How long did you breastfeed for?

[alwayssunnyinsoton]

And once you went past infancy, were you still comfortable doing it in public and/or your LO asking for it?

1st for 3 weeks - he just hated it and I didnt have the right support to keep going.

2nd 2 years and 10 months. We have just finished night feeds this week (much to her disappointment!). After about 2 years we just saved it for at home, and mostly around sleep.

My 3.5 yr old is still utterly loving it and I never thought I'd breastfed for this long! I must admit, before having her I thought it was quite odd feeding after infancy.

I'm very tired as she still wants it at night too. Today, I was at my eldest hockey match and she started to ask for 'booby milk milk' in front of the other parents and I died inside.

My little girl is a recent 3 year old and still obsessed, I think maybe because of full time nursery, from well under a year. Her big brother was only ever mix fed, and no (pumped) breastmilk from a few weeks - he could never latch and had cmpa.

My daughter asks for 'milk milk' at least, so less embarrassing. She doesn't really ask in public anymore, but the minute the door closes behind us, I'm stuck on the sofa 😅

DC1 I stopped at 3, DC2 I stopped at 3 and DC3 I am still feeding, he is 2.5 and I plan to stop at 3. Can't believe I am close to finally stopping after 9 solid years of breastfeeding (with some tandem feeding in there too!!)...

Anyway as PP has said. I mainly only feed in private and around sleep once they get to around 2.

When I stopped with my two eldest, I literally stopped on their third birthdays, because they were big girls then and didn't need it anymore. I prepared them a few weeks prior to it happening. It worked well both times. Never went back to it and no tears or upset. The distraction of presents helped and I think by 3 they have good understanding. Do me it felt right to stop at 3.
Well don't for feeding for so long!

Fed DS until 22 months but after 12 mnths only morning and evening. Loved the feed after pick up from nursery. The endorphin release was amazing and just what I needed after a stressful day at work. I don’t remember having the endorphin rush in the first 12 months though. Maybe you only get the reward for perseverance.

I breastfed until dd was 2 which was way longer than I originally planned but we were both enjoying it. When dd was about 7 or 8, she came across a video about extended breastfeeding and was very indignant that I hadn't carried on longer with her!

I was happy to breastfed her in public when she was a baby but don't think I would have done it with her as a toddler.

Nothing wrong with a 3 or 4 year old asking in public but I'd say it's for at home. It's more for comfort at that age so I'd save it for bedtimes or if they were particularly tired or poorly and off their food.

12 months both times. I was done. They didn’t seem to mind. Hats off to those who continued longer. I never loved it and was very happy to stop

2.5y for dc1, 1y and counting with dc2. I'll share a tip I read on here - starting before dc starts to talk, call it something more euphemistic than boob or mummy milk or whatever you might have called it. Something you don't mind being yelled in the softplay! We call it "feeding" ie do you think she needs a feed? Then when dc1 used to yell "I want FEEDING NOW" as a toddler it was less embarrassing than it might have been.

I wasn't actually embarrassed feeding in public, but where I live in London everyone minds their own business. My whole wardrobe is bf friendly now because it's been years as I got pregnant when I stopped.

Edit just read your update, I hadn't RTFT! Too late for the euphemism!

2 years. For months before naturally weaning, he was only having breastmilk first thing in the morning, and last thing before bed, then eventually only before bed, so was never looking for it or asking for it at any other time.

I wouldn't have liked breastfeeding in public after that age. He's a small child but I would have still felt like he was this hulking great child clambering on me with his shoes and all his chat 😅

I think if you're at the stage where her asking is embarrassing you, it's time to stop.

I breastfed 2 dcs until age 3.5. Generally I only breastfed at home at morning and night after a year, but dc2 would ask for mummy milk sometimes during the day. I didn't mind feeding her in public, though I felt most comfortable in either very family-orientated places (like toddler groups or soft play) or places like museums where they make a point of stating that breastfeeding is welcome everywhere. So I didn't always feed her when she asked, it depended how comfortable I felt at the time.

Howevee it was an amazing guaranteed source of comfort in situations like flights or getting her to nap while watching a West End theatre show with my eldest, and in those situations I stopped caring how it looked as it just worked for our family (especially when I could hear someone else's baby crying).

I fed for 15 months, 2 y10m and 4y11m. My youngest had CPMA so I didn't BFing untilhe'd grown out of the allergy.

For the younger two they stopped asking for BM during the day at about a year, I was back at work and they were used to not having milk on tap. I remember being in hospital with DS when he was 2 or 3 and him wanting milk and being slightly embarassed about people hearing him ask for it but he was poorly and needed it for comfort and food.

Mine stopped herself at 14 months. Fed her one night as usual and went to feed her the next day and she wasn't having any of it!
It's a bit sad really because you can never prepare for the "last time".

DC1 - 1 year
DC2 - 3.5 years

18 months (self-weaned), 3 years, 4 years.
My boobs reflect it but no regrets! 😀

It's absolutely amazing how long people feed for but you have no clue as so little of it is in public! I used to find older kids feeding a bit odd too but when I got into it myself I realised it's so good and OK!!

I am nearly at 3.5 years and close to being fully weaned because I have a baby due soon and don't want to tandem feed with this ago gap. We probably stopped feeding out of the house when he was about 2 besides the odd feed.

Do whatever you're comfortable with. People may well find it strange but that's their problem and lack of understanding about it, not yous!

My DD stopped when she was 4, I never thought we would feed that long and pre DD had some ridiculous closed minded ideas about breastfeeding. It reduced slowly overtime until she was just having one feed at night before bed and we gradually ended it before she finished nursery. I'm sure I have rose tinted glasses now (as there were lots of ups and downs) but it was a beautiful journey which she also remembers fondly.

A little over 3 years

always fine breastfeeding in public.

Still going. Mainly just before bed and when she is unwell / feeling off. 3 next month.. Shocked tbh, we had a lot of struggles in the beginning.

6 months. Very happy to feed in public. Life was very stressful though and my milk dried up when I went back to work.

Mine is 2.5 (32 months) and still going! I still feed in public but I do admit that I feel slightly uncomfortable about it. I try to think of it that I am normalising feeding older toddlers! As that's why you think it's weird until you do it - you just never see it. That's also the reason that I still talk about it i.e. if relevant to the conversation I don't hide it.

She calls it boob but people don't seem to recognise what she's saying when she says it.

Fed my daughter for 16 months, when stopped I was half way through a twin pregnancy. Then fed my twins for a year. I fed as discreetly as I could in public, never had any problems, except a couple of people who were horrified I was still feeding my daughter when I was pregnant for the second time.

One for 18 months, 1 for 2 years, 1 for 3 years and one for 4 years. Never did it outside past about a year but that's because they didn't ask

I fed my eldest to 2y11m, and currently still feeding my youngest 22m. There was 5/6m of tandem feeding. Eldest stopped with encouragement and was down to just bedtime feed for a good few months before hand. Youngest I've just starting planting the seed of being done soon, generally it's just first thing in the morning, bedtime and if there's the odd bump or ouch during the day they want comforting for.

Definitely felt awkward out and about beyond 18m and I mostly did it at home by that age.

The only time I have felt noticeably awkward in public was when we had a day out at a country show type thing youngest was just 1 literally the week before and I overheard someone say "I can't believe she's still nursing that baby at that age!". I wish I'd said something to respond. The person was quite young, 20 perhaps.

Both my little ones, when they used to ask for it when we're out, they never actually used to ask anything embarrassing and to anyone else all they'd hear it a child asking a general not uncommon or unreasonable question 'can I have another one?'. I think I must have asked the same question every time I nursed my eldest so that's what they picked up and thought it was called to BF, which has stuck and my youngest asks too. It's all great until we're out and spot someone else and they shout "look mummy that baby is having another one!" and the perplexed look of the mother is quite something 😂

4 and a half years.
Probably till about 3 years in public cause It was naturally getting less in day time and I stopped wearing breast feeding friendly clothes all the time so if they wanted it they had to wait

15 months and 18 months. Once they turned a year it was mostly nighttime anyway