When do you stop demand/request feeding?

[Indadhanu]

Just wondering...

I still feed Jazz on request, some days she'll have 4 feeds. Some days she'll feed like a newborn, and feed A LOT!!!

I don't necessarily have a problem with it. It's just been what we've always done so its not like its anything different for us, just same old same old LOL.

Just wondering... is this ok? Or should I be starting to hold out on her. Sometimes I do, but not to the point of her being distressed, we just go and do something else, distract her etc.

Ok... ok... I'll be honest. I'm nervous about the coming week. We are going away, visiting some family, who are in the majority (unfortunately) and can't see why I'm still feeding, and see this holiday away a a great time for me to wean
And I'm not feeling very confident in my demand feeding.
And ESPECIALLY since I am looking for work now, and rather than wean her, plan on expressing a feed for while I am at work (not that they'll be long hours, I'm only planning on part-time for now). I have already heard the "oh, that'll be good for weaning".

It's also hard now she's starting sleeping through sproadically, to say to someone after a night where she's woken once or twice "Oh I had to get up and feed her last night" and get the repsonse "she's slept through though right, so she CAN go without it, if she wakes up she doesn't NEED you to get up and feed anymore...?". Well, technically, probably not, but ARGH I hate that repsonse. She doesn't NEED it. Well how the bloody hell do you know?!?!?!
( sorry, bugbear of mine...)

It's funny because I never thought I'd be ok to bf past 12 months. Honestly, I didn't think it was for me. But now, I can't see why I need to wean before she is ready... but I have trouble explaining that. Some people just can't see past the (apparent to them?) *grossness* of a 14mo coming up to mummy and patting her boobies and kissing them. To me its just the cutest thing ever, and a relief that she has emotion and attachment to something because she doesn't have a favourite toy or blankie... (anyway, thats my issue LOL!).

Anyway... looking for personal experience here... is it not too unusual that I still demand feed /request on request? Often its not really a feed, just a few quick comfort sucks, a little cuddle together, she pats my booby, and then continues with her play, just like a 'touch base, reconnect, recharge' kind of thing i guess. And I have no problem with that, in fact I recall in "The Science of Parenting" that its a healthy thing, and so I often feel like I am really responding to her deep biological urge to be cloes to me, and feel really great about it. But the fact that its not even a real feed gets people saying "she doesn't really need that you know..." even though, I feel those quick sucks and the closeness is just as important as her 'actual' feeds...
Like I said, I can distract her, but my instincts tell me theres no real point in letting her become distressed by holding out on her and only feeding her at set times...

Thats ok? Right?