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C was about 20 months when she self weaned. But for us it was very gradual and she started dropping feedings on her own until it was just wake up and bedtime, which I didn't mind, and she very rarely asked for it during the day. She stopped asking for the morning one one day and I didn't offer, then a few weeks later it got to where I'd have to ask her a few times if she wanted milk at bedtime before she would settle down and nurse, so I knew she was ready. One day when we got back from a few days away, I just didn't ask if she wanted milk and went straight into the bedtime routine and she was fine. She asked for it once or twice a few days later but I would just offer cows milk in a cup and she was ok. I'm really glad she self weaned when she did because I didn't want to continue much longer (and it turned out I was pregnant) but like you, I felt guilty forcing her.

My DD did the same thing at daycare! Eventually there came a time when DH did several pick-ups, and after that I started enforcing only nursing in one designated spot at home. I felt she was old enough to understand when I said "we only do milk in the special chair." There were a few rough pick-ups after that, but we kept some other snacks handy and a straw cup of water or fridge milk, and eventually she stopped asking at daycare. But I haven't pushed weaning at home, and at 23 months she doesn't show any interest in EVER stopping...

@nana87: I really couldn't have asked for a better way to end nursing! And a couple months before I thought there was no way she would ever stop on her own.

@daniellemybelle: yes to the cuddling! My LO is as snuggly as ever.

@daniellemybelle: omg just got so emotional reading your post about your last nursing session I cried at work lol.

@nana87: I was planning on self-weaning, but my toddler got more and more insistent as time went on. I nursed all the way through a pregnancy, and then when I had the baby, my toddler gave up solids and wanted to nurse full time. She was 21 months. I thought it was a phase so I was attempting to nurse through it, but then we went on a vacation and it meant that I was going to have to nurse a toddler and a baby tandem in public like in restaurants and so forth. I am totally and completely comfortable with public breastfeeding but no. Just no. And if I didn't feed her she would have a crazy meltdown. Anyway, I felt like shit about forceably weaning her but I was so totally over it I thought I was going to lose my mind. So we had a special shopping trip and we bought a lovie and a special cup and when she wanted to nurse I would give her the special cup with juice in it. She was extremely pissed and tantrumed for a few days, but then she was completely okay from then on. We still have great cuddles and a close relationship. What I learned from this experience is that it's totally okay to wean, and it was bad for my psyche to spend a year in an uncomfortable breastfeeding relationship for no real reason.

@nana87: @Peasinapod: @daniellemybelle: @PurplePeony: @lemong: I thought I was the only one! LO is 13 mo and I nurse her in the car before strapping her in and heading home. She often cries when I get there because she wants to nurse right away. I think I could break the habit if I distracted her with snacks but she nurses so much at home and I work 3 days/wk so I'm usually about to explode when I get to daycare (I don't pump anymore).

LO was fully weaned at 22.5 months, but it was a very slow slow process. Starting very early (before a year), if we were out and she wanted to nurse, I would tell her that she could have some when we got home (provided we were going home soon). That is something you could do as a first step to weaning. It doesn't have to be an all or nothing thing, if you want to keep going. At 18 months, she dropped the after daycare nursing (cause going outside was more fun). I cut out the evening session around 21 months (dad put her to bed) and them suddenly she stopped asking in the morning at 22.5 months. She asked again over a week later and I told her it was all gone. She seemed ok with it. One thing that really helped, was I replaced nursing with "milk and snuggles". We'd cuddle up and have a sippie of milk, which I think helped her not lose the connection and comfort that nursing gave her.