To ask when you gave up breastfeeding?

[pestov]

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?

4 days with DD1 (now 21), and wished I had never let myself be persuaded to start.

I never did start with either DD2 or DD3. They were exclusively formula-fed.

I never saw the point of changing to formula when bf was established. Why add the bottle hassle and formula cost to something that is currently free? My dd stopped at 22 months, the day before my ds was born. After ds was born dd said my milk (colostrum) was disgusting. With my ds it was a fight to get him to stop! I won at 28 months.

Still feeding DD about 6 times a day (plus one or two in the night, we bedshare). She will be 2 in September. I'm going to let her self wean (a decision that has left a close friend 'disgusted', which is nice). I found after 6 months it was even easier.

DD was poorly, high temperature, and listless at the weekend. Wouldn't eat or drink. Luckily breast milk kept her hydrated and getting some calories, and provided her with comfort. Don't know what I would do without it!

I stopped with DSs 1 at 18 weeks and I did about 4 months with DS2. I did mixed feeds with both boys though.

2 years 4 months with my daughter. Stopped because I was 3 months pregnant with my son and it bloody hurt!

Just shy of 3 years with my son. I'd have liked to have made it to 3 years - he showed no signs of wanting to stop, but I was going to Glastonbury and was going to be away for a week, so it seemed like a good opportunity to retire the boobs.

Once BF is established and going well, it's more faff to stop than to just rock on with it, as long as you're happy with it.

6 months.

Until DDs were about 2.5 they never had any milk other than my breast milk, straight from the boob. They both self-weaned around then, the second copying the first. I breastfed exclusively for 6 months before trying to introduce solids very gradually. I've always really enjoyed it, though. If I found it unenjoyable or a big hassle I would have stopped long before then, no need to force it any longer than 6 months. Seeing as it went well, I just carried on, as I would recommend anyone to do. Once you stop, you can't just decide to start again!

I bf ds1 for 2 weeks.
ds2 24 hours baby refused breast
ds3 5 weeks but he didn't gain much weight or so I thought and put him on a bottle where he gained a pound a week.
ds4 I bf him until dd was born
when he was 2 years 2 months old I tried tandem feeding and I just couldn't do it he also refused all different types bottles.
dd is 17 months and is still breastfeeding and she also refused bottles.

Last week. DD is 10 months. I had cut right down to about 2 feeds per day (inc one night feed). I decided to stop because she was using me as an enormous dummy at night and I'd had enough. I also go back to work at the beginning of September. I went cold turkey on the remaining feeds and it's been absolutely fine, she's not rooted once and even slept through the night once this week for the first time ever. We've gone from having massive screaming episodes at night to having one relatively calm wake up where we offer watered down formula and have a snuggle - I plan to water it down further over the coming weeks.

I have no regrets about giving up. I always planned to BF for 6 months, but it wasn't until then when I actually started enjoying it so I kept going. However, it felt like time for me. I can't wait for my boobs to settle down so I can wear proper bras again and non breastfeeding dresses.

14 months, 2 years nine months, 14 months and 2 years 10 months. The longer feeders were down to 1 feed a day by about 18 months though. I didn't set out to be an extended breastfeeder, it's just the longer I went for the less of an issue it was. I actively night weaned them all by 1 year though.

Dd1 was 15 months. I was pregnant and feeding wad getting uncomfortable. She wasn't too fussed. I'd given myself a target of trying to do six months, but when we got there and all was going well I couldn't see the point in stopping. Plus I can't stand the smell of formula
And boob milk is free which is a bonus.

Dd2 was nearly three. It was getting tough because she was so big. That was two years ago and she regularly sticks her hand down my top, cradles a boob and wistfully says 'I loved milky, mumma, didn't I?'

OP- if it helps, I'm in the same situation. DD is nearly 6 months and we mix fed from the beginning due to missed tongue tie that wasn't clipped until 4 weeks old. BF has been good since then but I'm going back to work in Sept and I need to switch over. But I find myself putting it off and feeling guilty.

Do what you need to do and don't let anyone make you feel bad or less successful at BF because you want to move on now. The best thing for someone else's baby won't be the same for yours.

Good luck!

You don't NEED to switch because you're going back to work. I found feeding morning and evening a really lovely way to connect when I returned to work.

"Dd2 was nearly three. It was getting tough because she was so big. That was two years ago and she regularly sticks her hand down my top, cradles a boob and wistfully says 'I loved milky, mumma, didn't I?'"

That's amazing!

Agree about the smell of formula too

With all due respect, that was your experience.
I do NEED to- for a variety of reasons I'm not going to go into.

That wasn't aimed at you personally, just pointing out that return to work doesn't automatically = stopping, which someone might assume was the norm.

Ok, fair point. I just get the absolute rage with some of the judgey, PA breastfeeding comments I see on here sometimes. Obviously that wasn't what you were going for.

About 14 months (for both DCs). I just gradually decreased breastfeeds as their solid intake increased, and also added a daily cows milk drink from 7 months ish. There seemed no point in introducing formula when they (and I) were happy breastfeeding. I introduced cows milk drinks (in a sippy cup) so they could get used to it. It's now only recommended for a main milk source until after 12 months but is ok to give as part of foods / meals. However I couldn't see the harm in one cup a day and it meant that when I stopped breastfeeding, they were happy with cows milk so I didn't need to worry. We also never used bottles.
I also gave them cows milk as their only milk from 9 months when I was away for the weekend as they didn't like expressed milk (only happened once or twice, again fine for a couple of days here and there).
Just make sure to get some Abidec vitamin drops or similar for baby if you continue to breastfeed after 6 months as the nutrient value of breastmilk declines for older babies (formula has added vitamins). Make sure their diet includes iron-rich food too.

1999

Just over 2 years with each of them

DD I stopped at 15 months as we were down to just a quick pre-bedtime feed and I went away on a hen weekend. It seemed a natural time to end it and she didn't miss it. We had an awful time getting BF established because of tongue tie and horribly shredded nipples but once the TT was fixed at 10 days old it went a lot better.

DS is 7mo and I plan on carrying on for as long as it seems right for both of us. He's a bit tricky though as he's a bottle refuser and I go back to work in 5 weeks so no idea how he's going to get in with my DH and formula/ expressed milk.

Ds1 9 months; ds2 12 months. By this time both were only having a morning feed anyway & formula in the evening. With ds1, I was fed up with it; with ds2, I felt I wanted to get to 12 months but after that they can have cows' milk so don't need it.

Both mine went to nursery from 6 months so had formula during the day from that age & obviously solids too.

I have read this with interest. Currently BF DS1 - 7 weeks in and it is really tough. He feeds constantly (not cluster feeding, he is just always hungry, if I can stretch an hour between feeds I feel lucky), and lots of nipple pain due to high palate.

My target is to get to three months and see how I feel. I would love to feed for as long as possible, but didn't expect it to be quite so tough. I hope it does get easier, as everyone says!

I think breast feeding a 6-12 month old is lovely. They take on more solids so they naturally start to reduce their milk intake so it's not not so intense as when they are only having milk.

By 12 months it's prob just morning and evening feed and they can have cows milk not formula. I stopped at 14/15 months with my two and it seemed a logical time to do it.

Gave up at 5 months as needed to return to work.