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Original poster

When did you stop breastfeeding?

78 replies

Sunlighthouse · 22/04/2020 16:06

DD is 10 weeks and breastfeeding seems to be going well. I'm not sure I'm really enjoying it though Confused I find it stressful being the only one who can feed her and I don't like not knowing how much she is getting.

I had lots of trouble feeding my first DD so she was combination fed and then on formula from about 6 weeks. Honestly I think maybe I preferred bottle feeding. Or perhaps it's just that it is what I know.

How long did you breastfeed for? What is a realistic goal? I'm wondering if I could just make it to 6 months and then switch.

OP posts:
AudTheDeepMinded · 22/04/2020 16:13

I mixed fed all of mine and the breastfeeding continued for 11 m, 21m and 3.5 yrs for my three. It's your choice but it is early days at the moment. I would read around the subject a bit to research the benefits etc and maybe join some specialist online support groups (there's some great ones on facebook). Good luck with what ever you decide.

Everybodysaycheese · 22/04/2020 16:16

I stopped just short of her first birthday. She would happily take a cup of milk by then and it was fairly easy to stop as we had already reduced feeds to just morning and night. That felt right for us though as after a horrendous start, I loved feeding and found it very convenient. You need to do what works for you.

Tentativesteps133 · 22/04/2020 16:22

14 months. I loved it though (until the last few weeks which is why I stopped). You've done really well so far, but ultimately you have to make the right choice for your family - I can't imagine feeding for over a year if I didn't enjoy it.

Please don't worry about her not getting enough (this is my bugbear comment about bf) - bf is a supply and demand situation and as long as baby is gaining weight they are getting enough.

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Thecomfortador · 22/04/2020 16:23

Still bfing 2 year old here... he's wanting more since being at home every day.

Do what works for you - it's hard being the only one who feeds the baby. If you prefer formula that is great, baby gets fed. We mix fed, both of ours had formula / bottles to some degree. My first didn't start bfing until 6-7 weeks then wouldn't bloody stop, I finally cut him off his bed time feed between him being 2.5 and 3 years.

MerryDeath · 22/04/2020 16:23

my first for 20 months, he basically self weaned. currently 3m in with my second.

why do you feel the need to know how much they are getting? is your baby well? developing? gaining weight and alertness? i don't give a second thought to whether my baby is getting enough.. he lets me know when he's hungry! I barely give anything to do with bf a second thought in fact, it's just a perfect system! i wouldn't want my baby anywhere other than with me anyway so it's just as well i'm the only one who can feed him. bottle feeding looks like an unbelievable faff and even more so at the moment with going to the shops and finding everything you need temporarily suspended.

cptartapp · 22/04/2020 16:24

Three months both times. No problems with bf, but I was going back to work and felt completely tied. No regrets. Some semblance of routine and control developed and we all slept much better.

Yellredder · 22/04/2020 16:27

I stopped three months shy of her third birthday. She was combi fed initially until she had her tongue tie snipped and then fully breast fed with the occasional bottle until six months. I had aimed for a year, but there didn't really seem much point in stopping then when I got to that point. It wasn't something I would say I enjoyed, but neither did I dislike it. But I have never understood the need to know how much they're taking in.

MarieQueenofScots · 22/04/2020 16:27

3 years and 10 months. 1 baby.

6 months would give baby a fantastic start but don’t push yourself to a goal at the expense of your mental health.

MondeoFan · 22/04/2020 16:28

6 months is fab if you can do it

I did 2 years and 3 years

Bienentrinkwasser · 22/04/2020 16:34

18 months, he self weaned (possibly because I’m pregnant). I was secretly quite pleased though as I wasn’t loving it.

Whatever you can manage is great.

fedupandlookingforchange · 22/04/2020 16:35

2 years 9 months.
It does get easier past the 12 week mark and you can leave them for a couple of hours. When they start on solids much easier again. I didn't stop at 6 months due to issues with solids and by that point it was so easy and quick there didn't seem any point!
I think you are in the worst bit so see how you feel in a few weeks/when lockdown ends.

Original poster
Sunlighthouse · 22/04/2020 16:53

Wow some of these are amazing, I find it hard to imagine 3 months let alone 3 years.

I wish I could relax about how much she is getting but it is hard. There is no obvious reason to worry as she seems happy and has plenty of wet and dirty nappies but she's dropped to one night feed so I worry she isn't getting as much as she used to.

OP posts:
MondeoFan · 22/04/2020 16:55

@Sunlighthouse don't forget your milk is forever changing to suit baby so I'm the beginning the milk is sometimes very watery and it might be thicker by now so that's maybe why she's feeding less.

WreckTangle95 · 22/04/2020 16:56

I've got four children, they were all breastfed to 18months - 2 years. Currently still feeding my 16 month old.

As long as your baby is content, feeding well and is having plenty wet and dirty nappies you don't need to worry about how many oz they are drinking.

MondeoFan · 22/04/2020 16:56

@Sunlighthouse and the thicker the milk the less hungry

RedPandaFluff · 22/04/2020 16:57

I've literally just stopped and I'm struggling Sad DD is 4.5 months and I've had to go back on HRT (long story - DD is a donor egg baby due to premature ovarian failure and menopause) as the night sweats, hot flushes and creeping depression/anxiety were really getting to me.

I had just got to the point where I was comfortable with breastfeeding too, so it's sad and frustrating. It was a struggle to get there due to tongue tie, slow weight gain etc. so it feels like I fought tooth and nail to breastfeed and then suddenly gave up.

Every time I think about it too much I start to cry

Galvantula · 22/04/2020 17:05

My original goal was 6 months as I thought expressing back at work world be too much hassle.

Then I tried it and it was ok if a bit annoying. Then I thought maybe I'll stop at a year, then that became 13 months because next immunisations, he stopped at around 2. DC2 was just over 3 and I think DC3 was about 3 and a half.

This was all not planned so I think best strategy is one day at a time and don't worry too much. :)

Congratulations, sounds like you're doing great. 👍

Original poster
Sunlighthouse · 22/04/2020 17:05

@mondeofan I actually didn't know that, interesting!

@redpandafluff I'm really sorry:-(

OP posts:
Galvantula · 22/04/2020 17:07

My oldest also slept a lot better at around ten weeks, but then started feeding/waking more at around 4 months ish.

It's not really linear, the feeding and sleeping. So they might feed and wake more or less at different times, not like the sleep gets better constantly over time.

Ninkanink · 22/04/2020 17:10

Do what is best for you, your other child(ren) and the family/household in general. Honestly, that’s what’s best for your baby. If you get to six months and think, ok I’m actually alright with this, I think I’ll continue for a bit longer...then do that. If it gets to a point where it no longer suits you or in any way affects your mental or physical health, that’s the time to stop, for sure.

I breastfed my eldest ‘til she was 1 (weaned her because I had to go on a trip), and my youngest til she was 18 months old.

Ninkanink · 22/04/2020 17:11

@RedPandaFluff your baby needs a mum who is well, happy and mentally healthy. That’s by far the most important thing. Flowers

Roomba · 22/04/2020 17:14

DS1 I stopped at 22m ish, he didn't need a bedtime feed to fall asleep any more. Already dropped the other feeds months before.

DS2 - well, let's just say he was about to start school so I finally persuaded him he may be a bit too big for that now! Blush

MotherofKitties · 22/04/2020 17:15

8 weeks with DD. I had a lot of problems with BF and I combination fed but from 8 weeks she wouldn't take me anymore so that was that.

If it's getting you down OP, and you want to combi or FF, do it. Don't put unnecessary pressure on yourself. It's just not worth the mental fallout, and I'm saying that as someone who was devastated I couldn't BF properly and was really hard on myself for it.
Do what's best for you. Good luck Thanks

Roomba · 22/04/2020 17:18

Things definitely got easier with both of mine once we got to 12-13 weeks. It began to have more of a routine to things and I felt less like a dairy cow who was permanently pinned to the sofa!

DramaAlpaca · 22/04/2020 17:18

RedPandaFluff I'm so sorry, it's really hard stopping earlier than you want to, but remember that you've given your DD a great start. Cry as much as you need to, it's a hugely emotional thing, but please don't beat yourself up about it Flowers

I breastfed my first for 9 months, my second for 8 months and my third for 4.5 months. I'd wanted to do the same for DC3 as I did with the older two and it really upset me to stop, but his weight gain hadn't been good from the start for some reason so I'd had to combination feed from six weeks. I sobbed my heart out the night we had what I knew would be our last attempt at breastfeeding.

That said, around eight or nine months was just right for me, I loved breastfeeding but really didn't want to carry on beyond a year so when they were on a decent solid food diet and started to lose interest I went with it.

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