What age do toddlers wean from BF?

[Dfjackson]

When on average would you say little ones naturally wean themselves from breastfeeding?

IME not before 2.5, and then I was fed up so did it myself

Depends entirely on the child and circumstances. My last was 3.5 ( still having a feed on waking) and I put a stop to it as he was due to start school in six months. My second Weaned himself sooner. Don't think there's a hard and fast age it will happen. My brother apparently refused milk very soon after solids were introduced at six months

My dd was 2 years 9 months before she self weaned. A month earlier I had joked she’d still be breastfeeding when she went to uni but she just decided one day she didn’t want it anymore

It totally varies between children. One of mine self weaned when she was 2 and a few months, when I was pregnant, and the other I had to stop it as she was approaching 4 and it was enough for me. I know others who have self weaned pre 1 and between 1 and 2 - just depends.

Mine were down to one feed before bed then at around 15 months one stopped asking for it, and the other around 18 months.

When you make them. Mine was 3 1/2 and I was well fed up.

I went away for a week. Then it was sorted.

No help to you though probably.

All three of mine at around 12 months.

Mine lost interest around 18 months by which time he was down to 1 short feed anyway. My sister on the other had had to push hers at about 2.9 and 3.5, both times because she was pregnant with the next one and wanted a break! The older one in particular she thought would carry on forever!

Thank you for all your replies.
Exactly what I was expecting but not what I hoped for haha…
My LO is 19 months and feeding a lot around sleeping mainly (naps and night time) but then when teething happens my gosh it’s like having a 4 month old again! Crazy how she can feed so much, she’s a chunky girl and loves food!! And loves milk too!!
I think I will try get to 2 and then hopefully stop I’m also hoping to have another baby so maybe sooner!
Such a commitment isn’t it.. you don’t think you will be years down the line before your body is truly yours again! Here’s to some more months then.. lol :) xx

Honestly dd was nearly 2 and I became resentful of it, dropped feeds to only after meals. Then I got pregnant again and really developed an aversion to it so dropped to one feed then none.

She was mildly annoyed but not that bad. Wish I'd done it sooner tbh. Dc2 basically self weaned by 15mo.

DS was nearly 4, but between 3.5-4 it was only a few feeds a week if that.

All mine were almost two. I stopped when they stopped asking/ indicating they wanted it rather than when they started refusing it though. I don’t know exactly what you’re referring to by self-weening.

My little boy is just over 3 and only feeds before bedtime. Its been this way for over a year. I'm happy to continue until he weans himself. We had such a struggle to BF initially due to a tongue tie so had to use nipple shields for the first 8 weeks. I'm chuffed as hell we've made it this far!

I have three DC, one of them weaned herself off the breast at around 11 months. With the other two it was my decision (one at 7 months and one at 12 months), so I'm not sure when/if they would have done it.

I think it's so individual. Mine is 14 months, and has responded well to stopping day time feeds, I'd really recommend that as it is so much easier to distract them in the day with a cup of milk/snacks/toys/go out etc, and also you will have far more resolve! They also then get used to being told 'no' for when you want to stop night feeds. I now do a feed after breakfast and at bedtime, and usually one around 3am (DH settles if she wakes before then).

I feel like my nearly 6 yo probably still would be nursing if I hadn't cut her off a bit before her third birthday.

Thank you all for sharing your experiences x

Totally depends on the child. Mine was mix fed from 8 months but refused the boob 2 weeks before his 1st birthday and that was that. Each to their own obviously but that was perfect for me, I’ve seen too many friends grappling with toddlers old enough to ask for it / pull at their clothes when trying to cut down or wean them off and I didn’t want that. I continued to pump a while longer so he’d still get the benefit of the breastmilk.

My DD was only BF - wouldn’t take a bottle ever but was eating normal food and down to one feed and the night before she turned one she looked at my breast and stuck her thumb in her mouth and turned away! Done and dusted!

My older two each self-weaned when I was pregnant with their next sibling, so between 2 and 3 years. That was fairly painless; they didn’t get distressed at all, just lost interest.

My youngest was approaching 3 and showing no signs of stopping, and I’d had enough of the night-time feeds, so I stopped feeding him when he woke at night and instead just walked him around the bedroom until he fell back to sleep; rinse and repeat ad nauseum. After a few (horrendous!) nights he stopped waking at all. I continued to feed him to sleep in the evenings and after a few months he lost interest in that as well.

My oldest was 2 I think - just had a feed at bedtime and naptime... it was just the routine for her so we had a chat and I told her she was getting 'too big for booby' and we stopped. She was good though and didn't need it to sleep, so DH/DM/PIL could all put her to bed - it would have been different if she was relying on it and I'd have stopped sooner.