how long do you intend breastfeeding for?

[budge]

just wondering how long all you breastfeeders intend to do it for

i breast fed my first till she was 6 months (stopped coz i got preggas and was ill advised to stop by HV) - my second till she was 11 months (she stopped not me) and my third till she was 11 months.

Becasue Rachael is my last ( ) i want to breastfeed forever!
Hubby keeps joking that she will be running out of school shouting ''bitty bitty'' when shes 5

 

[gingerpig]

Because I'm so allergic, I'd like to breastfeed until Debs is a year old, but we'll see - she'll decide not me lol. Still then we start ttc number 2 lol. Good on for getting to 11 months with 2 - how do you find the time to feed when you have toddlers? Seriously impressive.

 

[budge]

yeah im allergic too and we have breast cancer in the family which is why i am so pro bF'

ive never had a problem with the others whilst feeding. You're no more restricted than if giving a bottle really are you - you still have to sit (sometimes for longer) whilst bottle feeding.

how are you finding it so far then gingerpig?

 

[Melanie]

I want to feed Thea until she is a year old and then make the switch from breastmilk to cows milk. I really dont want to give Thea formula at any stage.

 

[SarahB]

I'm going to carry on until Emma is 18 months and then just drop to the night fed until no more than 2. She is gradually dropping the day feeds now so I'm not feeding her very often any more. She has FINALLY started to drink cows milk so I am pushing that more now.

 

[mummykay]

i want to have Jamie off boob by his 1st bday and onto progress milk then cows milk. progress milk purely for the iron etc it has in it which i want him to get lots of and build up his immune system, i dont want a sickly child!!!

 

[lozzi]

I plan to breastfeed Ellouise till 12 months, when i will introduce cows milk, but if she still wants magic booby she can have it, but i dont want it to go beyond 2 years.

 

[Tasha20]

I would like to go to one its up to olivia, tho wouldnt like to go past 2

 

[Tina & Gabs]

I would have liked to feed until Gabriella is one but it is just not practical with me going back to work. She now only has her morning feed from me, it's nice to have her in the bed and we sometimes fall asleep.

 

[gingerpig]

Budge, I'm absolutely loving it, thanks for asking I am turning into the worlds most embarrasingly proud and ranty mum *sigh* I was in the chemist the other day chatting to the lady there, and saying how Debs was starting her jabs soon, and somehow we got onto the fact I was breastfeeding her. I was rambling on saying how I'd stuck at it, even though I'd heamorraghed, my colustrum had dried up and then been readmitted to hospital with all that vomming lol. I'm just so incredibly grateful that I've been able to stick with it, and that Debs is doing so well on it. The lady said she was proud of me and I was like I'm proud of me too Apart from giving birth, booby feeding the Debling is the best thing I've ever done, plus I get to do it quite a few times a day

We've got breast cancer in my family as well - I didn't know breast feeding helps with that? Is that for Debs or me, or both? Ian is diabetic and apparently breast-feeding helps protect against that - it is amazing stuff!

You def played a part in all of this - reading your answers is always so helpful, and just knowing that you and others are plugging away at it (ooer missus) all over the place made me want to stick at it. So thank you

 

[budge]

yup! the longer you breast feed for the less likely you are of getting breast cancer

 

[skatty]

This is a very interesting thread

I plan to BF Leorah as long as I need to due to her intolerance to dairy and soy as by avoiding these in my diet I can make sure she is getting the calcium and iron she needs. I originally planned on BF for 6 months but now that has rolled around and BF is so easy I don't know what I'd have done given the choice. I will admit I have my selfish days of wanting to eat galaxy or pizza, get depressed at the last 7lbs that just wont shift (people tell me it will fall off when I finish BF!!!) but then I look at my chubby angel and think get over yourself! It's give up these things for a small part of my life or maybe Leorah will have to avoid them her whole life.

I'm glad I am getting some health benefits too as I am really run down at the mo' and need to start looking after myself as well as I look after L!

Gingerpig I have great respect for you persuing the breastfeeding after so many setbacks, you should be very proud of yourself

I absolutely think that any amount of breastfeeding is a fab job done and a mother should have the right to choose when to stop, unless her LO decides first, they certainly know what they want don't they

 

[Emmylou]

Well as a newbie breastfeeder, I have to say I love it, she is always so content after a feed. I would like to b'feed her for as long as she wants it, in my mind I'm thinking when she's 1, but I guess (excuse the pun) its a suck it and see thing

Hopefully we can both stick at it and continue with the booby feeds

 

[Nicky_Jones]

I originally thought I would for 6months. However now I am thinking until she is 12months, and then hoping to switch directly to cows milk. However I will see when we get there. I am thankfully finally seeing a reduction in the amount of milk she wants from me. She has completely dropped 2 feeds now. So I am hoping she will drop breastfeeding on her own rather than me trying to stop her. Time will tell.

Budge, you said your LO stopped at 11months did you start giving them cows milk then or give them formula as a drink or give them expressed breast milk as a drink?

Thanks

 

[Icecream]

At leas t for 6 months, and then we will see. Hopefully till 12 months, but with babies anything can happen. She might decide earlier, or might not need breastmilk, or I might get pregnant.

 

[Lyndsey]

I orinignally thought just 3/4 months but now it is so easy ( apart from the soreness) that I don't know. I am returning to work soon so I think I will be doing combined feeding for a while, I think I woud like to carry on doing night feeds until Logan is ready to give it up but not past 1.