When should breastfeeding stop?

This question can really be confusing, especially when you get conflicting advice from different generations. Let me address this from two angles so you feel at ease.

Current pediatric view is this: The World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend babies receive *exclusively breast milk for the first 6 months*, then continuing with additional foods until *at least age 1*, and breastfeeding can continue for *age 2 and beyond* as long as both mother and baby want. This isn't a "stopping time" but "how a process works"—gradually, not suddenly, as the baby transitions to additional foods and solids.

Religious/scriptural basis: The Quran clearly states that the breastfeeding period is 2 full years (Luqman Chapter, verse 14: "His mother carried him with pain and delivered him with pain. His gestation and weaning is thirty months."). This is also confirmed in authentic Hadith in Sahih Bukhari and Muslim. So age 2, both medically and in religious texts, serves as an *upper reference point*, not a *stopping deadline*.

The mother-in-law factor: Elders usually say "milk is no longer enough then" or "it stops at one year" from old habit. But today's knowledge shows that milk's composition changes as the baby grows and remains valuable. If you tell her "The World Health Organization recommends until age 2, and that's what our doctor says too," she's more likely to accept it.

In short: There's no "you must stop" rule. Natural decrease happens with your baby; you can continue as long as you feel ready and your baby needs it. The key measure is: Starting solid foods is going well, baby's development matches their age, weight gain is normal—then there's no rush to stop milk.

Which way does your situation lean right now?