How long did you breastfeed and why did you stop?

[QueenOfTheMeadow]

With ds1, I breastfed for 17 months and I quit because I was pregnant. I just though that's what you did.

With ds2 I breastfed until he was 2 and I was 4 months pregnant, and it actually made me nautious each time I breastfed.

With ds3, I thought about weaning when he was 2.5 year old because I was pregnant and it was getting uncomfortable. I decided to stick it out and see how it went. Unfortunately, I lost that pregnancy, but was glad I had continued to breastfeed. I ended up breastfeeding for 3.5 years despite my dh's family being appalled. My ds finally weaned himself and decided that snuggling my "smooshy" belly was just as nice as snuggling my breast. Hey. at least someone liked it that way!

[NewBeginnings1]

Still breastfeeding my 6mo, loving it and going strong. I'm doing Baby Led Solids and Weaning, and I am so glad that I learned about this. My baby is still a baby, and I know that my breast is best for him right now. I feel in my heart like we've got at least full more year to go. 

I'm wondering what comments I'll get from family who weaned around 6mo. Luckily I have a crunchy sister, so if both of us do it then maybe they'll bite their tongue!

[BarefootScientist]

I started weaning DS very, very gradually when he was a little over two. I did it because I wanted to stop, although I did it in a very gradual way, cutting out the times that bothered me and then waiting until others started to bother me, etc... His last nursing session ended up being when he was almost 2 years 8 months old.

I plan to follow a similar path with this baby, unless I get pregnant sooner, in which case I will probably wean a little more quickly.

[major_mama11]

DD- 2.75 years. She would have gladly nursed longer, but I was just done. I kept getting thrush, she kept getting thrush. Also, I wanted to just have my body to myself for a while before TTC for the next baby. She was already nightweaned for a while before I decided to stop. She weaned surprisingly easily, with some extra TLC. Then I immediately got pg with DS, so it turned out that I only truly had my body to myself for 10 days.

DS- Almost 2. I'll probably wean him when he gets to 2.5 or so. We may have another baby in a year or two, and I'd like to give myself that little break in between.

[Llyra]

DD1-- I never really did. We EPed for nine months, with my supply going up and down and up and down, and then she night-nursed for a few months, and then around 13 months I gave it up completely. It was a fiasco, largely owing to misinformation, combined with the worst case of nipple confusion, some oral motor issues, and a really bad tongue tie.

DS and DD2-- 16 months. I wanted to breasteed them longer, but I have a chronic serious illness that wasn't responding to the "safe" treatments, and I nearly died trying to stay off stronger meds. We then nursed a few times a day, around the dosages, until DD2 had an adverse reaction. So we weaned. It was heartbreaking.

[limette]

Around 20 months or so. I got pregnant both times which resulted in extreme pain and really negative feelings when breastfeeding.

[kythe]

#1:  Breastfed without a hitch until around 16-17 months, stopped during my second pregnancy because my milk dried up and bf became very painful.  She started again after new baby was born, tandem nursed for a while, and continued nursing until age 5 when she didn't need it any more.

#2:  Had latch problems (tongue tie) and supplemented for the first few months, but was mostly breastfed.  He weaned at 18 months when we were going through a stressful time in our family.  In retrospect I think I mistook a nursing strike for weaning, but I did the best I could under the circumstances.

[woodchick]

I am still currently nursing my 4.5yo and 2yo.

[CallMeMommy]

With DS1 I weaned him at 17 months, just because I figured he was old enough.  Stupid.  Even worse, it was November - right at cold and flu season!

With DS2, I weaned him at 19 months because I was pregnant and nursing was making my skin crawl.  I couldn't stand it.  I wanted to go longer, but couldn't do it.  Luckily he didn't seem to phased by it.

DS3 is 6 months old and we have no babies planned in the future, so I'm shooting for 2 years minimum, longer if he wants.

[eclipse]

DS1 - until he was 4 years, 6 weeks old. He nursed all the way through my pregnancy with dd. A few days after he found out I was pregnant with ds2, he decided to stop because "I needed that extra milk for the new baby.

DD: Until just after her second birthday. I was pregnant with ds2, and she had been cutting back for a long time. One day I offered, and she told me "No thanks! That's for babies! I'm not a baby - I'm TWO!" She tried a couple of times after ds2 was born, but she couldn't remember how and wasn't really interested.

DS2: He stopped when he was around 3.5. It was just a gradual thing - he was done, and I was ready to be done.

[onyxravnos]

ds1 BF until 2.5 on demand then i cut down to just nap time and bed as i was preggo and my supply was still there but was really low so it was uncomfortable. He nursed all through pregnancy and then for 9 months after baby was born. 

I only stoped because i had one night where we was just attached ALL NIGHT LONG and i felt so drained and dry that i didn't even want to nurse the baby so we had a 'big boy' party and he had a cake with ice cream and some little presents. He fussed and cried for a minute or two for 2 or 3 nights but has been fine since (although he still snuggles and touches and cuddles my 'nurses' all the time.

ds2 is 15 months and going strong.

[hollyself]

My seven year old stopped nursing a few weeks ago  :(  She just hasn't asked for it.....I didn't even see it coming.  my 4.5 year old, on the other hand, nurses about 4 times per week.  I just found out I am pregnant, about 5 weeks, so it'll be interesting to see if she keeps it up.  I am all for tandem nursing  :)

[stacylsc]

#1 self weaned at a year (boy)

#2 self weaned at 15 mo. (girl)

#3 self weaned at 19 mo. (girl) around my third month being pregnant with

#4 self weaned at a year (boy)

I'm not sure why none of them kept going longer...perhaps it was the drop in my production? When they stopped I kept pumping after each in the hopes that they might come back to it and wanted to make sure it was still available...each time I was surprised at how little they were really getting! This last time I kept pumping enough to make some soap...it has always been a dream of mine. :)

I would have loved to keep breastfeeding, but it was very evident that they were not really interested any longer.

[amurrayrubin]

 DD nursed until she was just about 17mos... She stopped asking for it gradually over two months time and didn't take me up on my offers so I figured she was done and I wasn't going to push it :)

[twofourone]

My twins boys self weaned at 2 1/2

[painefaria]

I breastfed DS until he was almost 35 months old. I got pregnant and lost my milk supply but still nursed him for about 3 months without milk. This one I will probably nurse until 36 months.

[havinababy]

with DD i weaned her at 19 mo because i was pregnant and it hurt so much that i was so cranky and irritated that it wasn't doing either of us any good. DS was 26 months and only because he would only nurse at night, i work, and i wasn't getting any sleep. 2 nights of a bit of fussy time, he has been fine. I and DH still bed share with both of them now 2.5 and 4.5. they are great kids!

[Saara687]

DS1 had just turned 2, and I was 5 months pregnant.  My milk changed, and he told me, "No more, mommy - it's yucky!"  So, that was it, for him.  I offered at bedtime, for a couple of nights, but he wasn't interested. 

DS2 breastfed until the day of his 6th birthday.  We'd talked about it, and had agreed that he would quit when he turned 6.  He woke up, asked to nurse, said goodbye, gave them a kiss each & that was it.  It was time, for me.  I asked, when he was 3, if he'd be done soon & he said, "When I'm 4."  4 came & went, and he said, "When I'm 5."  He didn't ask to nurse every day, and for a while, he'd even go a week, or more, without & I'd think, "He's done."  Then, he got very sick when he was 5 & had to be hospitalized & given heavy doses of IV antibiotics & started nursing many times a day again.  I didn't think he'd really wean, when he turned 6, but I was glad when he did.  He still speaks fondly, of nursing. 

I was breastfed until I was 4, so the idea of nursing a child past infancy & toddlerhood wasn't exactly an odd concept, to me. 

[mumi.guyer]

I breastfeed our firstborn, Jamie, exactly 2 years.  On his second birthday he pushed his, "Mi-mi's" away, saying, "Bad milk," as I was due with his sister, Julia, in one month.  The milk was turning to colostrum.

Julia nursed on demand until she weaned herself at 3-1/2 years...

Our third child, Daniel, came along when Julia was about to wean.  She weaned shortly after he was born.  She did not seem to mind the taste of the colostrum as much.  

Daniel weaned when he was about 3-1/2  to almost 4 years old.  I am sixty three and can't remember exactly.  All I know is he wanted the comfort more than the milk the last half year.

[jassyp101]

I breastfed DD until she was 2 1/2 years old.  At that point, we threw a "no more mommy's milk party" and weaned her.  She was waking up through the night to nurse and once she was weaned, she started sleeping through the night.  :)  She is almost 5 now and still loves snuggling, cuddling and being close.