Question for those that continued bfing past 12 months.

[Lizbiz89]

How and when did it end? I’ve been feeding my ds for 18 months now, probably more than I would have liked to but he is my 3rd and final baby and breastfeeding has been bliss with him. Not like my first 2! However I’m now getting to the point where I’d quite like to stop. I’m one of those unfortunate people who cannot lose weight whilst bfing and would really like my body back soon. I don’t mind feeding a bit longer if he naturally starts to become uninterested with it but I’m worried he’s going to be booby obsessed forever if I don’t start trying to wean him off 😩

My son was boobie obsessed and I weaned him at about 2.5. Start by doing don't offer/don't refuse, then put rules around it. For example I started saying "only at home" and then "only in bed" to cut down the amount he was asking for it. (Sometimes he just wanted to go home/to bed!)

Because mine were older I was able to tell them it was going to be finishing soon and then it was their last feed.

Well done and good luck

DS1 - around 14 months had a nursing strike which lasted about a week. We were keen to get going on fertility treatment for DS2 so when he indicated that he had changed his mind about the whole 'no milk' thing it turned out that there wasn't any milk left. He got over it fairly quickly.

DS2 - still feeds at 17 months but we've cut down from 12-13 months he was having a feed first thing in the morning, one straight after nursery at 5ish, and another one before bed. We cut the 5pm one first, by distracting him, then at 16 months cut the morning one by giving him a pre-nursery breakfast instead of a breastfeed. He still has the bedtime one but if DP is away he doesn't think about it.

If you want to stop, that's it, decision made. There's a few schools of thought on it. You can go straight to 'don't offer, don't refuse' but certainly ime I was doing v little offering at 18m lol! But it is a good mindset to have in your head. The busier dc is, the less likely perhaps they might be to sit down for a feed.
I did the breastfeeding manners thing of cutting down and just making it work for me, I continued until he stopped himself but it was just a morning feed from 2y so it was no bother. You could also start to cut, and let dc know, be v verbal about it, they do understand and stick to it. You've done brilliantly so well done! Hope it goes smoothly. Your partner can certainly help greatly in the process of weaning.

Following, I could have written your exact post except my daughter is only 12 months and still feeds fairly frequently, and wakes twice in the night for a feed-- I haven't had a full night sleep in over a year. I have no idea how to stop😅

3.5 yrs. By then it does was down to every other night. At some point I told her if she kept waking me up for milk then there would have to be no more boobie milk.

I did the Jay Gordon Gentle night weaning at 14m and it was done in a few days.

3.5 years. I did nothing it just tapered off. I was a bit fed up with it after about 2.5 years but dc was still very keen so I took the path of least resistance.

Was the same at 12 months! Managed to night wean in a week or so. I couldn’t bear the lack to sleep any longer. My full sympathy to you!

Oh wow that's great @Lizbiz89, do you mind if I ask how you did the night weaning? That's amazing that you were able to do it in a week

I basically stopped offering boob at night. Would give him last bf downstairs at least half a hour before bed. Did gradual retreat from his cot. Would do lots of cuddles and rocking at bedtime but no bf. Then at night if he woke up I would go in a cuddle but again no boob. It was a hard few nights, but once I started getting longer stretches of sleep it was lovely. Until then he was waking every 2 hours and I was miserable 😩.

I think some kids are just more attached to breast feeding than others!
I was hoping for a natural end to breastfeeding, but my daughter never took well to solids. Even though we stopped breastfeeding during the day around 20 months, we only managed this by saying we had to save it for bedtime. We then only offered the breast when she woke and wouldn't be resettled without breastfeeding but my supply tanked and she got so agitated that all our sleep was wrecked, we ended up having to have my husband deal with any night wakes because we wanted to start ttc anyway and were worried about her not being off the breast long enough before the next one came along. We managed to get her totally weaned around 2.5 (we used to bring her into our bed to feed when she woke up super early in the morning, she was going most of the night without it though), but she's almost 3.5 now and is still so interested in my boobs/nipples, she'd definitely attempt to breastfeed again if I let her... not sure how she'll react when the new baby arrives in a few months.

3.5 years, and then DD stopped asking for it. I remember my last feed, she half latched on, then giggled at me and ran off, and never asked again! I loved BFing her, it was a dream, so easy after my first, which was incredibly painful and a real struggle. I BFd DS until 6 months and then only night feeds until 1 year. Every single feed was painful. Glad I stuck it out though, he’s a big healthy boy now!

You are so right. My 3 month old cannot focus and just unlatches to look around constantly! Any advice appreciated.

He also HATES being covered up 😭

First DD it tailed off gradually till she naturally stopped at 3.5 years. She was only allowed one bedtime feed since 2 years though. I didn't mind feeding her.

Second DD I was fed up of it at 2.5 years and got DH to do bedtimes or went out at bedtime and told her didn't need it anymore and that she could have a cup of cows milk instead if she wanted. She stopped without too much drama.

I went down to one feed a day at 12 months and then stopped completely once they started toddling over and lifting up my top, which was 14 months with both of them. Neither of them objected too strongly.

My DS was only feeding for bed after 18 months. Just before he turned 2 he could understand we weren't going to feed anymore and he just got cuddled to sleep from then on. Also introduced a teddy at the stage. Otherwise he probably never would have stopped! DD on the other hand got to a stage where she couldn't decide what side to feed from at about 18 months and got very frustrated/upset so I stopped and again laid with her till she fell asleep, this also stopped the night wakings too. I was lucky with DD as she was a thumb sucker anyway so she soothed herself with that (still does now!).

Same, although at 18 months each time. I stopped day feeds cold turkey at 1 year, just wore inaccessible clothing and distracted.

First - I got pregnant again and it dried up when he was nearly 2 (obviously not the route you want :D ) - he wasn't best pleased, and I did have to just tell him because it was starting to hurt. TBH, i think it was winding down on its own anyway because it was drying during my period too previously, and my libido had come back (hence the second baby)

Second - he decided he'd had enough at about 8 months and just started refusing - even when sleepy - that child tasted actual food and lost all interest in milk.