Should I keep breastfeeding over 1 year old?

[KCpip]

Just looking for advice from anyone with experience of breastfeeding an over 1 year old. This is DD2, 1 next month. I’m trying to understand if I keep feeding her how often do they actually need a breastfeed from 1 onwards. Part of me really wants to finish up with it so I can have my body back to myself but on the other hand she’s never been interested in a bottle, only drinks small sips of water/milk from a cup so I’m just trying to figure out if I continue to breastfeed will she manage if I want a night out, not back til the following afternoon? She’s had some longer days without me but still seems to really need a feed when we’re reunited. She eats a variety of foods but like any baby fussier on some days than others. Any experiences or pros/cons would be good to hear!

Well I fed till 3 1/2, I was glad when it stopped though.

Yes she will want a feed if you're out overnight and the next morning but she'll manage ok.

my dd is a good eater and from 1 I reduced feeds from 3 a day. dropped night feed and ensured good dairy at dinner and water offered at bedtime, then post afternoon nap and gave snack instead. at 15mo sometimes give morning feed, sometimes not (mostly depends if I'm dressed before she wakes!) and increased when she had chicken pox the other week which was helpful as wasn't eating or drinking much.

she would have been totally fine without a feed in the morning if adequately distracted or given a good snack.

I've fed until 22 months and 15 months. They both had one feed in the morning from 1+. Was easy to wean both. I missed the one feed now and again but neither were bothered.

Neither ever had a bottle or drank milk out of a tommee tippee (though they would water). Just make sure they have plenty of cheese, butter, yoghurts, cream etc.

I bf both mine till 22 & 18 months. I would say if she still wants to, and you’re happy to, then keep doing it as long as it makes you both happy!
As she gets older she’ll gradually get more used to a cup, and better at going longer between feeds.
But don’t feel you have to wean her off the boob until you’re certain it’s what you really want!

Another extended breast feeder here- dd1 stopped due to my health issues early on but dd2 stopped herself when around 3 and dd3 is still nursing at 2y 2m.
Encourage regular meals and the nursing will naturally lessen. My two youngest varied greatly. Dd2 reduced feeds dramatically at 14m and stayed at bedtime only ( unless ill) til she stopped altogether.
Dd3 still has morning, naptime, bedtime and once during the night. Not great one for eating solid food though!

I would stop now. I am still breastfeeding my nearly 2 year old and I have been saying for months that I should have stopped at 1 year. I feel like it would have been much easier at that age to just stop or wean off without much fuss. But now he's obsessed with it and wants to breastfeed loads and has a name for it, etc. Also he'll put his hands down my top and always wants to touch my breasts. It's really awkward sometimes!

Yes, you can leave her overnight or weekends or longer. Pro would definitely be for her immune system, just a teaspoon of breast milk has 3 million germ killing cells in it, look it up on Kellymom.com. Great as a preventative and also for when they do get sick, to keep hydrated and help fight it off. Also great to comfort and calm toddler! Reduce risk of breast cancer, I think it's by 4% for every year you breastfeed. Con is sometimes they only want you...but this may be the case regardless.

You don't have to stop. It depends what you're happy with. I understand wanting your body back but I felt so torn. DD was eating well but did still like a BF. I went back to work when DD was 1 so she had 2 feeds a day-morning and bedtime. If I was out we had a stash in the freezer which she had out a cup quite happily (this was pre 1 too) but would also drink cow's milk. It soon reduced to evening only as she was very distracted in the morning and seemed to enjoy breakfast food.
I fed until 16 months and DP had to do bedtime for just over a week so she wouldn't be after milk from me and she happily adjusted in a week or so.

18 months for me, went down to morning and night (and in the night) after one and started cows milk in a cup during the day.

I guess it's up to you OP. I would agree with PP that stopping now would be easier than, say, 6-12 months time when they can walk up to you and literally demand feeding. DS still fed multiple times a day despite being a good eater and I ended up weaning him off quickly (over a few weeks) when he was 19 months old, as he didn't reduce feeds on his own accord. I was ready, but he would have kept going for sure. Saying all this, I don't regret it and still planning to feed into toddlerhood with my second. But I wasn't ready at all at 12 months to stop, sounds like you may be more ready than I was.

LordPickle I stopped BFing DS 9 months ago and he's still boob obsessed... Currently sleeping next to me with a hand down my top. Hope it stops soon... I've finally managed to negotiate "boobie" is for night time only!

You have to do what works for you. I'm still BF my 2 year old and I do kinda wish we had stopped earlier but now he really really loves breastfeeding and it's harder to stop him. I've kind of accepted we will go until 3 now.

However, when he's poorly it's absolutely brilliant. It's stopped a hospital admission after gastro-enteritis and it gets him through various bugs.

I'm back at work 3 days a week so he lasts without a feed for 7 hours each day. It's the first thing that he wants when he sees me though and he does still feed a couple of times overnight

17 months here and still going, feed morning and evening but if I need to go out she's fine without. Will only take a few sips of cows milk in a cup. Not causing any problems really.

Nutritional benefits also...I think the immunological ones are more important

Current guidelines are to breastfeed minimum of 2 hrs. 18 months is a really hard time for babies and many rely on breastfeeding to help tantrums etc

2 yrs not hours

Breastfed both of mine til about 18 months. By 12 months they don't need it in the same way as it's not their sole source of nutrition so I just did what I wanted in terms of nights away etc (though take a pump in case you get uncomfortable). I found it totally fine and they just adjusted. Had it when they wanted it and didn't if they couldn't.

I also found when I went back to work my supply adjusted so there was plenty when I was at home but not uncomfortable when at work. So if you're happy then carry on. If you want to start reducing try offering a drink or a snack if she asks during the day. Doesn't always work but I found we gradually decreased that way.

I read somewhere that between 13-15 months is a particularly easy time to finish BF and that the later it gets the more you have to communicate and negotiate about it. With that in mind I gradually decreased feeds from 11 months to 14 months then stopped (it was Feb, DS had a stinking cold and actually couldn't feed one morning, and we were only doing it once a day by then so by the next morning it had been 48 hours without a feed, so I thought, why not just finish it.) I honestly don't think he noticed.