Anonymous wrote:Stick with it through the winter when more illnesses are going around. WHO recommends nursing until at least age 2 years.

WHO recommends that for countries with limited fresh clean water, PP. While nursing can come in handy during the cold and flu season, I would still recommend gentle, natural Weaning before 18 months.

Mine both naturally lost interest around 13/14 months and I just went with it. Yes, I was a little sad, but I had read that they could become much more attached and harder to wean if I waited and I didn’t want that. My first I think I could have convinced to keep going if it was really important to me. My second, I actually don’t think would have gone for it. She was DONE.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you like breastfeeding, you don't have to wean! I'm still breastfeeding an almost 4 yo for a few minutes morning and night. If I have to go somewhere or we are on a trip or something, I can skip it with no issue, and she often forgets about it. There's no need to fully stop unless you don't like breastfeeding.

PS DCUM seems to really hate extended breastfeeding. So don't let this board convince you to wean.

OP made it clear that she doesn’t care one way or the other. She’s asking what’s best for the baby.

I, like many others, would be concerned about your daughter’s need to suckle at nearly four. It feels developmentally inappropriate. Let her grow up.

NP. And yet, children around the world regularly breastfeed until age 4 or beyond, with zero ill effects. Your aversion is cultural, not based on what is developmentally appropriate.

Where do children nurse until age four? Honestly, I’ve read this “around the world” statement here before but have never seen it personally nor ever seen a report verifying this to be true.

Weaning is natural for all mammals at a young age. What is currently cultural is the belief that nursing is for comfort and not for nutrition. When mammals can eat on their own, they wean. So should we. The weird association with comfort and eating is American culture!

Hold, rock, cuddle your four year old without feeding.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you like breastfeeding, you don't have to wean! I'm still breastfeeding an almost 4 yo for a few minutes morning and night. If I have to go somewhere or we are on a trip or something, I can skip it with no issue, and she often forgets about it. There's no need to fully stop unless you don't like breastfeeding.

PS DCUM seems to really hate extended breastfeeding. So don't let this board convince you to wean.

OP made it clear that she doesn’t care one way or the other. She’s asking what’s best for the baby.

I, like many others, would be concerned about your daughter’s need to suckle at nearly four. It feels developmentally inappropriate. Let her grow up.

NP. And yet, children around the world regularly breastfeed until age 4 or beyond, with zero ill effects. Your aversion is cultural, not based on what is developmentally appropriate.

Stick with it through the winter when more illnesses are going around. WHO recommends nursing until at least age 2 years.

Having weaned one at 2.5 and the other at 15 months, the emotional upheaval was nonexistent for the 15 month old. My older child at 2.5 cried to nurse while my younger was happy with cuddles and warm cows milk in a straw cup.

Anonymous wrote:If you like breastfeeding, you don't have to wean! I'm still breastfeeding an almost 4 yo for a few minutes morning and night. If I have to go somewhere or we are on a trip or something, I can skip it with no issue, and she often forgets about it. There's no need to fully stop unless you don't like breastfeeding.

PS DCUM seems to really hate extended breastfeeding. So don't let this board convince you to wean.

OP made it clear that she doesn’t care one way or the other. She’s asking what’s best for the baby.

I, like many others, would be concerned about your daughter’s need to suckle at nearly four. It feels developmentally inappropriate. Let her grow up.

If you like breastfeeding, you don't have to wean! I'm still breastfeeding an almost 4 yo for a few minutes morning and night. If I have to go somewhere or we are on a trip or something, I can skip it with no issue, and she often forgets about it. There's no need to fully stop unless you don't like breastfeeding.

PS DCUM seems to really hate extended breastfeeding. So don't let this board convince you to wean.

My first weaned by himself at 18 months. I did nothing to encourage him except go to work every day. My daughter is 15 months now and loves nursing. I'm planning to wean no later than 2 although I'd be fine with one bedtime nursing session until 2.5 if pressed. But I will start the don't offer, don't refuse routine at 18 months.

18 months before the toddler stubbornness kicks in. We waited until after that and it was so much harder than it would have been earlier.

Mine both did it themselves at 13 months. I was bummed!

No one can say definitively, OP. Having weaned three, I would say to do it before 1.5 so it isn’t an emotional weaning. You can distract them more easily before 18 or 19 months. I did the “don’t offer, don’t refuse” and all three self-weaned by 1.5.

If you want to be the one to decide, you should wean in the next couple months. It just gets harder as the kids get older and more opinionated.

If you are happy continuing until your child is ready, just know it could easily be another year or longer.

Our pediatrician told us it’s easiest for the child to stop all bottles, pacifiers and breastfeeding before 18 months.

I, personally, could go on forever or quit today. It’s not about me. DD is 13 months and nurses fully before bed and before nap. She has no problem with straw cups and likes cows milk. I always have worked from home and have a great nanny so pumping was never an issue. It’s not like DH and I are going anywhere at bedtime for the foreseeable future anyway.

Thanks!