When will you stop BFing?

[Nurse 26]

Hey ladies, now Harry is 4 months i was planning on stopping at 6 months as that was always the goal i set myself but now i might go longer, switching to formula and starting weaning at the same time seems like it would be a lot of work, i just cant decide, although he would never say it i know OH wants to switch to formula as he thinks BF is very draining on me and wants to be more helpful with the feeding.

How long are you planning to BF for?

 

[beckyboo1]

I honestly don't know! Ha that's not much help is it!!

In my head I've got at least 6 months cis I guess like you I don't think I can be bothered with weaning and formulas etc

And I do enjoy it cos I live just looking at at Harry!!

 

[Nurse 26]

ye i love doing it, think i will have a little cry when i stop. although im looking forward to getting my body back to myself, how selfish eh? lol

 

[mum2b410]

Hi nurse! I stopped recently at 8 months after combi feeding from 5.5 months. I was like u and wanted to bf til 6 months but when it xame to it didn't want to do solids, move to own room etc all at the same time, so we started weaning ro formula slowly at 5.5 months- just changing 1 feed at a time every 4-5 days or so. Stayed at just 2 bottles for a while, then went to 3 and stuck at that for about a month with one bf a day and 1-2 bf at night. Eventually Ethan stopped feeding at night of his own accord and a couple of weeks later we stopped the last bf. It's v personal in what u decide and no right or wrong. I have nothing against extended bf but for me combi feeding made a massive difference to me and LO took to it so well! Stopping bf really gradually def was the way to go for us as it gave me and Ethan time to adjust. My OH loved being able to get involved and feed him and although bottles r more faffy its easier to do at 6 months when they need less feeds per day and combi feeding gives u flexibility with the bottles. I never planned to combi feed for 2.5 months but it gave us a good time of gradual transition allowing other changes to take place around feeding e.g move to own room, get solids going etc. Hope that all makes sense and that u r able to make a decision that u r happy with that works for u and LO! Xxx

 

[Nurse 26]

thanks hun, we will def try and stop gradually as you say it will be easier to adjust. so much to think about really. harry sleeps long at night but think keeping BF would be easier in the morning as wouldnt have to get up and faff with bottles!

How did you find stopping, was it uncomfy even though you stopped gradually? did your periods come back when combi feeding? questions questions sorry

 

[x_larlybelle_x]

I was planning on a year up until milk is his main source of food but if I can't keep up the extra milk supply I will have to stop sooner. after a year I was planning on weaning onto cows milk & skipping formula all together as his food intake should be big enough to support him x


Tapatalking so can't see tickers

 

[BevG]

im gonna carry on til alyssa wants to stop, or around 1.5 whichever comes first lol.

 

[mum2b410]

thanks hun, we will def try and stop gradually as you say it will be easier to adjust. so much to think about really. harry sleeps long at night but think keeping BF would be easier in the morning as wouldnt have to get up and faff with bottles!

How did you find stopping, was it uncomfy even though you stopped gradually? did your periods come back when combi feeding? questions questions sorry

I dont mind the questions hun, dont apologise!

The first time he had a bottle of formula I cried, not because I didnt want him to have it, but the end of an era kindof thing, and I guess a bit of guilt too!....I got a bit uncomfy with engorgement initially but after getting him on 2 bottles a day, the move up to 3 wasnt bad. I didnt get my periods back with combi feeding but was on mini pill and I think most women dont get periods when on that. Since I stopped fully I have gone on combined pill again and things are a bit all over the shop atm with af but am sure will settle down.
The last feed I was doing was the morning one- it was easier to not have to do a bottle then, but tbh with him having breakfast we were getting up and making that anyway, so a bottle didnt really add much to it.
Im never gonna know whether if I'd carried on with fully bf he would have weaned himself naturally at 8 months, but he certainly dropped the night feeds completely of his own accord and when I bf him in the mornings he started losing interest almost completely in that last week I did it. I still miss the bf to a degree but I personally dont think I'd go back and continue exclusively bf after 6 months or so. It was easy in a lot of ways for me and I was really proud of myself for sticking at it as wanted to quit in the first few weeks, but there were also times when I had had enough coz Ethan got so fussy with it and I didnt feel I could feed in public coz I'd be constantly exposing myself etc. I felt like I got my life back in a lot of ways when we started combi feeding but it definitely tugged at my heart strings and wasnt an easy thing to do. All I can say is that for us I think it worked out for the best all round, I am happier and more relaxed and generally just feel less pressure, my OH loves being more involved and above all else Ethan is doing great- doesnt mind bottles or formula, has done brilliantly with weaning on to solids and is generally a happy and relaxed baby. I really hope however u decide to go that it works out for u- like I said before, no right or wrong, just an individual choice at what works best for u

 

[jennilisanne]

I stopped at 9 months. I went back to work and she started getting teeth, lol!!

 

[michelles1985]

Hi

At first I was only going to bf for the first month, then after that I said I'll do it for 2 months, then 4, then 6. And I am still bfing now. I have tried to get him onto formula a couple of times but he will not have a bottle because I have soley breastfed so he just got stressed out when I tried him with bottles. In the end, I gave up and just put him on my breast. It is just so much easier. I am not sure when to wean him off, I was kind of hoping to carry on as long as possible but want to get him down to just bf'ing in the morning and night time by the time I go back to work in 2 months. I don't know if that will happen though. I am weaning at the moment and that isn't going too well right now so breast milk is still his main source of food for now so I don't want to start trying to stop just yet.

I'd say just go with it and I think you will know yourself when the time comes to stop.

Good luck.

xx

 

[Mrs. KM]

It's up to my lo at this point as she won't take a bottle or sippy cup lol, but I would like to bf until she is a year old. I would like to cut it down to only bfing for morning and night feeds at some point, but I'm not in a rush.

 

[Franna75]

I always said six months, i'm almost at 11 and still feeding four times a day. I will really need to reduce as i'm back to work in a month, but will continue to do morning and evening for as long as he wants up until 18 months I think.

I expressed some in the begining and formula fed a couple of times, but the bottles never really worked, so will go straight from BF to cup. Tom took to solids well but I agree it would have been a bit of extra pressure having to introduce bottles and food.

See how you feel at the time; its up to you and LO at the end of the day.