Boobs no longer needed

[Nomoreboobs]

My Dd is 2,4 years old and she has been part breast fed and part bottle since birth. Off the bottle ages ago and only had boob before sleep at night before.
I don’t offer it but she generally asks. I wanted her to stop in her own time, but ideally around 2.
This last week and a half she’s been coming as if to cuddle up for boob, but then turned herself away and said she doesn’t want to, so I left her to it and didn’t say anything etc.
Is this how they normally stop? Do they generally decide by themselves that they don’t want to anymore and that’s the end of that?

Yeah, sounds normal. DS stopped in a similar way at 2.9, he'd try a quick latch but then stop and snuggle instead. Any time from 2+ is natural weaning rather than a milk strike.

Yes it can be, Never offer, never refuse is a slow weaning technique. My kids fed more at 3 than at 2 or at least went through big phases of that but then weaned themselves to v occasional only, weeks then months apart. Each had their last feed at 5 but only 1-2 feeds at that age I think. Children vary, of course.

That's exactly what my DD did at around the same age, slightly younger. Over a couple of weeks she just lost interest - came in for a goodnight cuddle and feed, and then just mucked about a bit and then stopped. It felt strange, and I was a bit sad but ultimately relieved. With DS I had to intervene as he was getting too bitey and uncomfortable, so looking back I much preferred DD's method.

@thebookeatinggirl Yes, I feel the same..sort of relieved but also a bit sad if it’s the end 🤷🏻‍♀️She’s my only so I’ll never have that experience again, which is sad. But also I’ve in my mind been kind of wanting to stop for a while..I think!

My son did this at 2 years and nine months. We had dropped all feeds so we were just doing the bedtime one. I went to feed him one evening and he said no, got into bed and went to sleep. He never asked for boob again.

I was devastated for a few days, I didn't get any notice and didn't make the decision to stop myself 😢

Some do that natural weening. Mine were older.

Pretty much the same. He just decided he didn’t want it anymore and that was that.

Mine did the same but much younger at 18 months. I wanted to gradually wean off so stopped offering and he just stopped asking. I was sad too but also relieved to get my body back..... temporarily.... pregnant again with no2

I’m bf my fourth child at the moment, and he’s 2 years 2 months. He’s fed for way longer than the others did. I think I’m done but I want to let him self wean, and I will miss it!

My otters were mix fed as I went back to work when they were between 8-12 months, and then the bf seemed to tail off and stop.

I stopped around the time when DD turned 2. I stopped offering and she didn’t go for the boob, so I figured that was the right thing to do at the time.

I try not to think about too much because I start beating myself up about it wondering if I went about it all in the right way and if I stopped at the right time.

My two were like that too, both stopped doing it unless there was nothing more interesting on offer. More interesting things that meant they didn't want a feed included new bedlinen, new pyjamas, a different person doing bedtime, sleeping somewhere different, a story or song they wanted more etc. and when they hadn't fed in over a week I said that was it. Both were just over three when that happened.

Yes my daughter was down to one feed and night before her first birthday and she just stuck her thumb in her mouth and turned away. I was so relieved! Best way.

But you’ve done amazingly! And so much better that she’s decided for herself that she’s done. Well done mama. Those boobs did you proud.

@BrutusMcDogface what kind of diet are your otters on now?

DS was about 20 months, and I went away for three days (he stayed at home with DH). Anyway, he was so pissed off with me when I came back he refused the boob, and that was that.

Oh no he hasn’t rendered his fat.

But no one is mentioning it.

No what I thought this thread was going to be about but anyway...
Mine all just gradually stopped asking and I stopped offering and it fizzled out. They were a bit younger though, less than 2.

@viques

Oh no he hasn’t rendered his fat.

But no one is mentioning it.

So sorry! Wrong thread, this is for master chef......

😂 I’ve been scrolling up and down trying to work out which post that was in reply to and wondering what on Earth I’d missed!

I don’t want to derail but I love that BrutusMcDogFace breastfed her otters. I have very cute mental images now of her career as a wildlife saviour

This is an a accidentally amusing thread with the otters and fat rendering.

D3 stopped at 3 years, 4 months and it was very much forced unfortunately - but I'd been waiting for about a year for him to hopefully decide he was done and it wasn't happening. He sobbed for three nights which was awful but has been mainly fine since - although getting him to go to sleep is a challenge now.

He's been stopped for 2 whole months now but if he gets a glimpse of boob he will still sneakily sidle up for a cuddle and then lunge and try and get on really quickly, like he can trick me into it 😂 I'm hoping he grows out of this now 🤦🏻‍♀️

My older 2 boys both self weaned at 8-10 months and I was disappointed. Then I had my daughter and she was a boob fiend. I did the don’t offer don’t refuse from 2yo but she was still asking for it 20+ times a day. When she was 3.2 I told her no more. She still asks for it multiple times a day almost 1 year later. She tells everyone she meets ‘I like drinking mummy’s booby’. She always has her hands on them and rummaging down my clothes. I wish so much she had self weaned.

Well that took an unexpected turn.

The otters and fat rendering have got me chuckling away.

Haha cross post @RonaRossi. Dd does the lunge at the boob with an open mouth if I’m naked and she’s in range. Three times she’s clamped on and I’ve had to pull her off while she suckling for all she’s got - ouch!