Dropping the last feed -how does it happen?

[Fantail]

How did dropping the last feed happen? Suddenly? Gradually?

DD is 13 months old. Has only ever been breastfeed, no bottle, but very happily drinks water from a sippy cup or regular cup/glass.

She has been down to two feeds a day since 11 months and this morning didn't have an AM feed. This has been going on and off - if she wakes around 5am it is usually for a feed. If she doesn't wake until 7ish, she is happy to just get up and have breakfast. So I guess she is gradually dropping this.

But what I am wondering is, how does that final feed end?

At the moment she has a feed after her bath and then there is about a 1/2 hour gap before bedtime. We did this to break the sleep/feed association and it worked well for us. She loves this feed, but is very easily distracted so not that keen clearly.

So how will it end? How did it end for you?

My DS was 2.6 and had been down to 1 feed at bedtime for about 6 months. He dropped the last feed really suddenly - there was one night when I had to miss bedtime and DH read him stories instead of his feed. We never looked back: the next night straight after his bath he asked for stories and never asked for a feed again. I was really pleased because I'd been keen to feed till he wanted to stop, but I was ready to stop (so I could take decent antihistamines in hayfever season!) and was happy he was done. Was very surprised though, and a little sad that I hadn't known that the last feed was the last feed.

With DS, we were at 2 feeds a day at 12 months and I forced the issue - I was back at work and finding it all too much of a stress for me (I couldn't switch between bf and work very easily somehow). So DH started taking him down for breakfast and then rather than me doing the last cuddle before bed (when he'd feed), DH would come in and take DS from me to cuddle.

With DD, just after she turned 1, she went from being a very keen 2 feeds a day (morning feed for 20 mins, evening feed for 10 mins) to hardly anything in the evening. It got to the point where she would latch on for about 10 seconds and then shove her thumb in at night, so I just stopped offering and she sucked her thumb instead. She was still on a 20 min morning feed though but then one day she just cuddled up next to my boobs sucking her thumb and even though I was naked she never bothered trying to latch. She never did again :( Brilliant that she just gave up I suppose, but I was so sad that I never knew her last feed was her last feed (and most likelt the last breastfeed I'll ever do)

In retrospect though, I'm much happier with how DD's went as I felt I forecd it a little bit with DS whereas it was clear DD was going through a phase of lack of interest so I just went with it.

Banderchang - I didn't read your last sentence until I wrote pretty uch the same thing. I wish I had known the last feed was it so I could have cherished it just that little bit more!

Just a little update. At bang on 15 months DD decided no more breast milk. She had been down to one feed a day for about 6 weeks (so shortly after I posted this originally). She had gone for practically leaping at me to me having to ask if she wanted any of Mummy's milk. Then on Thursday night I asked if she wanted any and she said "Daddy". So DH gave her milk in a cup and that has been that.

I was ready to stop I think, and clearly so was she. Is true that I didn't know which one was going to be her last and that is slightly sad.