Extended BFers

[esd]

J will be one tomorrow. I'd like to continue BFing but not sure what kind of schedule to keep up? Still on demand? He doesn't sttn so he nurses at least once during the night. Then breakfast, lunch, and before bed.

I was able to nurse my older son until 14 months but he was down to before bed only so this is new for me.

[memcgee]

I nursed my DD on demand still at 1 year, and that was probably still 6-8 times per day (usually 1-2 of those times were MOTN). My DD had really poor solid intake, though, until she was probably 14-15 months. I know every child is different, but my DD gradually began dropping nursing sessions after she turned 1 as her solid intake increased, and I just tried to follow her lead. Now, at 20 months, she's down to morning, night and very occasionally before her nap if she asks. We night weaned at around 16 months more due to my choice than hers.

[noname]

I am still nursing my 16 month old mostly on demand. Right before she turned one she was nursing ~6 times a day, but by 14 months she had dropped to 3-4 times a day on her own. Now at 16 months it is pretty regularly morning, before nap, and bedtime. I think as she got more active she became too busy to nurse, and also wasn't as hungry because of increased solid intake. I try to follow her lead, if she needs to nurse an extra time when she's upset or sick she does. DD gave up night nursing awhile ago, but I think a lot of moms will try to night wean after a year just to get some solid sleep.

[spacedew]

I nurse my DD on demand at 18 months. We are currently night weaning by my choice. She would still nurse every 2 hours at night if I let her. I figure when she is ready she will decrease her feeds. It's important to do what you and you LO feel comfortable with.

[theresat858]

I think it is up to you and/or your LO. It's ok to keep nursing on demand, or it's ok to set limits if that's what you want to do.

We started limiting DD1 to 3-4 times a day at 1 because I found that if I let her nurse on demand on weekends, I got uncomfortably engorged at work on Monday. So she could nurse in the morning when she woke up, at night when I got home from work (or once mid-day on a weekend), and before her bath/bed routine. I also nursed her when she woke up at night, which was 0-1x/night until we night weaned at 20 months (my choice, not hers). (She woke a few nights a week, not nightly). I limited her to 2x/day at 23 months and cut her off at 24 months (due to my nipple pain bc of pregnancy).

[jfresh]

I stuck with on demand and we both just kind of formed a schedule. At some point I started telling him in a little bit if I wasnt feeling it. We naturally moved from 3-4 times a day to 1-2 times.

[Deleted]

I nursed on demand for a few months after 1 yr, but I did have to night-wean (for my sanity) when he was about 15 mo. He was eating solids pretty well so didn't worry too much about him getting enough, but I did keep pumping for awhile because he was MSPI and I wanted him to keep getting my milk while we were apart.
I think at this point you could nurse on demand as you increase your LOs intake of other foods, night wean if you want to, and don't worry too much about it. That's the nice thing about extended BFing.

[lingeringwithcoffee]

At 20 months, we mostly BF on demand. Although I'm trying to night wean, and she usually only wants to nurse when she wakes up, after nap time, and before bed.

[babywinks]

DS turned 1 in the 9th. So far I am sticking with on demand as he seems to really like nursing and since I SAH it's easy to be available for him. He still wakes a lot at night so I think I am going to have to make an effort to night wean, but I haven't made that decision yet.

[lauranicole91]

We stuck with on demand, but switched to more of a don't offer, but don't refuse kinda deal. 18m is when I finally broke down and night weaned. Then sometime right before 2 I started refusing some feedings. At nearly 3 she is finally down to only 3-4 sessions a day.

You will find your groove and what works best for you guys.

[jennlin]

i still nurse my 35mo mostly on demand. i started telling her to wait, though, at about 2 years..

[casey]

This depends on what is agreeable to you. We are pretty much on demand, but I rarely NIP anymore. She's usually too busy to care. The few times she's asked to NIP, she took gentle redirection well.

At this point, that means we do wake-up, bedtime, naps on weekends ... she seems to be dropping her home-from-dc nurse.

[yianna]

I nursed on demand, while together until he was almost 2, then I dropped daytime feedings on the weekends (I WOH) so we were down to AM and PM only. Right after his birthday, we went to only PM Feedings where he stayed there until he was 6 weeks from his 3rd birthday.

[Deleted]

I chose to make more of a schedule for my 13.5 month old DS.  I also chose to sleep train several months back so I don't experience MOTN feedings anymore. DS nurses for as long as he wants when he wakes up in the morning and the same for bedtime.  It is also helpful that he is really into food.  That is our usual routine except for days like today when he is sick and asks for mama's milk more, then I nurse on demand.  I think each child is different and you should see what works best for you and your LO.  I don't think you can go wrong.  If you two are happy nursing on demand, continue with that.  If you want to make a schedule that is okay too

[gallumbits]

I just try to hold DS off sometimes, especially if not at home. Sometimes he demands it though and I'm ok with that. It's really up to you. I'm not ready to deal with the forced weaning yet. He doesn't seem agreeable to that at all!

[catsinawindow]

I nursed my DS on demand once we hit one year (I stopped pumping at work, but he still nursed frequently at home and generally once during the night). At 18 months, I night-weaned him because I had it with the night wake-ups to nurse. Once I did this, he immediately started to STTN. Based on this, I'm planning on night-weaning my DD (currently 8 months) once she hits one year if she's still not STTN by then.

My DS gradually dropped nursing sessions until I got PG when he was 2. By then, he had dropped to maybe 1-2 times a day. Once I hit 2nd trimester, my milk really dried up and he self-weaned right around his 3rd birthday.