to think that BF beyond 6 months is not exactly hard?

[lowrib]

DISCLAIMER! Let me be very clear - I'm not saying that BF is easy full stop - I know from experience it can be very bloody painful (I got blocked ducts and mastitis - ouch!) and I in no way mean to underplay the considerable achievements of many mums in establishing BF in the who first place in difficult circumstances. Nor am I having a go at people who choose - or have no choice but to use formula.

But ... once BF is established and you, your baby and your body are all used to it, it's hardly hard work to carry on, is it?

I'm asking because I keep coming across people who seem surprised that I'm "still" feeding my DS at 11 months, and either congratulate me - or say as "Are you still feeding him" . The WHO recommends 2 years and we're not even half way there ffs!

The last person actually said "Are you still BF lowrib? You wanna get him off the boob!"

If my DS is hungry, or tired, or needing comfort, I simply put him on my boob and he's happy. How is that in any way harder than faffing around with bottles and making up formula, or worrying about how long it's been out of the fridge or warming up milk when out and about?

I think the subtext behind the "get him off the boob" comment was so that I could have a proper drink. Look, my social life for the last 20 years has revolved around heavy drinking (and I've thoroughly enjoyed it, for the most part), but hello, I'VE HAD A BABY!!! I think it's a pretty bloody sad reason to give up BF - for some boozy nights down the pub. The pub will always be there, but my little one won't be a baby long.

I don't think this is what everyone means though. So what are they on about? Why is it such a big deal? Is it the social stigma? Do people find it easier to move on to bottles because they feel it's what's expected of them? It's a pretty bloody sad indictment of our society if so. Women should be celebrated for BF, don't you think? Not made to feel like bloody social lepers.

Sorry for the long post, feel a bit ranty this morning

oh another one of these threads!

i was desperate for my body back at 6 months! forget hard or not!

I don't think the OP was being judgmental, rather she was fed up of people judging her. I was given a hard time about breast feeding from the day my dc was born to the day I stopped at one year. It beggared belief that I had to defend the fact I was bf. It tends to piss you off just the same as those criticised for ff. Maybe one day we can all live and let live. Poss the OP should have posted in a different section from this to avoid misconstruing her words? People are incredibly judgmental about bf beyond a certain age or in my ridiculous situation bf at all although I recognise that is not the norm.

I didn't enjoy BF it was purely functional.I gladly stopped at 6 months.I wanted my life back.

I've found the second six months much easier than the first 6 months - and I am back at work 3 full days and 2 half days per week.

I desperately hate expressing though, and am very glad that DD can now hang on until I get back from work.

Whilst I haven't ever expressed at work (makes me feel 'bleurgh' for some reason) it is worth noting that your employer must provide you with somewhere to express that isn't a toilet.

I think after 12mths it's very hard to bf in public without attracting all sorts of 'wierdo' looks.
I'mn very ashamed to say that I am thoroughly embarrassed to feed my 17mo in public

I get the judging. My mother, who breastfed me until 10 months, keeps commenting on me feeding past 1 year

I BF DS2 until 14months when he self-weaned . I admit that I didnt enjoy feeding in public in the last couple of months primarily because he'd bob on & off having a good look around him and exposing my boob to everyone within a 25m radius.

I dont think there should be a length of time that you "should" breastfeed for. whether its 1 week, 1 month or 1 yr, any breastmilk is beneficial to a baby and will boost its immune system.

I once read that breastfeeding is a partnership between mum & baby and both need to be happy. If a woman feels that its the right time for her to stop feeding thats her personal choice and she should be supported rather than criticised.

going back to OP - i wish people would mind their own bloody business

I am still bfing my DS at 10 months, but only morning and night now in the week - he has formula at nursery, though I do feed him at weekends (so have never had to bother to learn how to make up formula ) which is possible because he feeds so much less now with being on solids.

My supply dropped noticeably after I was ill for about a week at the 6 month mark. Before that I was a gusher, which made the early period easier, along with:

• being on ML so just about the house, usually in my PJs, and able to pop DS on at a moment's notice
• DS being smaller, far less wriggly and without teeth, and prone to drop off to sleep on and off while feeding. Very peaceful.

Now that I'm back at work and DS is bigger and less willing to feed peacefully, I think it's definitely harder. I'm happy to keep up the morning/night routine as it is the easy choice in many ways, but mixed feeding has been the way to go from about 8 months for me. It also helps that my DS is small for his age in that people are less inclined to look at me askance in public for feeding a 'big' baby. I have had many comments about feeding past teeth appearing, though.

I'm not sure many people know that the morning/evening only option after 6 months is as viable as it is. I did get more of the impression that it's all or nothing when I was pre-6 months.

I bf ds2 till 13 months. I found it hard for a number of reasons.

I think the main reason was that he is allergic to cows milk, which had a number of problems. First, I had to be on a dairy free diet (I am vegetarian for the last 22 years and have a ds1 who is allergic to nuts and pulses so we tend to avoid those anyhow), then, hypoallergenic formula tastes like crap so not surprisingly he wouldn't drink it - but not having the choice on whether you feed or not is incredibly difficult IYKWIM?

He also had weight problems, which were always assigned to breastfeeding by the so-called health care professionals (even after starting solid food). This put a lot of guilt on me.

I imagine though that if bf is going well and you are both happy to carry on, that it is fairly easy to do so. Even though I found it hard (and hated it at times), I still was very upset when we stopped.