At what age will most toddlers stop BF if you leave it to them?

[Sandrine1982]

Question for breastfeeding mamas.

At what age did your baby wean off the breast if you let them do it on their own? I have 14-month old who has been combination fed since she was 2 months.
She still enjoys breastfeeding and I would like to continue for a while - mainly for the obvious health benefits in these uncertain times - but I would like to stop eventually (ideally around 18-24 months) so I'm just wondering how to do it gently.

How likely is it that the baby will just grow out of it eventually?
That would be the best scenario for me :-)

I still express once a day when she is at nursery, and I BF around 3-4 times a day (early morning, morning and evening).

Thanks.

Mine were between 13 months and two years. My youngest who stopped at two, is now four and skill associates putting his cheek against my skin as a source of comfort. He’ll push up my sleeve of pull down my neckline to rub his little face on me. Fine if we are snuggled up, not so great when we are out and about!

We stopped at 15 months. DS would probably have carried on, but it was obvious he wasn't in it for the food any more, just the snuggles. He'd mess about and dribble milk everywhere and occasionally bite, so I called it a day. He was cross for a day or two but quickly got used to cuddles without boobs involved.

I think you could stop expressing now if you want to. Then you can begin to reduce supply and bring in cows milk at nursery and other times if wanted.
My DD is 28 months and has no plans to stop. Im following advice from my local support group "dont offer, dont refuse" to try and reduce feeds but its not working so far!

My son is 2 this week and is obsessed with breastfeeding still. He has boob after most meals and before bed, and randomly throughout the day. I love feeding him though and will continue until he doesn't want to anymore.

Also, I never expressed other than for a few weeks when I was getting engorged at work. He only ever drinks breast milk straight from me, or water at the childminder's.

My close friend had to stop it at 4.5 it turned in to more of a comfort thing.

Ds lost interest at about 20 months

I let mine self-wean, and they were both in primary school when they stopped. I spent quite a lot of time with long-term breastfeeders, and their kids tended either to stop by themselves when the mother became pregnant again, or keep on going for years. Most of the mums tended to gently wean the children from breastfeeding rather than let them self-wean in their own time. The ones who were allowed to wean in their own time tended to be closer to seven than two years old when they stopped

@theskywasallviolet

Following with interest as I’m sat on the sofa breastfeeding my 2 year old! I’d like him to make the choice too but he still enjoys the comfort and I don’t feel like I have the energy to battle him to stop.

This is literally me with my 2 year old daughter... I would love her to make the choice but she seems to love it so much that I can't see that happening anytime soon.

All children are different. I think my 4.5 year old would still breastfeed now if I let him! He stopped just before he was 3 has I got a chest infection and the fractured a rib coughing so he couldn't for about 3 weeks. He did ask a few times after and I would let him have very short feeds before telling him it was all gone.

My eldest stopped pretty much of her own accord aged about 26mths. My youngest is showing no sign of cutting down at all and is 30mths, I expect I'll need to wean her in the next 6 months as I've had enough now.

Mine had her last feed at two years and nine months. She could go a couple of weeks before feeds for the last few months - then with the final feed she told me it had all gone.

I encouraged night weaning and am now doing don't offer, don't refuse. Dd only asks at bedtime and first thing in the morning and that is inconsistent now so it's usually just a very short few minutes at either end of the day if at all. She's 5.

My little boy was mixed fed as he didn’t put on enough weight when younger. He didn’t stop until he was 3.5 that was only because I had to have a medicine that I couldn’t use whilst feeding. I had to explain to him he was ok. Now he’s nearly 4 years old he still ask I say no now. There is no going back, so I’m sure he would have carried on if left to it

I think DS has pretty much weaned off now at just over 3. He didn't show any signs that he was going to self wean, I'm fact he was completely obsessed during lockdown. One day he just didn't ask for it at bedtime, then then night after that etc. He has had the odd occasion when he has asked for it because he has hurt himself. I'm glad it didn't go on much longer as I was just starting to get touched out.

Both were4

Funnily enough there is only a few months between the ages of my two who weaned due to pregnancy of their sibling and the two who self weaned. The youngest (first child, weaned when I was pregnant through encouragement and bribery!) was 2 years 6 monthS And third child who was also encouraged to wean through pregnancy was 2 years 9 months. Second child was 2 years 10 months and self weaned and fourth was 2 years 10 months as well and self weaned.

DC1: bottle fed
DC2: self weaned at 12 months (was given a bottle on starting nursery and clearly preferred that method of milk delivery)
DC3: weaned at 16 months (feel v guilty as asked for it for ages afterwards but I was nearing 40 and we wanted to TTC again)
DC4: self weaned at 14 months (chose our holiday to completely refuse which was tricky as she is milk allergic and there were no substitutes anywhere to hand!)

Dc1= 3.5
Dc2 = 18m (I was pregnant)
Dc3= is 3.1 and still going but only one feed at bedtime and not every night. Who knows 🤷‍♀️ probably will stop in the next few months.

Mine is in process of self weaning right now - nothing for 4 days and I have mixed feelings as expected:) He’s 3.5….
I weaned him off night feeds when he was 2.5 because it was keeping him awake for ages, not helping him sleep, and so it was doing him (and me!) more harm than good… after that he chose just a little night feed to get to sleep, or when he bumped and hurt himself…
We went away for a few days at Christmas with the family in one room and he wanted to cuddle dad to sleep instead … I always wondered when it would happen too and kept looking it up, I don’t think I thought it would ever happen of it’s own accord… but it has. Wow…. Nature is amazing 😌It will happen when it’s the right time for the child basically … I’m surprised more people don’t do it, but I’m so pleased I did.
He has impeccable timing he is due to start nursery next week and I suspect it’s going to be easier detaching from mum now he’s weaned. Having said that if he’d carried on I would have respected that.. I just wish there was more support for this kind of thing. I felt like the health visitor was pushing by me to wean him at the last review (he had his 2 year review at 3 years due to covid!)

My daughter stopped at 3.5. It was only twice a day from 12 months and once a day at bedtime from 24 months.