If you breastfed past 6 months, when and why did you finally stop?

[putthekettleon]

Just wondering really as this is all new to me... I stopped BF DD1 at 5 months for various reasons, mainly she preferred the bottle and I had enough of expressing!

DD2 has been a dream to breastfeed, completely refuses a bottle and we're still going strong at 7 months. I definitely want to carry on til 12 months at least but after that I've no idea how or if I would stop. She loves BF, it's the only way to get her to sleep or calm her if she's hurt/tired/teething etc. I love it too but at the same time I look at DD1 (2.9) and think I just can't imagine still BF a child who can walk and talk (and can bite!)

When did you stop? Did your child decide for themselves or did you just have enough?

Still on about 6-7 feeds a day at 13 months. I'm keeping going till I have a good reason to stop - I wouldn't 'just' stop as it's so good for DS's health, gets him to sleep, calms him down etc etc.

DH can get him to sleep without bedtime milk though, so I'm not tied to the house in the evenings.

DD at around 18 months. We'd got down to a very short morning and evening feed at about 16 months and I was ready to wind things down, but then I got mastitis and was advised to feed as much as possible and DD got ill so ramped up the feeding.

It was quite easy to stop, contrary to my expectations.

Still going with 11-month-old DS! He feeds all through the night (bleary-eyed emoticon) and lots in the day when I'm not working, so I think we'll be good for a while. He's my last baby so I suspect I'll be a bit more emotional when BF ends...

Incidentally, I took DS for his 'one year developmental check' with the health visitor the other day. In his red book, it asks for 'Date of last breastfeed' and sure enough, the HV said 'I see you breastfed, so when did you stop?'

Am just winding down now with DS (2.4). He's been having only 2-3 feeds a day for a while now and has just dropped his bedtime feed, which was a surprise as I expected that to be the last to go.

We always used to have a little routine of story, boob, bed, and whereas at the beginning he wasn't that interested in the story, now he's far more interested in the story and not interested in boob. He said a couple of days ago 'No beboo Mummy. Put it away', so I figured I'd stop offering ...

Still going at 19 months, original goal was 12 months. Hoping to end at around 2 years or earlier if she self-weans. Not holding out too much hope of that happening though.

Both were around 2.8. Haven't read the whole thread so sorry if I'm repeating, it isn't just toddlers who can bite a 7 month old can bite too! Anyway, they don't usually and if they do you it can usually be stopped, Kellymom has some good info here

DS stopped at 1 year 3 days I was pregnant, it was painful and the only liquid I could keep down was peppermint which, at the time I was unaware is an anti-galactogogue. He wasn't getting any milk and I was in agony. I'd always planned to BF for at least a year (never saw the point in paying for an inferior product).
DS2 (3.7) and DD (22 months) are both still nursing. I shall let them self-wean as I am convinced it is the best way to do things for their physicall and emotional health.

still feeding DD at 3 and a half, and am 39 weeks pg...

I initially just wanted to get to 6 weeks, then 6months, then it seemed a lot easier to keep going than stop...

once you get to 9months feeding is so flexible ime that there's no reason to stop - much easier (and cheaper) to just carry on!

DD has been away to my parents for up to three nights, and isn't worried about not having 'mum mums' when there, just wants it when I'm around, she took a while to get used to having cows milk but by 18m was chugging it back.

oh, and re: the 'I love it too but at the same time I look at DD1 (2.9) and think I just can't imagine still BF a child who can walk and talk (and can bite!)' bit - Itnis a gradual progression, they don't suddenly become a nursing toddler. I happens gradually and seem quite normal at the time. IME anyway :)

i stopped at 14 ish months. I was back at work and just doing a morning and evening feed. gradually dropped the morning one as the lazy toad was seldom up before i left for work. continued with the evening one for a month or so and then it just felt like the right time. I didn't feed him one night and he didin't miss it so we just quietly stopped. he was perfectly happy about it, if he'd showed any signs of wanting to carry on i would have done.

DD1 stopped at 14 months, she kind of lost interest, and we were only feeding once or twice a day by that point.

DS2 - still feeding at 20 months. I'm under some gentle pressure from DH and my mum to stop, but DS certainly doesn't want to stop, he is obsessed with and loves 'boobie'.

He points out other people's breasts and exclaims delightedly 'BOOBIE!' He will come up and ask me for a feed, and sometimes if I'm distracted he somehow manages to wangle his way in and help himself which can be a bit embarassing in public.

Friends and family keep saying things like 'how long are you going to keep going for? He'll be asking for Bitty when he's 18!' To be honest I'm a bit scared of trying to stop because he is going to be so upset. I've tried cutting down, but at night it's very hard to deny him a feed if he wants one.

Reading this thread with interest to get some tips on cutting down/stopping without traumatising myself and DS.

I was the same - wanted to get to 12 months at least, then see from there.

We introduced cow's milk at 12 months at mealtimes and at nursery (previously I'd expressed for nursery days), and cut down to just first thing in the morning and last thing at night. DS quickly dropped the evening feed - just wasn't interested - but kept up the morning one for a few more months. He was starting to lose interest, then got a cold and couldn't breathe through his nose, so gave up completely at 15 months. I liked that it was completely his choice, I fed him as long as he wanted it, then stopped.

still feeding at 9mo. She only has 2 feeds a day though, morning and night.

I'm still feeding at 10 months. Planned originally to "see how it goes", then it was 6 months, then after our holiday( DD was 7 months at time) then I thought "might as well carry on till 12 months now" now that the 12 month mark is approaching I can't see it getting given up then either (and tbh I don't really want to stop). "booby" has been a lifesaver for getting DD to sleep and calming her down when she's upset.
I've had lots of support so far but now people are starting to ask when I'm going to stop.
Feeding her just seems like a way of life to me now and I can't imagine stopping (although I hope I do eventually!) can't see me going down to the school to breastfeed her at lunchtimes! :0

Dd stopped on her fourth birthday, because I was a few months pregnant with number 3 and didn't want to tri-andem.

Ds1 is 2.3 and still going.
Ds2 is 6 months and still going.

DD 19 months and still going strong, she hasn't bitten me since she was about 7 months old as I always said 'NO' loudly and then put her in her cot straight away (she soon got the idea). She now has a full set of knashers (minus the last molars that come later) and it is fine. She feeds twice a day at bed time and before I go to work in the morning. I was going to stop at 12 months, but as I work full time I found that bfing really helped reassure and comfort her and I enjoy it too. She had flu just before Christmas with vomiting and diarrhoea and wouldn't keep down anything other than tiny sips of water and breastmilk so for 24 hours I breast fed every couple of hours and she recovered really quickly. It really soothes a sick toddler in the same way it does for a younger baby. I don't feed her in the daytime (unless she is sick) as it makes it harder when I am at work for DH who cannot provide, unfortunately. DD is already walking and talking in sentences and it doesn't feel strange to me, I will probably stop by the time she is two because I want to try for DC2 and would like her to be fully weaned before they arrive.