When it comes to feeding your baby, there's no perfect system. While you may set goals for yourself — say 'I'll breastfeed exclusively for a year' — sometimes life just gets in the way of your best-laid plans and you have to reevaluate things as they come. And that's fine! Every family is different, and what works for one won't necessarily work for another.

Moms face a whole range of experiences, and that's why we decided to speak with mamas who shared information about their own baby feeding journeys. They each weighed in on how they knew it was time to stop breastfeeding their little ones — and the answers? Well, they represent the wonderful variety of experiences we all have as moms.

So read on for more on how, when and why these mothers realized it was time to stop nursing.

The mama who found a sleep solution

'I had originally planned to breastfeed until my son was one year old. However, my son was waking up two or three times at night to nurse, and each time he would only nurse for about five minutes before falling back asleep. I was having such a hard time getting sleep that I decided to stop nursing . I felt some guilt, but he started sleeping through the night, and I was a much better mom to all of my kids with eight hours of sleep under my belt.' -Crystal

The mama whose baby wanted more than milk

“I knew it was time to stop breastfeeding my son because he was way more interested in real food than milk of any kind. Seriously though, I went through both of my pregnancies planning on breastfeeding for a year because I felt like most doctors recommended that and was happy to do it for a year. Ultimately though I was at a point where I wanted my body back just for me and felt like I had done what was recommended by most doctors.' - Amy

The mama who went longer than expected

I ended my breastfeeding journey this past spring after 19 months. Never did I imagine breastfeeding beyond a year, and in the beginning, even making it another month felt difficult. I can't pinpoint an exact moment but eventually breastfeeding just clicked. My daughter and I found our groove, and I'm so grateful for so many months of successful nursing. I decided it was time to wean my baby after 19 months because I needed to have my body back. I wanted to remember our breastfeeding relationship fondly and knew that if I didn't wean then, it might be compromised. I was beginning to feel 'touched out' and needed some time for my body to be just mine again. Especially with the hopes of growing our family on the horizon.' - Alli

The mama who is raising a little foodie

'I am a Mom of two, and I just in the last month stopped breastfeeding my youngest at 14 months old. My youngest made it really easy to stop breastfeeding. We own two restaurants, so from day one, they've seen how important cooking, food and family meals are to our lives. So after he turned one, we very slowly started replacing breast with food he could play with and eat. I let him lead the way and after about a month he was all done breastfeeding. ' - Briana

The mama whose baby got distracted

The mama who set a goal

The mama who had two very different experiences