Hellobee Boards

I know it's the right time to wean because my baby is 1, she eats well, and I am done nursing her. That's enough. If you don't feel done, it's fine to keep going. It all about you and the baby - when one or both of you is done, stop. Don't let anyone else pressure you into stopping before that point.

I knew it was time because he didn't nurse for long anymore and was so easily distracted when we would nurse. He just didn't need it at all. We were only down to nursing before bed and after waking up at that point at about 5 minutes each time.

My LO pretty much self weaned around 19 months. She had started dropping sessions as she dropped naps- like when she went down to one nap a day she stopped asking for it mid morning, we we were on 3 times a day (wake up, after nap, bed). Then one day after nap she didn't ask for it and I offered her a snack after she woke up and that was that. The morning one was a surprise to me but she just didn't ask and didn't seem that interested at some point so it was just at bedtime. The it got to the point that I would have to ask her a few times if she wanted milk before bed, so I knew she was ready. One day, when *I* was ready, I didn't offer, just did the rest of her bedtime routine and out her to bed, and she was fine. So I would say she led the way and I very gently encouraged her.

I will say the months after she turned one when everyone and their mother asked when I was going to stop breastfeeding, I had a lot of doubts. Once I decided I would keep doing it as long as it worked for both of us and answered confidently, I felt a lot better.

I probably would have wanted to push it a little more if she was still asking for it when we were out and t was inconvenient. It's hard.

Coming up on 20 months I was ready to be done. Since it was coming up on the holidays I figured we'd keep things status quo and ween at 21-22 months, hope to be done by 2.

At 20.5 months DS just stopped. I offered a few times throughout the weekend but he just refused. So that was that.

I was surprised because he was a boob monster. But I think you will both know when the time is right to stop.

@junebugsmama: I weaned my big girl at 3y3m and we were both just ready! She'd been down to nursing just once a day since around 2y3m (she dry-nursed right through my pregnancy) and we had been talking about having special stories instead of nursing before bed. We went and picked out two special story books and one night she just decided to read stories instead of nursing.

I think that as they get older, the nursing becomes more about connection than milk so keeping the connection can ease the weaning process.

I kept waiting for my girl to be ready on her own, and waiting, and waiting. At just past 2.5 I realized was done. I was newly pregnant and hoped the supply dip would take care of it, but then I had a MC. I ended up telling her milkies went away when she turned 3 and we stopped cold turkey on her birthday.

@junebugsmama: surprise pregnancy, supply dip, weaning- that was actually the final straw for us I think! She was definitely rest anyway but I found out i was pregnant again a week after she totally weaned, so I wonder if it was related.

Fwiw I remember reading about kids self weaning a few months before she did and I was like, no that will never be my little boob monster. But it was and I am so grateful for how it worked out.

@junebugsmama: All I have to say is that I am in the exact same boat. I think I will just keep going until my daughter is ready to stop. However, I get judgement from my mother-in-law a lot. I don't really understand why she would place such judgment on something that is so healthy for my daughter. I realize that pulling my boob out all the time might make her uncomfortable, but it's my choice. Nobody else's. Anyway, my daughter is also 19 months. Nursing helps calm her, get her to sleep, comfort her and just all around makes us so bonded and close. I love it. I'm not ready to stop and neither is she. There are some afternoons/evenings when I kind of wish she didn't want to nurse SO MUCH, but there will come a day when I will miss it. So, I'm cherishing this period in her life as long as I can.