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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To ask when you gave up breastfeeding?

244 replies

pestov · 27/07/2016 10:24

DD is rapidly approaching 6 months, and after 5 weeks of mixed feeding hell at the beginning thanks to a missed tongue tie, exclusively breastfed. I had always said before I had her that I'd do the 6 months breastfeeding, then switch to bottles, but am second guessing myself. When and why did you give up? Is there any point in moving to formula when breastfeeding is going so well?

OP posts:

Trulyyou · 27/07/2016 12:57

I stopped because I wanted to. I didn't enjoy it although I had no problems with it physically. Most of my friends stopped from 2-6montgs for the same reasons,
Mumsnet is not representative of the population judging by the above.
If you like it carry on. If not stop. What I never understand is why anyone would carry on despite hating it.

NellWilsonsWhiteHair · 27/07/2016 12:57

Just short of four years - he self weaned, although I suppose I could have encouraged him either way. He has occasionally had a small feed since then (often 3+ weeks apart - now age 4.5) but I would still call that the point at which he weaned, as he went from bedtime and morning feeds every day to nothing for longer than a week, and when we talked about it he commented that he doesn't do that any more. If he feeds now, he asks for it, it's super short, and sometimes reports there's no milk anyway.

Jackiebrambles · 27/07/2016 12:59

13 months for DC1
11 months for DC2

I stopped earlier for DC2 because I introduced a bottle of formula pre bedtime for her at 7 or 8 months as it was easier when I was doing bedtime alone with two kids. After a while she wasn't bothered about feeding from me, maybe my supply dwindled or maybe she got lazy I don't know. Either way it was easier to switch to bottles, and then cows milk at 1. She was starting nursery too so she was having bottles there.

No way would I have stopped altogether at 6 months when they are still feeding quite a lot and I'd got through the 'hard bit' at the beginning!

LBOCS2 · 27/07/2016 13:03

20 months with DD1.

Am currently feeding DD2 who is 14 weeks. I intend to carry on until she's at least 1 (I really don't see the point in faffing about with formula) but realistically it's likely to be longer than that unless she decides to self wean.

NotSureYet · 27/07/2016 13:05

We introduced a bottle around 6-8 weeks (with expressed milk) as I knew I was going back to work at 6 months and we wanted to try and make sure DD would be happy with bottles of expressed milk at nursery. We did mixed feeding, but mostly breast feeding from then on and introduced formula around 8-9 months.

I continued breastfeeding when not at work but I couldn't keep up with the amount I needed to pump so my supply lessened gradually. We eventually stopped at 11 months. Conveniently, DD just didn't seem interested anymore, she'd come off the breast and play and occasionally bite. We both sort of reached a natural end with it together. She took a bottle of formula at bedtime until she was about 2.

Planning on feeding the next baby (due in November) for as long as possible.

gamerchick · 27/07/2016 13:08

3 1/2 years. Thing is it doesn't matter about any of us what do you want?

Personally if you've got over the hell and it's now going well it means the easy bit up ahead. What would be the point?

It's all up to you... Well your babies as well, sometimes they have their own ideas about giving up the boob.

user1469017213 · 27/07/2016 13:09

4 years. We both discussed it and gave up on his 4th birthday! I didn't plan it that way but thats how it worked out. Sometimes it was tiring, but basically it was one of the lovely parts of my son being small.

I really struggled with breastfeeding to begin with and it was only sheer bloody-mindedness I got the help to manage it. I only really got the full hang of it at about 4 months.

My son was quite a demanding and difficult baby (and a very demanding toddler too) and I think if I had not breast-fed, co-slept I would have been a headcase through lack of sleep. I think it made it easier for us, but it wouldn't necessarily for everyone.

LaurieMarlow · 27/07/2016 13:27

10.5 months. It was a good time to stop for us. I loved BF but by that stage I was back at work, with the occasional overnight trip, the expressing was a pain in the hole and I was desperate to lose the baby weight (which I clung to like a leech while BF).

DS was well set up on solids and we only had a month or two before cows milk.

Despite being a passionate BF until then, he seemed to forget about it in a couple of days. . Which is probably a blessing and would not have happened if we'd waited longer.

leedy · 27/07/2016 13:34

2.5 with DS1 (self-weaned when I was pregnant), still feeding DS2 who'll be 4 in November, though he seems to be kind of winding down now, we'll often have a day with no feeds. I never planned to feed them for that long, I just ... didn't stop.

Another one here who definitely found it much, much easier after the first six months.

MrsMillions · 27/07/2016 13:38

About 9.5 minutes months each time. DD1 is been wondering when to stop, as was ready to have control of my body again, then had a really lovely feed which felt right to be the last one. DD2 I targeted a similar age (partly due to a weekend away), and stopped the day I did again because we had a good one to end on a high.

Both were eating solids well enough go to only need 2 bottles a day which suited me as I really didn't want the hassle of more - would have kept up BF otherwise. DD2 doing really well, DD1 we had to reintroduce afternoon milk for a bit as she wasn't drinking enough water, but was still only 3 bottles to prepare so I could cope with that.

Loved it and miss it, and sad I'll never do it again (no plans for DC3), but absolutely stopped when I was ready.

Wetcappuccino · 27/07/2016 13:38

13 months. It really gets so much easier after weaning at 6 months onto solids/ 3 meals a day. At that point, I found we were only bfing first thing in the morning and before bed. Then she sort of self weaned once she could have cows milk.

humblesims · 27/07/2016 13:40

2.5 years for first until I got pregnant with DC2 who was BF for 2 years. Both self weaned and neither had a bottle or formula or follow on milk. I think you should do what is most convenient to your and your DC and lifestyle.

DollyBarton · 27/07/2016 13:43

Ds- exclusively for 3 months then mixed to 9 months (when he started biting me)
Dd1- exclusively for 6 weeks then mixed feeding to 7months
Dd2- exclusively for 4 weeks then mixed to now (7months). I'm down to 1 feed a day as if this week.

I went back to work after 3 months, 6 weeks and 4 weeks on them which is why I mix fed but seeing how easy it is and the freedom while still breastfeeding, I would mix feed regardless.

Birdsgottafly · 27/07/2016 13:44

My DD planned to feed upto six months, but didn't see a reason to stop, so continued until nearly a year old.

I finished feeding my DDs: First; eight months, Secind; fifteen months, but only because I was pregnant again and it was very painful. Last DD, she seemed to self ween at around eighteen months.

mirime · 27/07/2016 14:24

14 months. I'd have been happy to carry on longer if DS wanted to, but he lost interest and started biting hard.

varvara · 27/07/2016 14:25

1 year. I was back at work and it just came to a natural end - DS was only getting one BG a day and I realised he was just as happy with a bottle. I had been giving him the odd bottle of formula from about 8months, and weaned him gradually.

FeliciaJollygoodfellow · 27/07/2016 14:26

4 months with twins (although I mix fed)

14 months with DS3. He's nearly five and I swear to god he'd still be doing it if he could.

timegate · 27/07/2016 14:27

13 months, went cold turkey on BF

JohnLithgowsLargeForehead · 27/07/2016 14:29

A month.

MrsTerryPratchett · 27/07/2016 14:30

14 months. We had a hard time to start. But it was so easy after that it seemed silly to pay for something that's free and convenient.

Julju · 27/07/2016 14:33

I had always planned to stop at 6 months (no idea why - arbitrary number - possibly had heard other people say that's when they stopped and I hadn't wanted to get my hopes up too much) but when we reached 6 months I didn't see any logical reason to stop. It was still going well, incredibly convenient for me and I was enjoying it. DS is 11 months today and I'm sort of planning to give up around a year but I'm not sure I will. He's had a few wobbles with a nursing strike and teething recently and I was surprised at the effort I went to to keep him on breastmilk (lots of pumping, which I hate as only have a manual pump).

We're going on holiday when he's 13 months and I'd quite like to be able to breastfeed him on the plane if he gets fussy so I'll probably carry on until then.

I think if you have no reason to stop then don't!

MewlingQuim · 27/07/2016 14:33

1 year.

I only stopped because I was starting ivf drugs ttc DC2. IVF failed so I was always a little sad that I stopped for nothing. DD wasn't bothered at all, she happily swapped to bottles of cows' milk, but I was only bfing last thing before bed by then.

GipsyDanger · 27/07/2016 14:35

I plan to stop around 6 months to. Just started combo feeding just now (4 months) so I'll just start to up the formula.

Myfirstbornisacollie · 27/07/2016 14:37

4.5 months as was going back to work after 5. Bottle refuser who then refused to BF once introduced! If I do it again I'd mix feed earlier

Twinklestar2 · 27/07/2016 14:37

6 months.

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