DS (nearly 4) has decided it is time to stop breastfeeding

[FrannyandZooey]

I have been feeling a bit wobbly about this for various reasons, and have spoken to some of you about it already (everyone has been totally lovely about it, thank you).

However I am now mostly feeling good about the fact that I was able to breastfeed him until he decided he was ready to stop, and also proud of him for having reached the stage where he feels he doesn't need it any more.

I thought there were probably very few threads about this on MN so worth starting this one for that reason alone.

Come and join me in a mostly celebratory mood as I pass round lentil canapes and raise a glass of carrot juice

wow what an achievement.
Well done to you and DS.

I got as far as 18 months. Don't think i could of coped with it for much longer than that TBH.

Well done Franny. I think you've done an amazing thing for you and your ds.

Mine's a glass of Grove Fresh prune juice please Franny! I well remember the feeling (ds was 2.5, dd almost three)
Congratulations

Thanks so much tortoise. There were times when I would have been delighted if he had weaned, and I think 1 to 2 years was the hardest time perhaps. But it had reduced to a pleasant couple of minutes at bedtime and had only good points to it as far as I was concerned, so I was sad when it came to an end.

Well done Franny for bfing for as long as you and he wanted. I stopped before I wanted to with DS, and DD self weaned at 14 months, but I think if I had realised hoq common extended bfing is I would have continued with DS longer.

Oh gosh loads more messages thank you all!

Am feeling a bit emotional reading what you have all written, thank you so much

Well done you!

The end of this 'phase' is bitter-sweet regardless of the age of your child. You are right to feel proud of yourself for having let him choose when to stop and of him for being ready.

Please pass the carrot juice as I am sat here with a teething, snotty 12 month old who is either feeding or crying today.

Ah well done Franny, I had a hard enough time emotionally giving up when dd2 was one and 4 days - I drink to your achievement - you have done your lo proud!

I need one of those magic hats where you can get whatever drink you want from it

what book is that from? Oh I know, Mr Leakey

This is such a good book

blimey I do like to hijack my own threads

Good on yer Franny.
You area source of kind,intelligent and gentle inspiration in so many ways.
I think you're great.

you have done so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so fantastically well !!

no need for wobbles,! celebrate...

Franny - just thought it was worth saying that you have given me a whole new perspective on BF. I live in a small, very northern, mill town and attitudes towards BF are dated. I don't know anyone in RL who has BF beyond a year and only 1 person who BF for longer than 6 months. Most of my RL friends bottle fed and I suppose had I not come across your threads on this I would have done. I can't say why exactly, but it is just accepted that you do. If you do BF it's considered an major deal if you want to do this past the baby stage.
However, I would definitely want to try BF as my preferred option now and hopefully try harder to make it work and for longer than a few months.
Completely moot point as I now have to TTC again after another MC!

Sorry to hijack your thread, but I just feel nice knowing more about BF and what it means to do this for your child.

Gosh, its hard isnt it. Such an emotional wrench. Well done you

DS is starting to go that way. He tends not to be fussed either way atm.

Kama I think we had virtually cut down to nothing

(indeed that may be why he decided to stop - one of my regrets about it - I think there was very little / no milk left and he may have just decided to cut his losses)

so I have not noticed any hormonal stuff. In the past when he has slowly stopped or shortened one feed after another I have noticed big changes in my mood. I think we underestimate the effect breastfeeding can have on a woman's equilibrium (for the better, I feel).

Wow, I'm so impressed. My dd is two-and-a-bit and still feeding. I'd never have gone on this long if it hadn't been for the extended b/fing threads on here, I let ds self-wean when he was 9 months. It was the right decision at the time, but I've really enjoyed feeding my dd into toddlerhood. Well done to you and your little nursling!

StrangeTown thank you for saying that - one of my reasons for starting this thread was the lack of information about extended breastfeeding other than freak show type tv programmes.

I think a lot of people do it, but not many people speak about it for fear of people's reactions.

I wanted to pass on my experience that, if left to their own devices, children don't go on feeding forever and that the whole thing can be a very positive thing for both the mother and the child.

Thank you FromGirders and everyone else who has posted. I also want to say that the way people responded to me when I was initially upset about ds weaning, was incredibly sensitive and I won't forget it. As well as all the usual lovely suspects, who give up their time to help women who are breastfeeding or trying to breastfeed, Cod was very kind to me as well.

wow, well done. I had to stop breastfeeding dd when she was 7 months because I needed to take medicines and never let myself doing the grieving. I'll raise a glass to you!

Mine's an elderflower cordial.

What a fabulous achievement and thank you for the example of a happy self weaning child.

Thank you. I forgot to mention I am taking him out to lunch tomorrow to celebrate him becoming such a big boy

even I can see this is quite funny and along the lines of the Modern Parents or something

"Just calling to confirm that you can make it to Tarquin's Weaning Dinner...."