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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

How did you know it was time to stop breastfeeding?

23 replies

shouldistop · 28/01/2022 09:43

Currently breastfeeding my almost 14 month old. First thing in the morning and at bedtime.
I've no issues feeding him and enjoy the closeness with him especially since returning to work part time.
I have a 5yo too but bf didn't work out and I pumped for him for a couple of months before moving onto formula.
I feel like there's pressure to stop breastfeeding now, no ones actually said anything to me really so I'm not sure where the pressure is coming from tbh. I really don't think I'd want to feed past 2 and I suppose my slight worry is that it would be much more difficult to wean an almost 2 year than a 14 month old.
I feel like I'd regret it if I stopped feeding now as I still enjoy it and he loves it.
So my garbled question is, what made you decide to stop if you breastfed past 1?

OP posts:

miltonj · 28/01/2022 09:55

I'm trying to stop breastfeeding my 16 month old because I'm pregnant with my second and it hurts quite a lot not. And it won't be practical to feed two. Also because she wakes up in the night for it. She's never been a settled feeder though and generally climbs all over me, shoves her hand in my mouth, nips me and bites, so I don't enjoy it too much. It sounds like you do! So I'd be in no rush to stop unless it's getting on the way of good sleep and eating.

RedCandyApple · 28/01/2022 09:57

My child decided it was time to stop! I had planned to self wean though and that’s what happened.

Original poster

shouldistop · 28/01/2022 09:59

Those are very good reasons. Ds2 has been night weaned for months and actually dh and I managed a night away just after he turned 1 as he doesn't rely on milk for sleep. I cut his middle of the day feed out when he was about 11 months and he's done really well with his food since then.
I can't really explain where the pressure to stop comes from, as I say no one has said anything although I do know my mums view on 'extended bf' (which she thinks is anything after 6 months) and my SIL doesn't like breastfeeding at all but neither of them would actually say anything to me.
I suppose it's just the worry that it will be hard to wean as he gets older. Maybe I'll think again once he's 18 months and just enjoy him for now as he's my last baby.

OP posts:

Original poster

shouldistop · 28/01/2022 10:00

@RedCandyApple

My child decided it was time to stop! I had planned to self wean though and that’s what happened.

How old were they if you don't mind me asking?

OP posts:

PotatoGoblins · 28/01/2022 10:01

I had always planned on letting DC3 self wean….but it got to the point where she saw me as nothing more than a walking boob Every time I sat down, she’d be straight on me, clawing at my top, demanding “booboo” and wouldn’t take no or “wait a minute” for an answer.
It got to the point where I dreaded every feed because she wouldn’t just pick a boob and settle. She would hop from boob to boob, pinch me, twiddle the nipple she wasn’t feeding from and I couldn’t take it anymore.
I stopped breastfeeding just after Christmas. She was 2 years 4 months.

Original poster

shouldistop · 28/01/2022 10:03

@PotatoGoblins what age did that feeding behaviour start? Ds2 hops from boob to boob if they're both uncovered but for now it's easily solved by covering one up.

OP posts:

Wallabyone · 28/01/2022 10:04

My first was 18month and I was considering a second and knew I didn't want to feed whilst pregnant (am not great in pregnancy 🤢). He was great, and understood when I spoke to him about it and it was pretty painless.

My daughter never took a dummy, and I ended up feeding her until 2yrs 7m, by that time I was ready to stop and get some personal space back.

My third stopped at 2yrs 7m also, for similar reasons really, it just felt like a good time to bring it to a gentle end.

Good luck! I'm so pleased we got where we did with breastfeeding, and I have such lovely memories and no regrets at carrying on or stopping when we did

MonkeyPuddle · 28/01/2022 10:09

I had planned to let DD self wean but I started a new job when she had just turned a year where I would be out the house 5 evenings a week at bedtime, she was only feeding morning and bedtime, morning was ad hoc as well. She preferred a bowl of shreddies to be honest. So I knocked the bedtime feed on the head. And then shortly after she didn’t try for the morning feed anymore, she was about 13mo.

If you’re happy to keep feeding then do that, do what is right for you and your child, anyone else can piss right off x

RedCandyApple · 28/01/2022 10:09

*shouldistop

RedCandyApple
My child decided it was time to stop! I had planned to self wean though and that’s what happened.

How old were they if you don't mind me asking?*

4 which I know isn’t for everyone and I’ve experienced judgement on here for feeding for so long but my plan was always to self wean and she was ready to stop at that point.

Original poster

shouldistop · 28/01/2022 10:11

@RedCandyApple

*shouldistop

RedCandyApple
My child decided it was time to stop! I had planned to self wean though and that’s what happened.

How old were they if you don't mind me asking?*

4 which I know isn’t for everyone and I’ve experienced judgement on here for feeding for so long but my plan was always to self wean and she was ready to stop at that point.

I think natural weaning age can be up to 6 and probably more people feed til then than speak about it for fear of judgement. DH granny fed one of hers until she was 4 and only spoke about it when we were talking about me breastfeeding. I know several mothers who have fed until 2 or 3 anyway.

OP posts:

Belathecreator · 28/01/2022 10:12

DD1 we stopped when she was about 1yr old, as I was pregnant and too tired.
DD2 I decided she was stopping, similar age, when she just looked up at me and giggled mid-feed. It was very clear the milk was not needed, and she just wanted the time and attention (which I was very happy to give).
Both seemed happy with me stopping.

Chasingaftermidnight · 28/01/2022 10:15

I stopped at 15 months because I wanted to get pregnant again and wanted a bit of a break between feeding and a second pregnancy.

JaffaCakeGal · 28/01/2022 10:17

I'm still feeding my 15 month old and I'm 15 weeks pregnant. TBH the "oh you'll be weaning him soon yes?" comments have been coming since he was about 6 months old but now feel like they are ramping up. I really wanted to get to 2 years, and I will feel sad if we stop any time soon. It was getting stressful with all night feeding but I take a full bottle up now so it's usually just boob first thing/last thing which is fine with me. But yeh, if you are happy to feed and your child still wants to feed, I say go for it! I'm hoping my little one may have more understanding to wean when he's around 2! I don't think he would be happy to stop now.

statetrooperstacey · 28/01/2022 10:18

When I was sick of constant mauling, day and night, when he started biting and scratching and he was massive and eating pork chops , when I wanted to slap him off ! 16 months. Practically wore a wetsuit for about a week so he couldn’t get to me

IDontLikeMondays88 · 28/01/2022 10:21

I stopped at 18 months as I felt my little boy wasn’t that bothered about it any more - I was pushing it really rather than him wanting it

TheBestSpoon · 28/01/2022 10:22

I stopped at 2y7m because we were trying and failing to get pregnant and thought it might help (did conceive a week later as it happened!), plus it was getting practically difficult to hold him as he got bigger. I think in some ways it was easier him being older as he could understand the concept of "no more left" and was totally used to drinking out of cups with food etc. Although I only fed morning and evening after going back to work when he was 6m old, so didn't have a habit of him asking for it to break, which I think would have been harder.

TheBestSpoon · 28/01/2022 10:24

Sorry, just noticed you only do morning and evening too! I'd keep going if you're happy with it - don't change something that's working is my parenting mantra...

Whatwillbetheendofus · 28/01/2022 10:32

I wanted to feed until the WHO recommended 2 years if possible. We had a rough start so wanted to make the most of it when it was easier. After 2 years she just had a small feed at bedtime so we reduced it to every second night then every third night and she wasn't upset at all. She wasn't that bothered, if she'd really loved it I would have kept going longer, not sure how long.

ConstanceL · 28/01/2022 11:20

With my eldest I stopped at around 2.5 as I was pregnant again, and it hurt too much! I think he was ready though as we'd stopped during the day a few months before so it was just night time. At the age he was he could also be told 'there's no more milk left for you' and understand and accept it with not much turmoil!

Original poster

shouldistop · 29/01/2022 09:09

Thanks for all of your responses. I'm happy to keep feeding for now. I especially enjoy the morning feed as he comes into bed with us for it and is just so happy and playful first thing

OP posts:

TheFutureIs · 29/01/2022 11:57

I let my little one self wean. It was convenient in so many ways to keep feeding. Especially when she was poorly/off her food. Solved pretty much all issues. She started weaning from about 3 and had her last feed about 3 years 3 months. Towards the end she was just having milk before bed.
Ignore your mum and sister. It is completely natural for little one to be breastfed. There's a reason we call first teeth "milk teeth"

birdglasspen2 · 29/01/2022 19:12

I was doing the same feeds as you, I wanted to stop. So stopped morning first, instead of wake up feed and stories in bed I did wake up downstairs for milk, after a few weeks I returned to wake, milk in cup and stories in bed. ! also avoided them seeing me with no top during this stage!! Then after 2 weeks I dropped night feed, neither of mine even noticed at this age it was easy!!

DoubleHelix79 · 29/01/2022 19:18

By the time DD was 13/14 months we were down to a feed in the morning and one in the evening. Stopping was less a conscious decision and more a result of me having to miss a few feeds due to work / being out. DD didn't seem to mind going without them, so I didn't make an effort to keep it going. i was ready to stop by then to be honest.

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