Planning to do CLW....do I stop offering?? When?

[ILovePie]

Or is this just one of those "you'll know what to do when you get there" kind of things?

I had a stupid dietician going on and on about how he should be eating from the table by a year - blah blah blah. He eats from the table already - he eats everything in whatever quantity he wants as long as it isn't an allergy risk (DS is 10.5 months).

Anyway, I realized that during his second year (not AT a year like people seem to push for!!!!) he's going to really be getting most/all of his nutrition from sources other than me. I mean, I'm not going to push it. I don't want to make meals and eating well a battle when I don't have to! If he continues to nurse quite a bit, fine. If not, that's ok too -- I figure people use cow's milk as part of their 12-24m/o's nutrition....and my milk is way better for DS, so whatever.

But when the heck do I stop offering the breast? When he can ask for it clearly? Right now he only signs "milk" while he's nursing - otherwise he gets cranky and I ask if he wants milk and he either ignores me ("no") or throws his face at my chest ("YES!") or he just starts trying to nurse through my shirt. So, he asks in his own ways I guess. But...when do I just flat out stop offering?

[PatioGardener]

I wouldn't stop offering until after age 2. Between 1 and 2 yrs old toddlers are notorious for getting busy and forgetting to eat. They need to be reminded to nurse just like when we remind them to eat solids. And breastfeeding is an important part of development (nutritially, cognitively, emotionally, immunologicaly etc) until at least age 2 (as seen by the WHO recommendations on breastfeeding for at lest 2 years.)

It sounds like you guys are doing well!

[alegna]

It is important to me for my kids to nurse until at least 2, so I will offer until then. After that, it depends.

-Angela

[ssh]

You don't have to stop offering, when your DS is ready he will turn it down. He'll probably tell you he's too big or milk is for little babies. He'll have already cut out most of his nursing sessions because he's too busy playing.
My first DD, an adult college student, weaned herself at 3.5 years old. She was " a big girl and didn't need milkies any more". She wanted alot more stories at bedtime for awhile. My younger DD, whose 40 months old now, is still nursing a lot. I have no idea when she will wean herself.

[MilkyMuse]

Even after you've "stopped offering" you may find there are times when your child doesn't ask to nurse but you're pretty sure it would help -- like if he gets hurt or scared. With my oldest it didn't really matter that I stopped offering when he was about 2; he was an intense nurser and continued nursing frequently, asking when he needed to.

[williamsmommy2002]

I stopped offering about 3.5 or 4. I started to limit my offereing at about 3.

[SereneBabe]

I'd commit to until 2, but really, my method has always been "just go with the flow..." I never *planned* to child-led-wean. In fact, I didn't know it was called that until my daughter was around 3 or 4...