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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Breastfeeding after 12 months

68 replies

RedRobyn2021 · 27/12/2021 18:33

Just looking for some insight really from more experienced mothers

My daughter is almost 11 months and I have always fed her to sleep at night. In the day she might sleep in the car or in the carrier if I'm out with the dog (although these have both become more challenging as she's got older). We also co-sleep so that me and her dad can actually get some sleep.

I'm just really curious as a lot of women seem to stop after 12 months, how do you do this? But also, why did you stop?

I'm also interested to hear from women who chose to continue after 12 months? How did things change as your little one got older?

OP posts:
MerryBumpmas · 27/12/2021 21:46

Oh yeah somebody mentioned periods - no period until DS2 was 14 months which was fab!

KurtWildesChristmasNamechange · 27/12/2021 21:46

Breastfed all mine until they were turned 2, pretty much weaned themselves as they just came to me less and less for a feed until it was just at bedtime and then not at all.

Family didn't say anything, if they had any opinions they kept it to themselves.

GalacticGoddess · 27/12/2021 21:49

Still bf 16m DD.
Ended up continuing as it's been such a comfort to her during illness/starting nursery/teething.
Family are fine about it, how else can they be plus 18m/2years is fairly normal I thought? 2 years plus is where it's less common. (Maybe this is just the people I know!)

Mibby16 · 27/12/2021 21:53

Still bf my 3 year old, and still bf to sleep. No intentions of stopping. Bf his sister till 26 months then she self weaned. I'm pretty vocal about natural term weaning and most people have the sense not to argue Wink

CurtainTroubles · 27/12/2021 22:06

This reply has been deleted

Withdrawn at the user's request

NotVictorianHonestly · 27/12/2021 22:11

@Eightmagpies I could have written your post word for word, including the job! It makes me feel better to know there are other solicitors out there doing similar. Most I know are hard nosed city types who would judge me terribly for still feeding.

I have no plans to stop anytime soon. It works for us, we're all happy and that's what matters.

Early on I read all sorts of horror stories that he'd never sleep through all the time I fed to sleep but that has turned out to be complete nonsense. He often sleeps through and still feeds to sleep. Cosleeping definitely saved my sanity before that though.

In many parts of the world it's completely normal to feed to 5/6/7, and for most of human history that has been the case. Western society is weird, not natural term feeding.

squirrelnutkins1 · 27/12/2021 22:18

I stopped night feeding at 6 months and now dd is 16 months and feeds morning and night.
I've been wondering about weaning her off it. Do you just replace with a cup of cows milk?
I'm glad people are saying they've continued over 12 months, makes me feel less conscious about it. Silly really as I absolutely love it, but worry about what people think, daft I know!

Margo34 · 27/12/2021 22:30

Still feeding my 15m old, I just don't talk about it so no-one asks 🤷 my DH does say he thinks it's weird now though and regularly asks when I'm going to stop "...when LO is ready." Baby takes so much comfort from BF and I genuinely cherish our moments together.

She currently feeds 4 times in day time and eleventy billion at night: morning on waking, pre-morning/long nap, mid-afternoon snack, and bedtime. Then at night as well. She goes to nursery twice a week and feed in waking and before bed (and night) on those days.

It is definitely refreshing to find a place to openly share BF experiences beyond 12m, it does seem taboo (certainly where I'm based).

DelurkingAJ · 27/12/2021 22:37

Fed both DSs until about 2. Went back to work FT when they were 10 months so that restricted us to first thing, straight after I got home (rapidly dropped) and bedtime. By the end it was just bedtime. We weaned by DH taking them off to DPIL for a week without me as by 2 both would happily take a cup of milk the odd evening I was out. Worked for us. Nobody said a word…extended family were probably faintly aware and I either got support or nothing.

wonderstuff · 27/12/2021 22:41

Dd1 declared that milk was yucky one day, at about 20 months, found out a few days later I was pregnant, she was a huge fan of my boobs and I wanted my body back really so I just didn’t offer again after that and she had a sippy cup during the day at nursery by 9mo anyway.

DS was much less into it and didn’t feed to sleep, he was quite easy to wean at about 18mo.

KurtWildesChristmasNamechange · 27/12/2021 22:45

Dd1 declared that milk was yucky one day, at about 20 months, found out a few days later I was pregnant,

I had exactly the same with my DD1, found out I was pregnant with DS shortly after!

dephlogisticated · 27/12/2021 22:47

I fed both mine until they were around two, at that age it was pretty easy to explain verbally that they were getting older and that it was time to stop, did it gradually for the 'feed to sleep' feed and replaced with new toy, more cuddles, rocking to almost sleep, lots of songs. It all happened gently and I think that's because they were older.

stargirl1701 · 27/12/2021 22:53

I fed DD2 on demand until she was 24 months. Then DH night weaned her and she fed on demand in the day until 3. She carried on morning and evening until 5. She stopped at 5 and half.

She had 11 food allergies by 9 months. I was able to introduce them into my milk over the years and the only remaining allergy is peanuts although we have not challenged it yet.

Tbh, the biggest difference I see between my DC is that DD2 appears to have much more secure attachment and better mental health.

If I could change anything, it would breastfeeding DD1 to natural term too.

tunainatin · 27/12/2021 22:55

I breast fed both mine until around 3 years, struggling to remember what it was like though! I weaned them during the night so it didn't impact our sleep, and as they got past 2 years it was much more 'as and when' then part of a routine. Great for they health, and for easy comfort and bonding.

Diditopknot · 27/12/2021 22:55

I stopped on my child’s 3rd birthday.
Simply because I thoroughly enjoyed it, he was my last baby, it took 10 years and multiple miscarriages to get him and no one was going to tell me anything otherwise.

I was very very fixed and determined to do what I wanted to do and to squeeze every single last drop of joy out of every moment with my miracle baby.
No one was going to argue with that!

Decided it was time. He kind of self weaned by then with gentle persuasion and reduction.

Seedandyarn · 27/12/2021 22:57

I BF until my DD was 3.5 years and Co-slept until she was around 4 at which point she was happy to move into her own bedroom.

No one in my family had ever BF never mind extended BF, I think by that stage they were used to it.
My mum who was sceptical of BF and co-sleeping actually became my biggest champion having seen how well we both slept and how convenient it could be when traveling etc.

The main change as she got older I found was not nursing as much outside the home as much because they will eat foo but also more interested in what is going on around them. At home my DD would nurse a lot more frequently.

I always fed to sleep once she weaned we replaced this with cuddles for a while.

Eightmagpies · 27/12/2021 23:10

I love these heartwarming comments. Well done all!

2 yr old has just woken and I'm feeding her back to sleep while browsing mn. I have no idea how I'd do it if she didn't feed. Smile

Fallagain · 28/12/2021 08:00

I stopped bf DD1 at 6 weeks and I’m still bf nearly 2.5 yr old DD2. I’m considering stopping in the spring after we get over this bout of winter colds.

Eightmagpies · 28/12/2021 08:43

@NotVictorianHonestly I missed your comment yesterday. High-five Grin! It's great to know there are more of us; I also have a lawyer friend who is in the same position as us too.

Original poster
RedRobyn2021 · 28/12/2021 08:50

Thank you so much for all your comments and sharing, it's so nice to hear your experiences. I don't know many people that breastfed or breastfed for long, the longest I know of IRL is a friend who fed for 6 months.

Feeding beyond 12 months seems to be so rare, so it's nice to know I won't be alone.

OP posts:
NotVictorianHonestly · 28/12/2021 12:05

There's a lovely Facebook group called Breastfeeding Older Babies and Beyond which I'd really recommend. So much support and wisdom on there.

@Eightmagpies there should be a lawyers who breastfeed support group. Apparently I'm the first person in my firm (about 1000 in London) to want to use the expressing facilities, which makes me feel a bit sad. Surely that can't be right?!

Garman · 28/12/2021 13:53

I ended up feeding mine until 2 years and 3 years, never planned it, but why lose the greatest parenting tool I had discovered!

So what if there's comments from family? It's your child, not theirs, it's none of their business.

StFrancisdeCompostela · 28/12/2021 13:57

My son is 12.5 months and is down to one feed a day, at bedtime. He is a really good eater and naturally dropped almost all feeds over the last 3 months or so. He would still have a morning one if it were up to him but I have phased it out because it makes our mornings less hectic not to have it.

I don’t plan on dropping the night time feed any time soon as it is a nice way for him to wind down for bed, but if he hadn’t dropped the rest of his feeds anyway I would have weaned him off of them because it was a real tie. I never really loved breastfeeding - did it because it was the best thing for him but was delighted when he started to need less and less! I like having a bit more freedom and independence.

Alayalaya · 28/12/2021 14:00

I stopped breastfeeding because it was preventing me losing pregnancy weight and being fat was affecting my mental health. My child wanted to continue feeding but I felt I had sacrificed enough already.

GrendelsGrandma · 28/12/2021 14:02

Bf to 22mo and 15mo. Yes, family did start to comment a bit and it was annoying. I stopped by making it only a feed after each meal then dropping those one by one.

You're in control of it, it has to be mutual - if you want to stop, then do. I fed DD for longer than I was comfortable with, I became a bit of a martyr to be honest. She was annoyed for a few days then fine.

There are continued benefits for you and DC tho, so if you don't want to stop then don't!