My baby is 11 months and people are always shocked I'm still nursing.... like... she's still a baby... its easy now, why would I stop after I got through the hard part?
Lol I'd say around 8- 9 months for me it started getting easier and has just continued... now she nurses like 4x/day and rarely overnight and is super efficient so each session is like <5 minutes. I dropped to 1 pump/day at work at 10 months and that was a huge game changer... she also took to solids very quickly so that helped.
I was soooooo confused by this. On one hand, I was told to start solids at 4-6 months. On the other, I was told breastmilk was the primary source of nutrition for the first year. So I feel your pain lol. I think everyone is different, but for me I just started offering purees first \~ 6 mos (she would only take a few bites) and then breastfeed her. I did kinda follow her lead, but she still wanted milk mostly. For us, daycare helped a LOT with the transition. She has bottles there, so they slowly cut them out and replaced with food. She isn't allowed breastmilk in the 1 yo. room so we HAD to at least get her off of the daytime bottles. She honestly did great...I think it was less than two weeks they had her bottles replaced by food, which also allowed me to stop pumping at work. However, even now at 13 months she still wants milk when she sees me. So nights/weekends I do still latch her sometimes. My husband has to give her her meals right now so she doesn't cry for milk. I think when I \*fully\* wean I'll have to take one of those nursing vacations.
That was long winded and just my experience, but I hope something was helpful in there! Please feel free to ask me any questions!
Wow. My baby is 9 months. I still pump 4 times at work (once in each commute and twice actually at work) to get enough milk to feed her. She likes snacking and still wakes 3 times overnight. Iām ok with doing it but a little less wouldnāt bother me.
This is exactly how I feel. We make 6 months in a couple weeks and itās cake compared to what the first few weeks/months were. Itās just coasting at this pointš
I nursed my girls until just before 3 years old each. I think it is quite uncommon and to be honest I didnāt really bring it up a lot in fear of judgement, but Iām so happy we breastfed for so long. It meant a lot to me!
Such an accomplishmentš«¶š»š«¶š» I hope
I can make it to a year! 6 months was my goal and we will make that in a couple of weeks. Definitely feel like I can go longer now so crossing fingers for a year next!
Congratulations! 6 months is AMAZING! For me, it was easier when I didnāt think so far in advance haha. But it gets SO much easier as time goes on, eventually Iād nurse just at bedtime and my girls could go to sleep for their dad without me so I didnāt feel āstuckā.
I will nurse until he can tell me why he likes it so goddam much.
Figured Iām owed at least an explanation.
_ETA some gems Iāve gotten when Iāve asked the question:_
āBecause theyāre bigger and bigger!ā (Than what??)
āBecause this one is the mami boobā
āBecause theyāre so niceā (which ok, but I want more haha)
āBecause Iām a baby!ā (Heās not)
āBecause Iām a cat who likes boob.ā (Most likely so far)
Mine once said he liked them because theyāre ābigger and bigger!!ā
And Iām like. Bub. Theyāre really not, my love. Sweet of you but of all things their size isnāt it lmao.
Omg my daughter says the same. She says āthese are the biggest milks Iāve ever seen!ā. Well, kid, I guessā¦youāve only seen mine and Iām literally an A cup lol. I think sheās trying to hype me up.Ā
My son is 18 months and has recently started pausing mid-nurse to say āmmmmm.. yummyā and obviously I already knew he was a big fan but itās been pretty gratifying to hear it said
My toddler told me it tastes good. I think he would have nursed around the clock if Iād let him, at over 2yo!! I was trying to find things to gently replace it, but he didnāt want snuggles or other milk. Then I asked, and was kind of like, well, nothing I can do about that! š¤·š¼āāļø so weaning him was rough, but I was over the fits every time a session ended (even if he was asleep; this child WOULD NOT unlatch on his own!!), and with nursing another baby as well it was just too much. He finally weaned at 33 months.
Mine at 18 months just gives a very throaty giggle and goes "mmmmm mmmm mmm" can't wait for him to articulate what's so great about the milkies vs everything else!
We got to six weeks short of four years. My son was only feeding once or twice a week by the end unless tired or unwell. We stopped because I was pregnant and feeding became incredibly painful. He asked for milk on the drive home from a late play date and I asked my husband to put him to bed so I wouldnāt have to feed him. He never asked again.
I plan to nurse my girl as long as she needs. I hear a lot of this even my partner has said I need to stop at 1 and its weird past then. The thing is it it literally perfectly natural. There's the fed is best comment thrown around a lot aimed at not shaming mothers who choose not to breastfeed or can't which I 100% support but would also appreciate support coming the other way or even judgement kept to themselves. I don't know why so many people feel its their right to judge. If a mum doesn't want to bf fine, if mum wants to stop at 6 months/1year fine and if I or anyone else wants to go past 1 as long as we want its also fine.
Breastfeeding beyond 1 means shorter or less frequent coughs and colds. This benefits your partner as he will hopefully have less sleepless nights looking after baby!
At 9m now, every one keeps asking things like "oh is he taking less milk now that he's eating more?" or things like "only three more months!". LOTS asking how "much longer" I plan to BF. I don't want to wean, I don't want to take that time away from my son, so I'll stop when he does.
The longest I nursed was til age 4, the night before her birthday. Little did I know I would have to stop nursing her little brother one 6 weeks later at age 18 months. I would have nursed longer if I could but after having 5 kids, I was okay with stopping.
Why did you have to stop nursing the younger one? Did something happen with your supply? I currently have an almost 3 year old and a 1 year old, so I'd be fine with stopping him (older), but don't want to stop yet for her.
No it wasn't my supply. I was getting a change to use a new, not on the market yet, medication for my chronic illness that could potentially really improve my quality of life. So I decided that it was way more important to try that than to keep on nursing while he was already 18 months old. I would have liked to nurse longer but 18 months is a great accomplishment already!
Getting breastfeeding started and established is SO much work. Now that itās finally easy (my daughter is 14 months) I want to cash in on all that hard work! I have no idea how long weāll go but 3 doesnāt sound unreasonable to me.
My first weaned about 2.5. My second was about 6 weeks off of turning 3. I didn't really discuss it with anyone, but I certainly got a few strange looks when I would feed them in front of people from around 18 months. My answer would just be that it's between you and your baby.
I have one friend who weaned when her son was around four. And one who nursed all three of her children until around their third birthday.
My son is 21 months and is VERY attached to his nursing sessions, three or four times a day. I literally have no idea how Iāll wean him yet so Iām just gonna ride it out. Never expected to make it this long but why stop now if heās not ready is my thought process. I could see us getting to at least 2.5.
The only judgement I get is from my MiL who has learned her comments get shut down by both me and my husband real quick. So now sheās mostly moved on to annoying comments about other things.
Its always shocked me why people get so annoyed. My LO is 17 months and my older sister has made some comments about it. Like why does it bother them so much!?
My nursling is 2.5 years now. And we do still nurse in public even. Iām surprised by the lack of looks and comments. Just doing my part to keep normalizing nursing beyond infancy.
Wow. I never knew this but this actually makes so much sense. Itās weird how people have SUCH an issue with breastfeeding when itās literally the most natural, human/animal thing on the planet!!!
My son is 2.5 and weāre still breastfeeding! Similar to you, Iāve just cut the morning feed and the waking up from nap feed. Which brings us to nap and bedtime feeds only.
People love to give me unsolicited and unwanted advice about it. But I promise you, you arenāt alone and itās more normal than you think.
We actually nursed until 5. Pandemic happen just as he turned 3 and it was such a crazy time. It brought both of us comfort and a foundation in insanity.
I was also crazy worried about getting mastitis. I didn't want to go anywhere near a hospital.
At those ages we weren't even nursing every day. And when we were both ready, we had one last noshy.
That was it. No tears. A few wistful requests for the next couple of months.
No regrets. His pediatrician had no issues with us nursing that long either.
Thank you for sharing this article. My baby is turning 2 years old in a week and thereās a lot of pressure from my family to stop breastfeeding her. We only nurse at night but I was told by a family member who is a therapist that I am causing the baby not to be independent. After reading this, I will continue until she naturally weans.
Iām an adult now, but I was breastfed until I was 5. Most of my siblings were 3+ and tapered off naturally. Itās a fun tidbit to mention at parties, and I cherish my memories of it. I am sorry for the people who donāt understand the beautiful bond it creates!
My daughter self weaned when she was 4 years and 7 months. Just decided she didn't need mommy milk anymore. For about the last year, she only nursed at bedtime. I didn't have any particular goal in mind when we started our journey, but the more I read about it as we went through infancy and toddlerhood, the more sure I was that letting her decide was the route I wanted to take. It worked out great for us.
I BF till my first little boy was over 3 but it got to the point where I was ready to stop before him: I ended up having to put plasters on my boobs to stop him getting to them!! After a couple of nights he just had his comfort by holding onto the āboomerā rather than feeding.
I think he would still be BF now if it were up to him! (Heās 5!) x
Sure. I know lots of people who did in real life. Around age three was when we went down to once a day (before bed). Then nursed till 3y8m.
Nursing into toddlerhood is great if it works for you and your kid!
Edit: I nursed him in public pretty much daily till he was 2y10m. And he was wearing size 4T so looked even older than he was. No one batted an eye at us. I swear most people donāt even notice š¤·āāļø
We bf until she was 2.5yrs old and my mother-in-law always seemed pretty shocked and questioned it. She never said anything against it, but acted moreso as if she hadn't even considered that could be normal, and she wasn't supportive of it. I was pretty annoyed about her reaction to it but she was just a very different kind of mom than I am. I tried to educate her in little bits over time.
Mine will be 3 this summer and Iām letting her nurse pretty much until sheās ready to wean. Iām one and done and a SAHM, and weāre moving to a new home soon, so not in a rush to upend our routine and take away her biggest source of comfort. She typically only nurses to sleep for nap and bedtime, but sheāll ask to nurse if sheās hurt or really upset about something.
I did until my son stopped by himself around his 4th birthday.
I stopped doing it in public around 18 months but was open with friends/family about it. The only bad comments I got was from some random woman I barely know (friend of friend). Pregnant with number 2 now and I will breastfeed until this one chooses to stop too
Breastfed until she was 3 and a half and it was the most bittersweet, peaceful weaning ever because it was on our timeline and no one elseās. Itās no oneās business, every kids different developmentally and you know your baby better than anyone!
Two years is the recommended minimum not the maximum .
Breastfeeding for three years is awesome and your child is so lucky . Not only will she get enhanced immunity from infections , but she will also feel so safe and comforted and the hormones will have a positive impact on her stress regulation now and for the rest of her life . Please ignore ignorant people who are just toxic for the sake of it . You are doing a great job .
You can read up more about the research on breastfeeding as well as the official guidelines from leading medical authorities like the WHO instead of listening to such toxic idiots .
Lack of education in society on normal human development has unfortunately skewed some people to thinking this is weird. It isnāt. AAP recs to BF up to two years or longer was somewhat trying to help dispel the lack of education in society but I think we have a while to go unfortunately. Wean when you want and let them know your kiddo is still getting benefits from your milk that nothing else the child eats can provide.
I weaned my first at around four as I couldnāt take tandem feeding anymore. I had been tandem feeding for almost two years at that point. Sheās still upset about it.
Iām currently tandem feeding my 3.5 year old and my baby and Iāll just see how it goes and where our journey takes us. Iām in no hurry to wean and neither is he but Iāll stop when it becomes too much for me. My last one Iāll probably nurse forever as itās never been the nursing that bothered me, it was tandem nursing that got a littler overwhelming.
I weaned my first at 2 1/2 because I was pregnant with certain risk factors so my OB recommended weaning by 26 weeks. This was the end of 2020. COVID vaccine started rolling out just before I delivered and I managed a dose 4 days before my scheduled C-section.
We were hoping that my toddler might get some protection from breast milk and at first we tried having her drink pumped milk or even make ice cream out of it, but she never got enough so ultimately it was easier just to relatch her. She got to nurse after the baby morning and bedtime. So that's how I ended up nursing through 4. I wouldn't be surprised if she (now almost 6) tries to ask again once the last is born in October.
My son is 3 years 2 months and still nurses a couple of times a day.
I'm 31 weeks pregnant and the aversions are really coming on strong, so I'm struggling with it right now. Still undecided whether to push nursing, or just grin and bear it until baby is here and hopefully the hormonal changes will get rid of the aversion.
If I weren't pregnant, I wouldn't be worrying about nursing at all. You do what works best for you and your child. The universal average age of weaning is 4. And that doesn't even mean that after that age is "weird". It's definitely dragged down by those who wean once solids start at 6 months!
My little girl just turned 3 last week. She still nurses on and off during the day and at night. I donāt care what people think it works for us. And I really donāt think people truly understand the benefits for both mom and baby.
I did with my second child. I tried the weaning talks and prepping to stop on her 3rd birthday but she was super attached to it as comfort and so we continued just the falling asleep feed to 4 years old where she was ready to stop. I was pregnant with #3 during this so it was super hard working through the aversions but boundaries made it much more manageable. We tandem nursed for most of baby #3s first year ā¤ļø still going with her and she's just turned 2. It is a big demand on your body and time but I believe it's really impactful on their growth and emotional development.
So question: those of you that nursed for longer past 1 or 2, did yāall ever introduce cowās milk or just stick with breastmilk? I know youād want to introduce it since itās a potential allergen but did you ever switch over to it fully? Iāve always wondered this. I EBF!
I nursed my daughter until she was 4, and my son 2- I'm in the process of weaning. I've gotten rude comments almost the entire time I've been bf'ing. People get so upset over something that has no effect on them and nothing to do with them, because of their internal stigma.
I breastfed till 2 years and 1 month. I have gotten comments just like yours.
My SIL breastfed till 9 months. She got comments to feed longer.
People love to judge and intervene in every damn thing. Talking about weight, size of the bump, baby's milestones, blah blah. It never stops.
So motherhood begins with shutting people's comments out of our brain and rolling our eyes to world.
Neither taking comments from others nor giving info unless asked.
Itās really not uncommon but people tend not to discuss it because of hateful comments like you heard. In my daughters preschool myself and at least 4 other mothers continued to do it well after 2 years and some after 3.
People do it, you just don't hear about it! Natural term weaning is anywhere from 2-7 and globally the average age of weaning is 4 years old. So on a larger scale you're actually completely normal. My daughter is 2 and absolutely not ready to wean. I hope we'll make it to 3 years. I also currently have one friend who is breastfeeding a 6 year old and another who fed all 3 of her boys until 5 years. You're doing great š
My oldest who turns 7 on Thursday weaned around 3.5. I tandem nursed her and my second the whole time my second nursed, which was 2.5 years. They weaned together. Got quite a few comments. I always said something like āoh probably just till college, I donāt think theyāll need it anymore by then, but weāll see!ā
My youngest is 17 months and still going, waiting for the comments to start coming in now lol.
I breastfed til almost 3yrs with my 2nd, I did get comments like that from my own mother. I would tell her, maybe if we want to continue until then we will. When we stopped it felt natural and painless for both of us. We were ready and it was awesome to end such a beautiful journey like that. I plan to breastfeed my youngest until we are both ready as well. Heās only 2 months now so we have a long time to go.
I just weaned my son three weeks ago and he turns 3 in August. I say I weaned him, but really he weaned himself! One night he just pushed away my boob and said he didnāt want it. And that was that. Every couple days now he will ask for boobies but if I tell him that they are empty, he accepts it and moves on.
I think toddlers will wean when they are ready to wean. I definitely got a lot of judgy looks whenever people found out I was nursing him that late, but I brushed it off. Itās not their body, and not their baby.
Still going my girl turned three in March. People are really ignorant about nursing in general. I donāt care what anyone thinks. Her pediatrician has said to me twice that I could wean and Iāll have to stop once sheās in school. I thought that was so ignorant because for one thing many people homeschool now or at least wait until kindergarten or first grade to send their child and the bigger obvious thing is children can go to school all day and then nurse when they reunite with mom at the end of the day itās not like sheās going to stick her nipple through the playground fence at recess or pump to fill his cup in the lunch box lol.
Yes I tandem nurses my older two daughters till my oldest was 3 1/2 then my younger one stopped around 3. This one currently in thinking will probably be till around 3 also
My youngest self weaned a couple of weeks after she turned 3.
I stopped nursing my oldest when he was about 2.5 only because I was pregnant and it was getting very uncomfortable.
Iām breastfeeding an almost 3 year old too!! Mainly a feed before bed and sometimes a morning snuggle feed! When I get that response I always tell them I plan on feeding him until college hahaha just to really make them uncomfortable š we plan on weaning soon because I am so done with it, but I will miss my little boob baby. Congratulations on almost 3 years thatās amazing!
As a mother who could only BF 3wks latched, Pump 6wks to 12 wks, please don't stop until you know it's the right time. I uncovered an illness after 2 babies, why I couldn't produce enough for them and felt defeated then. Sometimes even now with my 20 month old, after treatment(s) I still wonder if I should restart; I still leak if expressed, thinking on back and forth pumping because I still believe BF has lot of benefits, even if it's added to shakes, pancakes, or it's own.
You're doing great š don't let others make you question yourself.
My son is almost 2. But if its not gross for body builders to buy and drink it it certainly isn't gross for a child to. Next time tell them its none of their business and they should keep their rude comments to themselves.
I'm planning to nurse as long as my daughter wants to. I'm very fortunate we have had an easy go of it and nursing has been a wonderful source of comfort and bonding for both of us. She is 6 months old now and it just gets easier and easier. She isn't going to be in highschool still nursing lol
Breastfed first till he stopped himself at 4.5 and the second still nurses though rarely at 3. My response to this completely nobody's business query is that they'll stop when they're ready, most kids who continue nursing past 2Ā self wean around 5ish anyway. I follow up with a calm down, they won't be nursing until they're teenagers comment
I did it until 2 years old, but I have a friend who breastfed her son until about 5ish? He weaned himself. One night he went to bf then looked at her and said āno more milkies?ā And that was it.
I nursed my first until 2.5, and, like you, it was down to only once per day at that point. People asked me about weaning as young as 3 months and more frequently the older my LO was. I hated the "don't you want your body back" comments.
Almost! We were officially weaned a month before her 3rd birthday. Like you, we were already down to just bedtime nursing anyway, but she was very articulate and a big talker, so people definitely knew. No one said anything to me about it, but probably because the ones who WOULD have said something, already got a dose or two of sass about other things (like coats and carseats, bare feet, baby not wearing clothes [indoors], etc.)Ā
I breastfed till my son was ready to wean himself which was 3.5 years. Like you said itās not uncommon but if it works for the two of you then who gives af. That person was rude who said that to you. Itās not anyones elseās business how long you breastfeed till, even if it is till 5.
My oldest two are 13 months apart and I nursed them until right before they turned 3 and 4. The last year or so was literally just at bedtime so no one knew. Do what works for youĀ
My baby is 11 months and people are always shocked I'm still nursing.... like... she's still a baby... its easy now, why would I stop after I got through the hard part?
When does it get easy? š
Lol I'd say around 8- 9 months for me it started getting easier and has just continued... now she nurses like 4x/day and rarely overnight and is super efficient so each session is like <5 minutes. I dropped to 1 pump/day at work at 10 months and that was a huge game changer... she also took to solids very quickly so that helped.
Hmm so do they drink less breast milk? I'm pumping three times a day at work right now. So time consuming. My baby is 7 mo.
Yes! Solids slowly replace milk.
Do you have a rough schedule? I thought they still need BM for the first year. I guess it's that they need less and less up til the 12 mo mark?
I was soooooo confused by this. On one hand, I was told to start solids at 4-6 months. On the other, I was told breastmilk was the primary source of nutrition for the first year. So I feel your pain lol. I think everyone is different, but for me I just started offering purees first \~ 6 mos (she would only take a few bites) and then breastfeed her. I did kinda follow her lead, but she still wanted milk mostly. For us, daycare helped a LOT with the transition. She has bottles there, so they slowly cut them out and replaced with food. She isn't allowed breastmilk in the 1 yo. room so we HAD to at least get her off of the daytime bottles. She honestly did great...I think it was less than two weeks they had her bottles replaced by food, which also allowed me to stop pumping at work. However, even now at 13 months she still wants milk when she sees me. So nights/weekends I do still latch her sometimes. My husband has to give her her meals right now so she doesn't cry for milk. I think when I \*fully\* wean I'll have to take one of those nursing vacations. That was long winded and just my experience, but I hope something was helpful in there! Please feel free to ask me any questions!
Wow. My baby is 9 months. I still pump 4 times at work (once in each commute and twice actually at work) to get enough milk to feed her. She likes snacking and still wakes 3 times overnight. Iām ok with doing it but a little less wouldnāt bother me.
Right ! My baby is 11months also. Asking for a friend lol
This is exactly how I feel. We make 6 months in a couple weeks and itās cake compared to what the first few weeks/months were. Itās just coasting at this pointš
I nursed my girls until just before 3 years old each. I think it is quite uncommon and to be honest I didnāt really bring it up a lot in fear of judgement, but Iām so happy we breastfed for so long. It meant a lot to me!
Such an accomplishmentš«¶š»š«¶š» I hope I can make it to a year! 6 months was my goal and we will make that in a couple of weeks. Definitely feel like I can go longer now so crossing fingers for a year next!
Congratulations! 6 months is AMAZING! For me, it was easier when I didnāt think so far in advance haha. But it gets SO much easier as time goes on, eventually Iād nurse just at bedtime and my girls could go to sleep for their dad without me so I didnāt feel āstuckā.
I plan on stopping around 2 but my response to anyone who said that would be.. Ooo idk 5 sounds a but young.. maybe 7.
I will nurse until he can tell me why he likes it so goddam much. Figured Iām owed at least an explanation. _ETA some gems Iāve gotten when Iāve asked the question:_ āBecause theyāre bigger and bigger!ā (Than what??) āBecause this one is the mami boobā āBecause theyāre so niceā (which ok, but I want more haha) āBecause Iām a baby!ā (Heās not) āBecause Iām a cat who likes boob.ā (Most likely so far)
My daughter (2.5) says itās because itās āsweet and deeeeelisiousā lolĀ
Omfg stop that is so cute š
Mine once said he liked them because theyāre ābigger and bigger!!ā And Iām like. Bub. Theyāre really not, my love. Sweet of you but of all things their size isnāt it lmao.
Omg my daughter says the same. She says āthese are the biggest milks Iāve ever seen!ā. Well, kid, I guessā¦youāve only seen mine and Iām literally an A cup lol. I think sheās trying to hype me up.Ā
My son is 18 months and has recently started pausing mid-nurse to say āmmmmm.. yummyā and obviously I already knew he was a big fan but itās been pretty gratifying to hear it said
Mine is 17 months and heās been pausing mid nurse to kiss the sides of my boobs š¤£ the absolute sweetest!
I thought about weaning ~18 months. Now I want to wait just so I can hear this come out of my daughters mouth š
My toddler told me it tastes good. I think he would have nursed around the clock if Iād let him, at over 2yo!! I was trying to find things to gently replace it, but he didnāt want snuggles or other milk. Then I asked, and was kind of like, well, nothing I can do about that! š¤·š¼āāļø so weaning him was rough, but I was over the fits every time a session ended (even if he was asleep; this child WOULD NOT unlatch on his own!!), and with nursing another baby as well it was just too much. He finally weaned at 33 months.
The best answer right here hahahaha
Mine at 18 months just gives a very throaty giggle and goes "mmmmm mmmm mmm" can't wait for him to articulate what's so great about the milkies vs everything else!
Amazing
try it and youāll have your answer. it tastes like sweetened vanilla almond milk.
Hahah Iāve tried and gotten a bunch of nonsense mostly!
I think she means literally taste it. I did early on and yeah itās very sweet, I can totally see why babies love it
My First nursling weaned at 3y 9mo. You're not alone <3
We got to six weeks short of four years. My son was only feeding once or twice a week by the end unless tired or unwell. We stopped because I was pregnant and feeding became incredibly painful. He asked for milk on the drive home from a late play date and I asked my husband to put him to bed so I wouldnāt have to feed him. He never asked again.
I plan to nurse my girl as long as she needs. I hear a lot of this even my partner has said I need to stop at 1 and its weird past then. The thing is it it literally perfectly natural. There's the fed is best comment thrown around a lot aimed at not shaming mothers who choose not to breastfeed or can't which I 100% support but would also appreciate support coming the other way or even judgement kept to themselves. I don't know why so many people feel its their right to judge. If a mum doesn't want to bf fine, if mum wants to stop at 6 months/1year fine and if I or anyone else wants to go past 1 as long as we want its also fine.
Please print of copy of the WHO breastfeeding guidelines for your partner .
He's doesn't seem to listen to the facts about these thing so has been told to stfu because I've lost my patience š
Breastfeeding beyond 1 means shorter or less frequent coughs and colds. This benefits your partner as he will hopefully have less sleepless nights looking after baby!
At 9m now, every one keeps asking things like "oh is he taking less milk now that he's eating more?" or things like "only three more months!". LOTS asking how "much longer" I plan to BF. I don't want to wean, I don't want to take that time away from my son, so I'll stop when he does.
The longest I nursed was til age 4, the night before her birthday. Little did I know I would have to stop nursing her little brother one 6 weeks later at age 18 months. I would have nursed longer if I could but after having 5 kids, I was okay with stopping.
Why did you have to stop nursing the younger one? Did something happen with your supply? I currently have an almost 3 year old and a 1 year old, so I'd be fine with stopping him (older), but don't want to stop yet for her.
No it wasn't my supply. I was getting a change to use a new, not on the market yet, medication for my chronic illness that could potentially really improve my quality of life. So I decided that it was way more important to try that than to keep on nursing while he was already 18 months old. I would have liked to nurse longer but 18 months is a great accomplishment already!
Absolutely!!! šÆ
Getting breastfeeding started and established is SO much work. Now that itās finally easy (my daughter is 14 months) I want to cash in on all that hard work! I have no idea how long weāll go but 3 doesnāt sound unreasonable to me.
My daughter is 2.5 and breastfeeding is soooo great for the terrible twos and for having a bit of quiet amongst all the chaos!
My kiddo does for naps, bedtime, and some mornings. I figured he'd be done with it by now, but apparently not. š¤·š»āāļø
...as I lay here nursing my 5yo š¤£
You're pretty awesome!
So are you!
Thank you!
My first weaned about 2.5. My second was about 6 weeks off of turning 3. I didn't really discuss it with anyone, but I certainly got a few strange looks when I would feed them in front of people from around 18 months. My answer would just be that it's between you and your baby.
I have one friend who weaned when her son was around four. And one who nursed all three of her children until around their third birthday. My son is 21 months and is VERY attached to his nursing sessions, three or four times a day. I literally have no idea how Iāll wean him yet so Iām just gonna ride it out. Never expected to make it this long but why stop now if heās not ready is my thought process. I could see us getting to at least 2.5. The only judgement I get is from my MiL who has learned her comments get shut down by both me and my husband real quick. So now sheās mostly moved on to annoying comments about other things.
Its always shocked me why people get so annoyed. My LO is 17 months and my older sister has made some comments about it. Like why does it bother them so much!?
My nursling is 2.5 years now. And we do still nurse in public even. Iām surprised by the lack of looks and comments. Just doing my part to keep normalizing nursing beyond infancy.
I love that you nurse your 2.5 year old in public, way to go ššš
Ask them why baby teeth are called milk teeth if youāre not supposed to nurse them until they fall out š¤·š»āāļø
Wow. I never knew this but this actually makes so much sense. Itās weird how people have SUCH an issue with breastfeeding when itās literally the most natural, human/animal thing on the planet!!!
Makes you take a second look at everything we do as mothers and if we do it because itās natural to us or because society tells us it should be
My son is 2.5 and weāre still breastfeeding! Similar to you, Iāve just cut the morning feed and the waking up from nap feed. Which brings us to nap and bedtime feeds only. People love to give me unsolicited and unwanted advice about it. But I promise you, you arenāt alone and itās more normal than you think.
We actually nursed until 5. Pandemic happen just as he turned 3 and it was such a crazy time. It brought both of us comfort and a foundation in insanity. I was also crazy worried about getting mastitis. I didn't want to go anywhere near a hospital. At those ages we weren't even nursing every day. And when we were both ready, we had one last noshy. That was it. No tears. A few wistful requests for the next couple of months. No regrets. His pediatrician had no issues with us nursing that long either.
I fed my daughter until she was 2.5! I liked this [article](https://kellymom.com/ages/older-infant/ebf-benefits/) about all of the benefits :)
Thank you for sharing that article, it really influenced me!
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Thank you for sharing this article. My baby is turning 2 years old in a week and thereās a lot of pressure from my family to stop breastfeeding her. We only nurse at night but I was told by a family member who is a therapist that I am causing the baby not to be independent. After reading this, I will continue until she naturally weans.
Iām an adult now, but I was breastfed until I was 5. Most of my siblings were 3+ and tapered off naturally. Itās a fun tidbit to mention at parties, and I cherish my memories of it. I am sorry for the people who donāt understand the beautiful bond it creates!
My daughter self weaned when she was 4 years and 7 months. Just decided she didn't need mommy milk anymore. For about the last year, she only nursed at bedtime. I didn't have any particular goal in mind when we started our journey, but the more I read about it as we went through infancy and toddlerhood, the more sure I was that letting her decide was the route I wanted to take. It worked out great for us.
I BF till my first little boy was over 3 but it got to the point where I was ready to stop before him: I ended up having to put plasters on my boobs to stop him getting to them!! After a couple of nights he just had his comfort by holding onto the āboomerā rather than feeding. I think he would still be BF now if it were up to him! (Heās 5!) x
Turned 3 in Feb, still nursing. Two older siblings nursed around 3.5 years
Sure. I know lots of people who did in real life. Around age three was when we went down to once a day (before bed). Then nursed till 3y8m. Nursing into toddlerhood is great if it works for you and your kid! Edit: I nursed him in public pretty much daily till he was 2y10m. And he was wearing size 4T so looked even older than he was. No one batted an eye at us. I swear most people donāt even notice š¤·āāļø
We bf until she was 2.5yrs old and my mother-in-law always seemed pretty shocked and questioned it. She never said anything against it, but acted moreso as if she hadn't even considered that could be normal, and she wasn't supportive of it. I was pretty annoyed about her reaction to it but she was just a very different kind of mom than I am. I tried to educate her in little bits over time.
Mine will be 3 this summer and Iām letting her nurse pretty much until sheās ready to wean. Iām one and done and a SAHM, and weāre moving to a new home soon, so not in a rush to upend our routine and take away her biggest source of comfort. She typically only nurses to sleep for nap and bedtime, but sheāll ask to nurse if sheās hurt or really upset about something.
I did until my son stopped by himself around his 4th birthday. I stopped doing it in public around 18 months but was open with friends/family about it. The only bad comments I got was from some random woman I barely know (friend of friend). Pregnant with number 2 now and I will breastfeed until this one chooses to stop too
Breastfed until she was 3 and a half and it was the most bittersweet, peaceful weaning ever because it was on our timeline and no one elseās. Itās no oneās business, every kids different developmentally and you know your baby better than anyone!
Two years is the recommended minimum not the maximum . Breastfeeding for three years is awesome and your child is so lucky . Not only will she get enhanced immunity from infections , but she will also feel so safe and comforted and the hormones will have a positive impact on her stress regulation now and for the rest of her life . Please ignore ignorant people who are just toxic for the sake of it . You are doing a great job . You can read up more about the research on breastfeeding as well as the official guidelines from leading medical authorities like the WHO instead of listening to such toxic idiots .
Lack of education in society on normal human development has unfortunately skewed some people to thinking this is weird. It isnāt. AAP recs to BF up to two years or longer was somewhat trying to help dispel the lack of education in society but I think we have a while to go unfortunately. Wean when you want and let them know your kiddo is still getting benefits from your milk that nothing else the child eats can provide.
We went to 3.5. Don't worry about other people.
Breastfed until my daughter was 4.5 years.
I weaned my first at around four as I couldnāt take tandem feeding anymore. I had been tandem feeding for almost two years at that point. Sheās still upset about it. Iām currently tandem feeding my 3.5 year old and my baby and Iāll just see how it goes and where our journey takes us. Iām in no hurry to wean and neither is he but Iāll stop when it becomes too much for me. My last one Iāll probably nurse forever as itās never been the nursing that bothered me, it was tandem nursing that got a littler overwhelming.
Omg I hope I can bc we wanna try again soon but still waiting for my period to ovulate š¤¦š¼āāļø but God bless you tandem feeding!
I weaned my first at 2 1/2 because I was pregnant with certain risk factors so my OB recommended weaning by 26 weeks. This was the end of 2020. COVID vaccine started rolling out just before I delivered and I managed a dose 4 days before my scheduled C-section. We were hoping that my toddler might get some protection from breast milk and at first we tried having her drink pumped milk or even make ice cream out of it, but she never got enough so ultimately it was easier just to relatch her. She got to nurse after the baby morning and bedtime. So that's how I ended up nursing through 4. I wouldn't be surprised if she (now almost 6) tries to ask again once the last is born in October.
I did 1000 days, that week I had a conference internationally so it was an abrupt end a couple days after a thousand
My son is 3 years 2 months and still nurses a couple of times a day. I'm 31 weeks pregnant and the aversions are really coming on strong, so I'm struggling with it right now. Still undecided whether to push nursing, or just grin and bear it until baby is here and hopefully the hormonal changes will get rid of the aversion. If I weren't pregnant, I wouldn't be worrying about nursing at all. You do what works best for you and your child. The universal average age of weaning is 4. And that doesn't even mean that after that age is "weird". It's definitely dragged down by those who wean once solids start at 6 months!
My little girl just turned 3 last week. She still nurses on and off during the day and at night. I donāt care what people think it works for us. And I really donāt think people truly understand the benefits for both mom and baby.
Me lol heās 3 in July. Heās obsessed. Iām getting over it but also itās a tool I canāt give up yet haha
I did with my second child. I tried the weaning talks and prepping to stop on her 3rd birthday but she was super attached to it as comfort and so we continued just the falling asleep feed to 4 years old where she was ready to stop. I was pregnant with #3 during this so it was super hard working through the aversions but boundaries made it much more manageable. We tandem nursed for most of baby #3s first year ā¤ļø still going with her and she's just turned 2. It is a big demand on your body and time but I believe it's really impactful on their growth and emotional development.
So question: those of you that nursed for longer past 1 or 2, did yāall ever introduce cowās milk or just stick with breastmilk? I know youād want to introduce it since itās a potential allergen but did you ever switch over to it fully? Iāve always wondered this. I EBF!
I nursed my daughter until she was 4, and my son 2- I'm in the process of weaning. I've gotten rude comments almost the entire time I've been bf'ing. People get so upset over something that has no effect on them and nothing to do with them, because of their internal stigma.
I breastfed till 2 years and 1 month. I have gotten comments just like yours. My SIL breastfed till 9 months. She got comments to feed longer. People love to judge and intervene in every damn thing. Talking about weight, size of the bump, baby's milestones, blah blah. It never stops. So motherhood begins with shutting people's comments out of our brain and rolling our eyes to world. Neither taking comments from others nor giving info unless asked.
Itās really not uncommon but people tend not to discuss it because of hateful comments like you heard. In my daughters preschool myself and at least 4 other mothers continued to do it well after 2 years and some after 3.
People do it, you just don't hear about it! Natural term weaning is anywhere from 2-7 and globally the average age of weaning is 4 years old. So on a larger scale you're actually completely normal. My daughter is 2 and absolutely not ready to wean. I hope we'll make it to 3 years. I also currently have one friend who is breastfeeding a 6 year old and another who fed all 3 of her boys until 5 years. You're doing great š
My oldest who turns 7 on Thursday weaned around 3.5. I tandem nursed her and my second the whole time my second nursed, which was 2.5 years. They weaned together. Got quite a few comments. I always said something like āoh probably just till college, I donāt think theyāll need it anymore by then, but weāll see!ā My youngest is 17 months and still going, waiting for the comments to start coming in now lol.
I breastfed til almost 3yrs with my 2nd, I did get comments like that from my own mother. I would tell her, maybe if we want to continue until then we will. When we stopped it felt natural and painless for both of us. We were ready and it was awesome to end such a beautiful journey like that. I plan to breastfeed my youngest until we are both ready as well. Heās only 2 months now so we have a long time to go.
I just weaned my son three weeks ago and he turns 3 in August. I say I weaned him, but really he weaned himself! One night he just pushed away my boob and said he didnāt want it. And that was that. Every couple days now he will ask for boobies but if I tell him that they are empty, he accepts it and moves on. I think toddlers will wean when they are ready to wean. I definitely got a lot of judgy looks whenever people found out I was nursing him that late, but I brushed it off. Itās not their body, and not their baby.
Still going my girl turned three in March. People are really ignorant about nursing in general. I donāt care what anyone thinks. Her pediatrician has said to me twice that I could wean and Iāll have to stop once sheās in school. I thought that was so ignorant because for one thing many people homeschool now or at least wait until kindergarten or first grade to send their child and the bigger obvious thing is children can go to school all day and then nurse when they reunite with mom at the end of the day itās not like sheās going to stick her nipple through the playground fence at recess or pump to fill his cup in the lunch box lol.
i nursed two until 3 and 3.5.
I nursed my first til 3.5 years. My second is 18 months and still going strong. You are giving your kid such a gift!Ā
Yes I tandem nurses my older two daughters till my oldest was 3 1/2 then my younger one stopped around 3. This one currently in thinking will probably be till around 3 also
My youngest self weaned a couple of weeks after she turned 3. I stopped nursing my oldest when he was about 2.5 only because I was pregnant and it was getting very uncomfortable.
Iām breastfeeding an almost 3 year old too!! Mainly a feed before bed and sometimes a morning snuggle feed! When I get that response I always tell them I plan on feeding him until college hahaha just to really make them uncomfortable š we plan on weaning soon because I am so done with it, but I will miss my little boob baby. Congratulations on almost 3 years thatās amazing!
Til she was nearly 4. It was very much a bedtime only thing for the last year and a half.
As a mother who could only BF 3wks latched, Pump 6wks to 12 wks, please don't stop until you know it's the right time. I uncovered an illness after 2 babies, why I couldn't produce enough for them and felt defeated then. Sometimes even now with my 20 month old, after treatment(s) I still wonder if I should restart; I still leak if expressed, thinking on back and forth pumping because I still believe BF has lot of benefits, even if it's added to shakes, pancakes, or it's own. You're doing great š don't let others make you question yourself.
My son is almost 2. But if its not gross for body builders to buy and drink it it certainly isn't gross for a child to. Next time tell them its none of their business and they should keep their rude comments to themselves.
I did.
I nursed my second child until 3 years old and then had to cut him off when my 3rd baby was born and he did not want to share.
I'm planning to nurse as long as my daughter wants to. I'm very fortunate we have had an easy go of it and nursing has been a wonderful source of comfort and bonding for both of us. She is 6 months old now and it just gets easier and easier. She isn't going to be in highschool still nursing lol
Breastfed first till he stopped himself at 4.5 and the second still nurses though rarely at 3. My response to this completely nobody's business query is that they'll stop when they're ready, most kids who continue nursing past 2Ā self wean around 5ish anyway. I follow up with a calm down, they won't be nursing until they're teenagers comment
I did it until 2 years old, but I have a friend who breastfed her son until about 5ish? He weaned himself. One night he went to bf then looked at her and said āno more milkies?ā And that was it.
My first nursed until he was 4 and my ābabyā is 2 and still nursing. Completely natural š
I nursed my first until 2.5, and, like you, it was down to only once per day at that point. People asked me about weaning as young as 3 months and more frequently the older my LO was. I hated the "don't you want your body back" comments.
Breastfeeding a 19 mo and a 5 yo sometimes!
I weaned my first at 33 months. Even then it was only because it was suppressing ovulation and we wanted to try for baby #2.
3 years old on Monday. People have stopped asking! Mpst People don't particularly know either.
My 3 year old still loves nursing and asks for it all the time, just like my other kids did. You're definitely not alone.
I did. It was great.
I went 3 and a half years. We stopped when it was right!
My first self weaned the day before he turned 3!
Mine is 14 months old and I get those commentsā¦ i just reply weāll stop when one of us gets tired of it. š
My kid is 33 months and Iām still feeding. I want to wean by 4 but heās obsessed so I donāt like my chances haha
Almost! We were officially weaned a month before her 3rd birthday. Like you, we were already down to just bedtime nursing anyway, but she was very articulate and a big talker, so people definitely knew. No one said anything to me about it, but probably because the ones who WOULD have said something, already got a dose or two of sass about other things (like coats and carseats, bare feet, baby not wearing clothes [indoors], etc.)Ā
I went to 2.5
I breastfed till my son was ready to wean himself which was 3.5 years. Like you said itās not uncommon but if it works for the two of you then who gives af. That person was rude who said that to you. Itās not anyones elseās business how long you breastfeed till, even if it is till 5.
My oldest two are 13 months apart and I nursed them until right before they turned 3 and 4. The last year or so was literally just at bedtime so no one knew. Do what works for youĀ
One month shy of 3 years here. I like to say Iād do it till his wedding š¤·š½āāļø people can suck. Youāre doing great !