Benefits of BF from 8 months to 10 months?

[DialsMavis]

My DD is almost 8 months and I am starting to wind down BF for a variety of purelyselfish reasons. I was planning to stop completely by the start of Aug.I will definitely be stopping when she is 10 months (Sept) for similarly selfish reasons(I never thought I would succeed at BF for this long after last time so it didn't factor into my plans!).

How great would the benefits for DD be if I just carried on that bit longer? She has BF when she wakes up, a bottle mid afternoon (would definitely not consider BF again for this feed). For the last few nights she has had a bottle at bedtime but I would consider going back to BF for this.

So basically If I carry on as I am I will continue BF in the morning for a few more weeks then stop. Or, I could start BF in the eve again for a month then slowly eliminate the 2 feeds by Sept.

I am trying to figure out if that bit of extra BF is worth it... I never thought that I would be torn about stopping!

[HettyAmaretti]

Yes, it's worth it. Every feed counts to building her immunity as well as providing a host of other benefits for both of you.

Every feed you give under one year of age saves cash too, which is also a bonus.

[HettyAmaretti]

Here the advantages for the mother bit is on page 3. There's a great site with benefits per week but I can't find it just now and I must start cooking dinner...

[DialsMavis]

ahh thank you Hetty, maybe I will see if my supply is still intact enough to do the bedtime feed tonight. She has been having the bedtime bottle since Mon so I am not sure if it will still be OK...

[HettyAmaretti]

Should be just fine, if it's a bit short it'll pick up within a couple of days. It's just supply and demand.

[DialsMavis]

I am so torn. Does anyone know if it is likely to be harder on DD stopping a bit later on? she is at the moment totally happy to be bottle or breast fed

[HettyAmaretti]

IME, it's makes no difference at all

[RitaMorgan]

If you keep up with a bottle a day in the meantime I'm sure it'll be fine.

[DialsMavis]

Hetty- hope you saved the dinner...
Rita- Thanks < waves at Rita as we always seem to commenting on BF and weaning threads at the same time>

[RitaMorgan]

I made the mistake of thinking that since ds took a bottle no problem til 8 months (it was a night feed that we dropped then) it wouldn't matter that I stopped doing regular bottles... now he's 10.5 months and I'd quite like to wind down breastfeeding but he's not having it

[DialsMavis]

Oh gosh, I feel for you. After all that sterling service. I am happily to selflessly BF; but only on my terms IYSWIM!

[HettyAmaretti]

yy, you need to keep a reasonably regular bottle, be it EBF or formula. It sounded like the mid afternoon bottle was set in stone, which is why I didn't mention it.

[DialsMavis]

Yes it is really. As soon as I got over my silly shyness of feeding in public DD decided that feeding in public was totally out of the question. We are usually out doing something with DS or en route to school run when she gets hungry.