How long did you/do you plan to breast feed for?

[tinselcat]

Just curious to know what others are planning to do, or did with the breast feeding.

My mum (who I'm currently living with) stopped bf-ing her babies at 9 mo/9 mo/6 mo.

Am almost at 8 mo now and pleased to have made it this far (especially considering how difficult it was at the start), however I was hoping to continue until past a year.

Was wondering what other peoples' experiences are

 

[TTT]

Call me daft lol but I thought that once you started weaning you started dropping feeds and stopped breastfeeding, it came as a bit of a shock to me that you shouldn't stop breastfeeding until at least a year in an ideal world.

My mum stopped breastfeeding us at three months and she thought that was a long time "in those days". My sil carried on for over a year but her babies didn't take to weaning too well at first and didn't start being comfortable with first tastes until they were eight months old.

My baby had a suspected milk allergy but we now make his porridge up with formula milk with no problems. We started weaning him at about 19 weeks I think and he took to it extremely well. I would like to carry on night feeds until he decides he doesn't want them anymore but id be happy if he dropped feeds in the day now I can put formula in his food without any problems.

 

[mylullaby]

I think that like many elements of parenting that when it comes to breastfeeding/weaning everyone is different - and what suits one mum/baby won't suit others. I have mum friends who have breastfed from 6 months to 2+ years and everything in between. My "plan" is to wait and see what happens and try not to pay too much attention to what everyone else is doing. I'm sure this will be easier said than done when baby is actually here!! xx

 

[sorpresa_bea]

I was hoping to go until at least one year, longer if we could. Sadly at around 3.5 months baby started to become really distracted and hugely fussy at the breast. To the point that the whole latching experience was a bit traumatic for both of us. At 5 months I was feeding him expressed milk by bottle during the day and latching at night (when he was relaxed and sleepy and would lath without an issue). From 6 months his night feeds started to gradually stop and now at 7 months my milk supply is quickly dwindling and I'm a bit tired of the grueling pumping schedule. So I'm supplementing with formula.

I'll go for a few more weeks until my milk dries up completely. I've found it very difficult to accept that my baby wouldn't want to breastfeed anymore. And disappointed that we will never make it to my dream goal of 1 year. But I have to pat myself in the back for making it this long and hopefully our next baby will be a little less temperamental in the latching department.

 

[JJ Mum]

Well done you should be really proud as bf is not easy x

I bottle fed 3 babies and then managed to bf baby 4 for 12 mths, baby 5 for 13 mths and just started bf my last /6th baby 3 weeks ago and will feed for a year unless anything stops me.

My last was still feeding 2 hrly at 13 mths round the clock so that was tgat, i needed something to change, and it stopping did change things but it was a shame to end it like that.. But after a year I needed some normality and life back.

 

[Sprout]

Until at least 2

 

[Pin badge]

We have just stopped breastfeeding at 15 months, DDs choice, she started fussing a few weeks ago and stopped abruptly 4 days ago. As I'm now pregnant I think the change in taste, consistency of my milk my have had something to do with it. I'd have gone on as long as she wanted really as she only fed at bedtime.Xx

 

[Maud]

My LO is nearly 18 months and feeds morning and bedtime. I have had people questioning when I'm going to wean her, but I see no point in giving her cow milk when I have mummy milk on tap. I will stop when she stops asking.

 

[Mrs_T]

Still going at 14mo, no plans to stop until he does... I think I will be devastated

 

[Bonfire Bride]

My son self weaned at 13 months! He would only have a nighttime feed and eventually dropped that one too.

I was really proud that we made it that far! My friend had a little boy 2 weeks before Oliver and is still feeding at 2 years 2 months xx

 

[Rose83]

I fed my baby breast milk until 7 and a half months when I became pregnant again and my milk supply just disappeared. I had to exclusively express due to months of thrush so it was very hard work and once my supply started to drop it was impossible to get enough out x

 

[timtam78]

The average age for stopping bf worldwide is approx 4 years apparently and the Worldwide Health Org recommend it until at least 2 years old.

Max is still going at 18 months. I don't really want to stop (and neither does Max at the mo) but we want to try for another one and I've not got my cycles back yet so not sure what to do :-/ Hubby is putting me under a bit of pressure as we're not getting any younger!

 

[Phoenix85]

My first gained weight very slowly so bottles were introduced and unfortunately she stopped breastfeeding completely at around 16 weeks.

My second gained well and I decided I wanted to breastfeed til at least 1. As 1yr approached I decided to continue til 2 and hope she self weaned by about 2.5yrs. By the time she turned 2 though I decided I was happy to let her continue for as long as she wanted. She stopped for good at 6yrs old.

I'm looking forward to breastfeeding again and will also continue to feed for as long as this baby wants it, so I'm expecting that to be 5yrs+ lol

 

[SaraLouise]

1st 4 months, 2nd currently at 11 months & planning to let him self wean

 

[kellylou]

I managed 6 mths ds never woke in the night for feeds and my milk went, want to try and preserve a bit longer this time

 

[Eryinera]

With my son I planned for 6-9 months but he was a pain and wouldn't drink anything that wasn't from me lol so ended up being 18 months ish he had to start rice at 3 months as he had gastric reflux and had a few weight issues with it. I honestly tried everything to get him off me (in the nicest possible way lol) in the end I was dozing after a feed and he grabbed my cold coffee and drank it I was so shocked I called the midwife (who knew what trouble I was having) she squeeled and told me to just run with it so he started having a very weak cold coffee a day and even now he gets home from school and says "ooo could do with brew mum" so even if you plan to do it for so long it rarely goes how you want it I've found lol

 

[Tootsmaloy]

I did for 1 year with my first and will do the same with my new arrival. At age 1 Lily had started weaning herself and was down to 3 feeds in 24 hours so we gradually weaned together and it wasn't hard on my boobs

 

[kanga86]

I aimed for a year with both my boys. Both self weaned at 11m 2wks so pretty close to the year mark. Plan to do the same with baby number 3 too xx

 

[Becky1]

12.5mths with DS1, who knows with this one, still in the early stages but as he is my last I think I'll struggle to stop xx

 

[GF91]

I stopped at 4 months but my milk supply went from full to zero in 24 hours (due to stress) so had no choice but to stop. If I have another I will do until baby self weans xx