Everyone says I should stop breastfeeding but I don't want to

[xtinak]

DD is 15 months. I have mastitis for the 5th time I think. DD is a terrible sleeper.

Apparently if I stop breastfeeding all my problems will be solved.

AIBU to think that's probably not the case and if I want to keep going I should?

Another vote for Soy lecithin supplements, get some breastfeeding support on latch and positioning as this changes as they grow and may need adjustment even though you have been doing it a long time, also look at whether you may have oversupply - sage herb can be used to reduce supply which can help.

To be clear, no doctor has advised a stop breastfeeding, despite the mastitis. One once recommended I use formula intermittently to get a break while I was quite unwell a different infection. But she and all the others have said good job, keep going. So the "everyone" I refer to is, colleagues, DH, MIL, DM etc!

If you don’t want to stop then don’t!

I fed mine till 3, everyone has a view on it and rare to find someone who isn't critical by the time they are 2. Not sure what you can do about the mastitis, the old wives remedy used to be cabbage leaves so if I had an signs I'd lie in the bath with cabbage leaves draped over breasts, it usually seemed to work.

Not sleeping is hard but I did co-sleeping and they helped themselves so I barely registered they were having a snack (not when they were tiny obviously) and at 3 they magically stopped feeding and started sleeping in their own beds through the night. Probably didn't seem that magically at the time, time does tend to blur the edges.

Babies are babies wherever they are from and the milk is the same too all over the world.

Actually hiimmumma the above is not quite true!
Milk for babies varies depending on the country you live in. For example if you live somewhere really hot you produce much more of the thirst quenching foremilk. I used to love reading about things like this when I was breast feeding. Our bodies are amazing.

That's very interesting!

@MerryInthechelseahotel
Ah yes that's interesting.
If I moved to a hot country my milk would adapt right? Or the milk produced in the height of summer is more watery than milk produced in winter in order to keep the baby hydrated accordingly. That's my understanding of it anyway.

So interesting our bodies are so amazing.

I stopped feeding at about 16 months. Had mastitis numerous times and was so fed up of him not sleeping and only be being able to settle him. He still doesn’t sleep and had now developed a habit of pulling his hands down my top CONSTANTLY for comfort. Do what works for you x

If you're happy to continue then absolutely keep going. I think people are trying to help, not necessarily sabotage though if you're sharing your woes.

The mastitis issue, is there a clinic you could go to for advice? I found there wasn't a bra made (I spent so much money on a million different bras) that didn't cause my boobs agony. I had it twice, and vasospasms/reynauds too.

Sleep wise, perhaps it might help to night wean, if it's a habit wake, or how she's used to resettling at night, but if you're happy to keep feeding then in the night it's really only up to you. It's a difficult one, I empathise. Some babies just sleep better than others. If you do though, it's probably best if your partner does the night waking / settling for a bit and it might be a rocky few days or so.

Well done though, you've done amazingly well, breastfeeding is hard even when it's going well!