Breastfeeding still going at 18 months - when to expect a natural ending?

[bellbottoms]

After all the to 4? discussion - what actually happens? I feed mine ds morning and night and only during the day if ds ill/hurt -rarely in public. I wouldn't mind giving up - so someone else can put him to bed, but would rather let things run itrs natural course- do they just decide not to at some point? How do I try and 'cut back' when he'll scream the place down? Whats happended for others?

I led the weaning at 13 months so can't speak from direct experience, but I know one mum who was still feeding at 3 so if you're waiting for the child to lost interest you could be in for a long wait

I mean "lose" interest

DS is nearly 16mo and went from being a very enthusiastic breastfeeder to being able to take it or leave it very quickly. He still enjoys his morning feed, but he often has nothing more than a quick suck at bedtime, if that. He sometimes asks (he signs for it) for milk during the day - the last time he did that was 7/7 (I remember as I was watching the news of the bombs in London and he climbed on my lap, grinned at me, then signed for milk!).

Does he only go to sleep feeding?

He doesn't go to sleep feeeding - though does take it as a signal that then is cot, then sleep..and does wake during the ngiht still and is breast feed then to sleep - gets v.shirty if I try to withhold. SOmetimes I'm sure he can't be actually getting any milk, just grabbing on for comforts sake...

Ds still feeds at 2.5, but gave up associating breast with bed (never fed to sleep but part of routine)when I started teaching some evenings and dh did all the bed time stuff.

I reckon I could give up mornings too if dh would handle breakfast for a bit, but I don't want to in the middle of winter (live in NZ)because we keep getting sick!

I'm doing don't offer, don't refuse. Which means sometimes ds will ask at night (and gets fed straight away) but more often than not he doesn't ask. it's like a test to see if he is still allowed, and having found out he is he isn't interested.

So in a roundabout way I am saying you don't need to give up breastfeeding for someone else to put him to bed, just make that change.