BLW - when can you wean off breast?

[somewherewest]

I'm interested in BLW but am also desperate to stop BFing by one year or a little over and actually get a decent night's sleep. Is that possible or does BLW always have to be combined with longer term breastfeeding?

PS I'm nervous that someone or other is going to finger wag because I'm not living up to some wonderful WHO guideline ideal. Given what a struggle BFing has been I think I've done bloody well to last that long , so no, my mind is pretty made up thanks.

Your baby can have cow's milk at 12 months instead of bm if it suits you. I know at least one mum who is doing blw with her ff baby, as far as I know it doesn't have anything to do with bm.

Nothing to do with bf I meant, sorry.

BLW is totally separate from BF - we did it with DD and she was FF.

Oh, and you've done really well, don't let anyone tell you otherwise!

Thanks. I've been reading the Gill Rapley book and there was a section towards the end which seemed to imply that BFing past a year was preferable (it could of course just be my teething-addled brain misinterpreting it!). Sorry if I was a bit defensive. I was genuinely nervous posting the question.

With BLW they don't get full from food in early days so they can require more milk than purée fed babies so I think that's why it is often assumed you need to feed for longer. As said above you can give cows milk from 12 months anyway. FWIW I gave up bf at 9 months and DS was BLW and a bottle refuser, he survived on formula from a doidy cup till 12 months then cows milk