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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask if you remember your last breast feed with dc or even knew it was

93 replies

Rosebyanothername19 · 31/07/2021 19:43

Firstly, how you feed your child is your business and I have absolutely no judgment any which way. This is a question for those who chose to bf and to some extent chose when to stop.

My LO is 2 1/2 and I love having her fall asleep on me and every now and again coming out with the most random things in her half asleep state. It's a special little time we have at the end of every day and one of the things I miss most when she is staying with her GPs

So I was just wondering if people made that conscious decision to stop or did your LO just decide one day to stop? Did you know that their last feed was going to be their last?

If you made thr decision, how did you know it was the right time and do you remember the last one?

OP posts:
FlyingPandas · 31/07/2021 23:00

Conscious decision to stop with all three of mine. Had been clear from the outset that 6 months would be my target and with each of them I began to replace breastfeeds with formula feeds from 6m onwards and had stopped by 7m.

I have a very clear memory of a last breastfeed with DC3, lying in bed on a summer holiday. It was all lovely and quiet and calm. So lovely that it was almost tempting to carry on - but I knew that I didn’t want to BF an older baby/toddler and it felt completely right to stop.

With each DC I remember feeling really excited to move on to bottles and the next stage of their journey (and was also excited about non-BF friendly clothes and non-BF bras for me!). I was very lucky I think.

Justgettingbye · 31/07/2021 23:01

With my first and second I stopped at day 3 and felt very relieved Grin

Makhiaman · 31/07/2021 23:08

Stopped with the youngest around 2.5. Had been trying to stop for a year!
Finally went cold Turkey one day when I’d had enough, about 5 days later he got ill and I consoled him with a bf. I remember it was horrendously painful but it did comfort him, that was the last time.
Wish I’d stopped earlier.

Purplewithred · 31/07/2021 23:09

Dd bit my nipple, hard. I was stopping soon anyway to go back to work but I pulled her off, looked her in the eye and said ‘that’s it sunshine, we’re done here’. I can still feel it now.

JustMeAndWheatley · 31/07/2021 23:28

Conscious decision at about 16 weeks with ds1. I absolutely hated it and beat myself up over stopping but cried with joy and relief when I stopped.

Day 3 with ds2.

Notmydaughteryoubitch · 31/07/2021 23:35

My DD was 4 when she stopped, I don't exactly remember the last feed because it was so gradual and at her pace. It was a beautiful thing & in some ways I miss it but also very glad not to have to do it anymore.

DuggeeHugs · 01/08/2021 10:11

Both of mine stopped on their 4th birthdays. They were stopping naturally but I used the occasions to bring things to a conclusion. I remember both clearly and, although by the time DC2 was stopping I was just glad to finish after 6 years, I do miss it sometimes.

AgentJohnson · 01/08/2021 10:39

No, I didn’t know my last feed would be my last feed, I stopped at seven months and wished I stopped earlier. I was far too lazy to pump consistently and formula feeding just seemed like an expensive racket.

Hats off to women who stuck it out longer but my mh would have suffered if I had continued being a milking machine for any longer.

MrsMonkeyBear · 01/08/2021 10:41

Conscious decision for me. I was due to go to a wedding 400 miles away for 3 nights. Dd2 was 22 months.

The morning that I left, I gave her one last feed and that was that. Although, when I came home, she did keep asking for milk and I had to tell her I forgot to bring them back with me from holiday.

imaginethemdragons · 01/08/2021 10:44

It was ds 3rd birthday.
Planned decision.
Naturally a good time for us both.
Thoroughly thoroughly enjoyed bf with my last baby.

I wanted to squeeze every last drop of our time together and I did. Loved it.

Somethingsnappy · 01/08/2021 11:14

I don't remember in detail with my first two, but they were about 2 years old and were only having some at night by then. But with my third, I was pregnant with my fourth and my supply dropped. She was 2 and she'd had a go, then stopped and said 'it's empty!' and that was that. She asked once or twice after that over the following days but I just reminded her they were empty now and she said 'oh yes'. All very matter of fact.

IveGotASongThatllGetOnYNerves · 01/08/2021 11:18

Mine are 20 (nearly 21) and 22 now and I haven't got a clue. Nor can I remember when they first walked - one was before their first birthday and the other just after theirs but can I buggery remember which was which.

I feel awful admitting it, like I'm a failure as a mum for not keeping records of firsts.

Original poster
Rosebyanothername19 · 01/08/2021 11:27

Oh wow! I'm blown away by all the responses! Thank you all for sharing. It's a really good idea to take a picture of one of her last feeds, just in case it's her last and I don't know it yet.

I'm so glad it's not just me that finds the concept of stopping emotional. I was diagnosed with PND and PTSD due to a rather rocky start to LOs life so I wasn't sure if my emotions were tied up with that. Glad to know it's totally normal! And I'm also quite pleased to hear that she might carry on until she is 4 or 5!

Fundamentally I will just carry on savouring and enjoying every feed and try not to worry. I will still take a few pictures though.

Thank you all again for sharing. It was really heartwarming to read a lot of the posts!

OP posts:
Enko · 01/08/2021 11:29

With dd1 yes I can remember as it was lead by me to stop. With ds2 and 3 and ds I know their ages but not thwbactual last as they self weaned

Aria2015 · 01/08/2021 11:30

I'm still breastfeeding dc2 but with dc1, I breastfed him until he was just over a year. At that time he would breastfeed from me when I wasn't at work, and when I was at work he'd have a bottle of expressed milk or cows milk. I remember the last time he breastfed - it was the day of his 1 year jabs. He had his jab and cried and so I put him on the boob. We went home and he slept and woke up with a fever and was feeling grotty. I tried to breastfeed him again and he refused so I gave him a bottle instead figuring he was unwell and he just wanted the easy option of a bottle. But he never took the breast again - just refused. So the last time had been in the doctors surgery, only I hadn't realised it was the last time! I was quite heartbroken over it as I'd have continued longer but I suppose the silver lining was that I didn't have to make the hard decision to stop, that was done for me!

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 01/08/2021 11:34

I do remember with dd2 at about 5 months - supply was drying up, just not enough any more, and I’d just managed to get her to take a bottle, which TBH was a great relief. But I did feel sad about it.

gobackanddoitproperly · 01/08/2021 11:36

Interesting question and one I thought of today. The answer is no. But I do remember the last time I carried my son. I was taking him to work with me as he was sick. He was 5. It was a bit of a walk from the bus stop to the office and he was very lethargic so I carried him. I thought at the time I would savour the feeling of his weight in my arms as it was likely the last time I would carry him and it was.

My 16 year old daughter got into bed with last night as she had a fever. She NEVER does that. Hasn’t for years. She fell asleep in my arms and I’m sure that will be the last time. It was lovely.

Tal45 · 01/08/2021 11:42

After 2 years I was really glad I'd persevered in the early day when it was very difficult, really glad I'd done it but more than ready to stop!! I don't remember the last feed.

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