To ask if you breastfed your LO how long did you do so for?

[QueenE27]

I see the WHO advises 2 years and just wondered .......

[ouryve]

DS1 self weaned at 18 months (bit me and refused any more - I got pregnant the next month, so something obviously changed to displease him)
DS2 lost interest, rather more gently, at 27 months, but came back for a snuggle and a fond pat for a while afterwards.

[ouryve]

29, not 27.

[BreakfastAtStephanies]

DS - 12 months. Once his teeth started to come in he would give me a sharp nip when he had finished each side. Ouch. He used to comfort suck too.

DD - 11 months. Had thrush on nipple at 3 months which meant my toes literally curled when she latched on, but that got better. Once near the end I was sitting on the floor BFing her when she just lost interest, un-latched and crawled away with me staring after her in disbelief. She got a tooth through at 4.5 months but never used it in earnest and was a neat lovely efficient feeder. I cried when I stopped. I think I knew she was my last.

I loved BF ing

[StrumpersPlunkett]

DS's both got 11-12 months but not quite their birthdays (2.5 years apart)
I hadn't heard of a breastfeeding strike so after 24 hours of them refusing the breast we switched I just took it to mean they were ready to move on.

[starry0ne]

2 years... I hoped he would sleep better and was up and down all night feediing..He didn't

[CocktailQueen]

3 years for dd, 4 years for DS, but the last year for both was just night and morning feeds.

[Mama1980]

Ds1 nearly 4 years self weaned
Ds2 3 years-
Both micro preemies, so so hard to express, pump establish supply etc whilst being very ill myself so I was determined to feed until weaning occurred naturally.

[PegsPigs]

DD1 14 months. DD2 8 months and counting. Will be about 14 months with her as I've booked a surprise weekend away for my DH'S birthday at 15 months.

[coconutpie]

Currently 18 months and no signs of stopping anytime soon. BF is amazing.

[Cadenza1818]

One year on all 3

[HoundoftheBaskervilles]

DS - 12 months, I was seven months pregnant with DD and think my milk had changed back to a more colostrumy mix, he spat my nipple out one day and looked at me as if to say, 'What is that filth you vile woman?', he refused the breast from that day on.

DD until three, she'd probably still be doing it now given the chance but I had a very traumatic miscarriage when she was three, haemorrhaged badly, needed a transfusion and was just so ill for about a month that I thought it was probably time to bring it to a natural conclusion. I woke up in bed once when she was about five and she was trying to get a sneaky latch though! She still speaks fondly of it.

Actually before DD I always thought people breastfeeding toddlers were a bit suspect, but it was actually a really lovely, intimate and bonding part of motherhood and I feel a little bit ashamed for having had those thoughts now.

[Babyroobs]

DS1 was 16 months, DS2 was 9 months, DS3 was around 2 years and DD was 3.5 years, althought the last year of that was just once a day at night time.

[StrawberryLeaf]

Lovelydiscusfish thanks for saying that breastfeeding and returning to work can work! I'm going back soon and it's the only thing I am nervous about, feeling forced to give up feeding.

DC1 - I exclusively expressed for a year then stopped (due to lots of issues establishing bfing)

DC2 - she is 8 months but I would like to go to self weaning

[FoolsAndJesters]

1 year
1 year
9 months
9 months

At the time you were only advised to BF for one year. I went down to one morning feed and one evening feed at roughly 7 months. They went straight to skippy cups. If I did it again I'd probably only feed them until 9 months unless there was a specific reason not to. I stopped feeding them cold turkey which I now understand that some MN'ers consider child cruelty. I was amazed how quickly they forgot about it - it only took a few days and a bit of grizzling and crying at night.

[MsMarple]

22 months and 18 months.

[Gotosleep123]

This thread is very reassuring to me!!!-
Dd 6 months. Stopped because I was returning to work and felt like should as it was expected
Ds is nearly 10 months and loves to BF. I can't really mention it to family of in laws though as they think it's a bit weird

[blueshoes]

17 months and 3 years respectively

[dietcokeandwine]

7m for each DC (have three in total).

I had this ridiculous thing about being fair to them by BF them all for the same length of time. With my older two I was ready to stop by 7m and it felt like a very natural end to what had been a lovely time. With DS3 I would probably have carried on longer but couldn't get away from the fact that I'd have felt bad for BF him for longer than the other two! So I stopped at 7m to make it fair.

Which is ridiculous I know.

[SchnitzelVonKrumm]

DD1 exclusively for about three months, then mixed fed til nine months. DD2 and DS for about 13 months each (tailed off when I went back to work).

[BreakfastAtStephanies]

HoundoftheBaskervilles- is your DS Stewie Griffin ?

[jellycat1]

7 Hellish weeks with DS1. Myriad of problems nobody seemed able to solve. Having DS2 next Friday and dreading bfeeding more than anything else but hoping for the best!

[PiperChapstick]

DD almost 3 and still BFing

[FraterculaArctica]

18 months.

[BertieBotts]

4 years and about 2 or 3 months, not sure exactly when he stopped.