how long to breastfeed for?

[cherelle]

Hi girlies

I was just wondering which of us plans to breastfeed and how long for?

I know its best for baby and me so i really want to try and do it for at least a few weeks, but i want my own body back and dont want to be a constant feeding machine for months to come - may aswell be bloody pregnant!!

Do you think maybe 6 weeks is better than nothing? x

 

[frankie707]

Any time you do it for is good, especially the first few days where they are getting the colustrum which is really good for them.

 

[pinkymum]

Yeah I would say 6 weeks is good hun. I'm not bf'ing but a friend of mine tries with both her kids. She had problems but expressed for 3 weeks and it was better than nothing.
X

 

[jodied]

I'm breastfeeding and plan to exclusively bf for at least four months then depending on when Ella is ready will start weaning her. I think it's all about personal choice but anyntime bf is better than not. Six weeks would give baby the Collostrum and antibodies produced early on so would definitely benefit baby. Plus you never know you might like it! Xx

 

[clairebear22]

I'm hoping to be able to breast feed but I haven't put any length of time on how long i'll do it for. It could be weeks or months depending on how we get on but like the others have said 'any length of time is a good amount'! x

 

[Loulabelle]

I'm just going to 'see how it goes'. I'd like to do it for about 6-8 wks but I'm not going to beat myself up about it if I struggle and give up. I'd rather be relaxed and bottle feeding than stressed with trying to bf xxx

 

[cherelle]

thanks girls, yeah i think just being relaxed about it and seeing how it goes is the best way to be! True jodied i might really like it! x

 

[snr1982]

The best bit i liked about breastfeeding was at night, if they baby wakes up crying you just had to whip out your boob and that was that. The thought of having to actually get out of bed, go down stairs, make up a feed warm it up and then make sure its ok while the whole time the baby is screaming is way too much for me to handle at silly o clock in the morning, I'm not the best at getting up as it is! lol. Just give it a try and see how you get on, any amount of time is better than none, even if you only manage a few days. The only other thing is don't expect it to be too easy but don't get stessed out about it. it does hurt like hell but you go get used to it . promise!

 

[Lou_1]

im not going to bf this time i fed my older son till 5 months then expressed for a few months i agree the feeding at night is great not actucally having to get up and just lying there feeding lol im dreading the bottle making this time haha

 

[Tasha89]

I always said 6 months but i'm still going strong at nearly 8 months! My goal has changed to 12 months now. I absolutely love it - I look down at my little girl and know that everything she is has come from me. It's an amazing feeling

I would recommend BF to anyone but as long as you are happy with your choice then that's all that matters. The first feeds after birth are the most beneficial to baby (lines the gut etc) but The World Health Organisation (last time I checked!) states that breast milk is, ideally, best for babies up until the age of 2 years. However it is entiley your decision

 

[heidi-hi]

My aim is to breadtfeed for about 6 months but I'm just gonna see how it goes! Xxx