How to get toddler to give up the breast

[ChKa]

After all the anxiety of keeping my baby breastfeeding in the early days, I never thought that I would be asking for advice on how to stop! My little one is 17 months and feeds first thing in morning and before bed. I would now like to stop breastfeeding. I'd always hoped my daughter would make the decision to stop but it looks like this is not going to happen and I'd value any advice on ways to stop.

Well done for breast feeding for so long.
If your DD is only feeding twice a day, it is through habit and for comfort rather than for nutrition.
In order to stop, you simply need her to realise that she no longer needs to feed. Once she realises that she will stop on her own.
Start with the morning feed. That will be the easier of the two to stop.
Rather than offering her a feed when she wakes up, offer her a cup of cow's milk while sitting on your lap and having a cuddle. The only thing than needs to change is the drink. Any other aspects of the feed location, situation etc should remain the same. Follow this quickly with a prompt breakfast to get on with the day and take her mind off it.
Once she has stopped expecting to feed in the morning, you may find that she drops the evening feed herself.
If not, again replace the feed with a cup of milk, on your knee and in whatever situation you usually feed her. Give her the mummy time and closeness than she needs with the new drink.
It won't be long before she realises that she doesn't need the BFing and is happy to stop.
Good luck!

Thanks for a lovely, encouraging straightforward reply.

I clicked on this hoping to find something that might set me on the path to weaning my 2yo off the breast... I have tried offering her a cup of milk while she is sitting on my knee (which incidentally worked just fine with my dd1) but she's not having it. She'll drink a little but then demand the breast. Sorry to hijack a little but have you any suggestions RuthChan?