Should I just let my toddler self wean?

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Toddler is now 2 and showing no signs of wanting to give up breastfeeding. I have no idea how to stop. He will only go to sleep whilst feeding.

I've been reading about toddlers self weaning between 2 and 4, but apparently some kids continue until 7 years old. I can cope with another year but no way could I carry on feeding him until hes 7 years old!

Has anyone continued breastfeeding until their child chose to stop? What age were they and did they just stop overnight or was it a gradual thing?

Mine both self weaned.
DD was almost 3, although I had just had a new baby and that played a part, as it changed the milk I think
DS was nearly 5.

However I night weaned them both at around 12m, so from roughly 12-18m they fed twice a day and from 18m+ they fed once a day. I only fed on my bed by that point, so they associated it with morning/evening.

No, because 2 year olds can’t make credible decisions.

This answer makes no sense, infants/toddlers are allowed to choose when to walk, when to eat solids, when to speak...

Thank you! It seems the kindest way of doing it. I have dropped all day feeds and hes now dropped his nap so its only nighttime and first thing in the morning. Did you enjoy it up until your DS stopped?

Do you do teeth before bed? Would be good to introduce that if not.

My dd self weaned with a little encouragement at 26 months. By thst I mean I avoided it when I could and slowly denied it more often over time, not any major tantrums, but when she was just a little fussy I would wait longer and longer before feeding. I also made sure her tummy was fuller later, so she didn’t want anything else to eat. There was a couple of really bad nights when she was cranky, but that’s all. Good luck.

Pretty much yes. I had points with both of mine when I thought 'I'm over this' but in my case this was more to do with my freedom e.g. when DD was about 15m it was harder for me to go out for a drink after work as I'd feel full and uncomfortable, and around a similar time I got a bit resentful of never having a lie-in. Once they they were at a point of feeding once a day and being able to skip feeds if I was out, then I didn't mind. Tbh I was happy to lie on the bed for 5-10 mins whilst feeding and leave DH to do more energetic parts of the bedtime routine!

I never planned to feed for so long, but DS in particular clearly wanted to continue, even when I suggested e.g. he might prefer milk in a cup, so I was happy to go with it.

I weaned my son at 2.5 and it was really hard but my periods hadn’t returned and I wanted another baby. I let my daughter self wean and she stopped at 5.5. I did don’t offer don’t refuse and it was much nicer for everyone.

Self-weaned at just after 3. Was fine as for the last year at least was only bedtime, and he was my last baby so no rush to stop. He just gradually had less and less and then stopped one day. Pretty painless for both of us.

Mine was 3 years and 3 months old. I was pretty much doing "don't offer, don't refuse" for a few months, until the feed was only once a day at bedtime and lasted a few seconds. Towards the end I'm not even sure if I was producing any milk and it was purely a comfort thing until one night he went to bed and slept without needing it and that was it.

I think 7 would be very unusual. I know lots of Mums who breastfed til their childten self weaned - I'd say the majority of my social circle in fact - and I don't know anyone who fed for that long. I'm not saying it never happens but it would be right in the very tail of the curve.
Obviously if you want to initiate weaning now there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, but honestly, I don't think you need to worry that if you don't take steps now you will still be going at 7. I mixed in very pro full term breastfeeding circles when my DC were little and honestly I would say I was an outlier still breastfeeding my middle child at 5. A few were 2 or younger, a few were getting on for 5 but I'd say the majority self weaned before they were 4, most around 3/3.5.
As to how it happens, it varies. Some do stop abruptly but I'd say mostly it peters out gradually. I couldn't actually tell you when any of my DC's last feed was. The early morning feed was the last one they all dropped and it went from being a daily thing to a few times a week, to once in a while and then at some point I realised they hadn't asked for ages and that they were done.

I had enough at two and a half, I told DD I had hurt my boobs and couldn't feed her anymore. She accepted it and switched to a cup.

So at the moment we do bath, storytime, teeth, then a breastfeed to sleep. I do worry about his teeth but his HV advised me that there is no link between breastfeeding and cavities. Hopefully this is true, his teeth look lovely at the moment.

Thank you! I may try and add a cup of cows milk after dinner and see if that helps.

i have four children. They self weaned at

2yrs6mo
2yrs9mo
4yrs4mo
3yrs0mo

You don’t have to make a decision to wean or allow to self wean. Just feed until one of you doesn’t want to anymore and then manage the stopping

Neither of mine self weaned. I got them off the boob when I felt I'd had enough. Breastfeeding into toddlerhood is a relationship. If I no longer wished to, I didn't.

Mine were weaned at exactly 3 years old and 2.5. Both cold turkey, but with love. 'We are stopping feeding next week, on your birthday, whenever, I will be available for lots of cuddles. The milk is finished.'

I night weaned much earlier around 1 for both.

Do as you wish. It's your body. You don't have to justify any choice involving it.

My dd weaned just after her 3rd birthday - i was pregnant with ds and had hg, so spent lots of days in hospital on a drip.

Ds i think i encouraged him to wean just before his 3rd birthday because I'd just had enough. Pregnancy, BF, Pregnancy, BF. I think i just wanted my own body back after all those years.

Yes this. If either of you wishes to stop then stop! Your wishes are as important as your child's.

My DD is 2 i stopped breastfeeding in the day about 6 months ago, wasn’t too bad she was busy running around and playing to bother much, i stopped breastfeeding at bedtime about 2 months ago, she only cried for 2 nights and goes off to sleep happily now without breast, she still has breast throughout the night but im fine to keep that going until she is ready to stop, she will now come of still awake in the night and roll over and go to sleep not on the breast so i think we are getting there slowly, i will be partly sad partly relieved when she stops, she is my last and only fully breastfed baby so its bitter sweet she will be stopping soon xx

Mine all self weaned between 1-2 years, the bedtime one was the last one. It did happen pretty much naturally though and I don’t recall it being a problem. I remember being a little sad when my youngest stopped as it did feel like the end of an era but we both adapted pretty quickly.