it was a combination of the two but she flat refused any feed offered for two weeks so I stopped offering.
Dd2 was 14months, I gently pushed for weaning. She weaned in the day apart from a bedtime feed at 12 months by herself but stepped up the night feeds and we had been ttc dd3 for 9 months and thought bf might be affecting it (I conceived dd3 next month!).
Dd3 is still going strong at 9months and I’d like to get to a year and then just see what happens.
I think if I’d had the pixies more spread out I might have fed longer, but I’m proud of what I have done it’s such a personal thing, and your ideas about it evolve daily - best thing I’ve done with all of them is to take things as they come and do what feels right to me
Not stopped yet! DS I thought I’d do til 2 then see what happened and what hapened was I am now feeding a 4 year old!! DD is 2 in July and still going. But as my earlier post it seems to be doing me in…don’t want to wean though! DS said the other day when asked that he would be 8 when he weans!!!! Not bloody likely!! Sorry but I really don’t think I can go that far!
interesting thread and great to see all the differences (typinf while nursing )
Phew she’s gpt down - edited to add DS night weaned with minimal effort from me about 17 months, however have had various v unsuccessful attempts at night weaning DD, hence my tiredness!
ds 1 self weaned at 1 , and slept all night from3 weeks
dd 2 I night weaned her whilst pregant with ds2 , then I weaned her at 3 , I had had enough of tandem feeding
ds2 started sleeping at night just gone 2 and I did the don’t offer don’t refuse thing at 2 and a half when he weaned, and surprising lost the ability to latch within 10 days !
ds3 is 7 weeks and as he is my last we shall see how it goes !
DS was 2 years and 9 months and he self weaned but I think that is because my milk was drying up due to being pregnant. I never thought I would feed beyond a year when he was born but each day they are no different really from the day before so they don’t suddenly seem too big to you! We night weaned him around 2 years ish as I was knackered. DD is still feeding and was 2 in November, we just recently night weaned her but are intending on letting her self wean as long as she doesn’t return to her biting tantrums!!
C was 5y and 5m, he tandem nursed from the age of 2y 10m when H was born. H is still nursing day and night at 2y and 9m. I think I would quite like her to at least night wean right now but I can’t be doing with the whingy fits when I say no in the night. Just wish it weren’t so painful at present…..
Dd was 6 years 2 months. I think LLL is a good place to look for books on the subject.
Funny how perspectives change isn’t it?
I never dreamed of nursing past maybe 2y, and then 3 and then 4, like others on here. And then when I read September’s post I think “wow, 6y 2m!! I couldn’t have nursed that long!!” But then I guess someone who nursed until 3 would think the same about C nursing to 5y 5m…....
It is mad! I said I’d not feed til 8 like ds said but reading 6 years dosent seem that long now we’re at 4, guess its just perspective. I guess we will look back on.these years with fondness
Dd has just turned four and is still going strong - I’m 39 weeks pregnant at the moment so will be tandem feeding soon all being well. She’s only really night weaned since I’ve been pregnant as I was just getting too tired and grumpy and she normally only has milk to go to sleep and first thing in the mornings these days, although she does occasionally have a little during the day. If she’s ill or particularly upset or unsettled in the night I will give her milk if she needs it.
it’s such a personal thing, and your ideas about it evolve daily - best thing I’ve done with all of them is to take things as they come and do what feels right to me 
