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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

If you successfully BF, how long did you do it for, and why did you stop?

80 replies

Icoulddoitbetter · 03/10/2010 12:36

Afternoon everyone,

My DS is about to turn 1 and I'm still BF with no intention of stopping soon. Most mums I know have either stopped already or are in the process of doing so. There has also been an increase recently in people saying to me "so exactly how much longer do you intend to BF?" !!!

I know MN has a lot more extended BF'ers than I'll meet in RL, but I'm just curious as to why people do it for as long (or as short) a time as they do. Amongst my friends it just seems that people feel 6-9 months is enough. I can see why, and completely respect their decision. In fact I'm still shocked that I find myself here happy to carry on BF until, who knows? I'm also no earth mother, my DS has a bottle at bedtime given by his dad, and bottles if we go out and he's babysat.

So, if BF worked out for you, at what point did you think "right that's enough now" and end it? And what was the reason?

OP posts:
tinierclanger · 04/10/2010 14:06

14 months. Stopped because DS just lost interest, although I would have happily continued bedtime feed.

zapostrophe · 04/10/2010 14:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Bigmouthstrikesagain · 04/10/2010 14:12

Ds B'fed for 21 months including feeding through pregenancy and tandem feeding for a month or so.

Dd1 - fed for 26 months including through pregnancy but stopped before dd2 born - took a while as she had (still has) some digestive issues and bf'ing helped her a lot. I stopped in the end as I was so tired with the pregnancy and needed a break, used don't offer don't refuse and distraction method.

Dd2 - still feeding her now she will be 2 in Oct she loves it so much that it will be a struggle stopping completely. Do aim to have stopped by April so will have to get back to you on that.

It has been great for many reasons - when they are ill and tired and upset boob always soothes. It is hard work, and often uncomfortable but could not have done it any other way.

thumbwitch · 04/10/2010 14:16

23 months. Stopped because it was starting to feel a little uncomfortable, and DS was down to just night feeds anyway - the first night without he asked a couple of times, the next night he asked once, and that was it. So it was almost a mutual cessation.
The other reason is because we were ttc and having troubles, so stopped in case that was another hindrance. Kind of worked as got pg immediately but sadly lost it at 8w. Haven't managed to get pg again yet...

Bonsoir · 04/10/2010 14:16

Years and years. DD finally gave up.

Francagoestohollywood · 04/10/2010 14:32

BF worked out pretty easily for me, but I stopped when DS was 10 months because I was a bit fed up to be honest, and he didn't seem that interested anymore.

With DD I had to stop when she was 7 and a half months old, because I had to take medication.

stressedHEmum · 04/10/2010 14:34

I bf'd 5 kids over 17 years, non-stop. I tandem and triple nursed some of them. The longest any one of them nursed for was just over 5 years, the shortest time was about 3 years. They all self weaned.

Ignore people who ask about stopping. It's none of their business, anyway. WHO recommend BF for at least the first 2 years.

KnitterNotTwitter · 04/10/2010 14:38

I fed DS until 19 months. At that point I had an ectopic pregnancy and was bundled off to hospital for 3 days. As DH had done the hard/cold-turkey bit with DS it seemed unreasonable of me to start again. DS is now 26 months and no longer tries to latch on but he does every now and then ask me if he can drink it :(

I would love to still be BFing :(

mrsshackleton · 05/10/2010 11:56

Fed both dds until they were about 15 months, then cut out a feed a day (only 2 or 3 at the end) over a fortnight or so and replaced it with a cup of cows milk

I loved it but it was wearing me out, was veyr skinny and run down. Dd1 didn't notice it had gone, dd2 aged 3.5 still paws my breasts ceaselessly Grin

sfxmum · 05/10/2010 12:01

I BF dd for 2yr6m it was hard in the beginning, so hard I nearly gave up

when she was 1 I returned to work for a while and BF went to 2-3 a day and carried on more or less am/pm until she self weaned

I stopped only because she had gone days without bf here and there and stopped asking altogether unless it was the middle of the night when she clearly wanted to an aid to get back to sleep but I need my sleep too so said no more and we were fine

it was lovely and I really felt it when we stopped but it was the right time for us

ReneRusso · 05/10/2010 15:19

DD1 and DD2 about 7 months - I went back to work and there was no possibility of expressing and storing etc. They both seemed very happy on the bottle, so I didn't see the need to keep up BF.
DD3, was keen for her to self wean, but I gave up just short of 6 months because I was unable to get rid of thrush in the milk ducts and was in agony after every feed.

sazlocks · 06/10/2010 15:35

Fed DS1 til he was 13 months. Tried to carry on longer but he was having none of it so I gave up after a couple of weeks of offering.
DS2 is past 8 months and still going strong. I have no intention of stopping any time soon but already people have started asking when I will be stopping. When he is ready is my answer.

chibi · 06/10/2010 15:36

dd 18 months til i was about 8 weeks pg with ds and it was driving me crazy

ds till 14 months when he self weaned

FrozenNorth · 06/10/2010 16:18

DD1 bf'd / had expressed breastmilk until 14 months (stopped expressing as was pregnant and worried about premature labour) then resumed bf'ing at 17 months when DD2 arrived early. DD1 is now 2 years old and DD2 is almost 8 months old, planning to keep going until it's not working for either them or me. Won't be any time soon though - love the fact I can indulge in cake etc. and not pile on weight (okay, it's not my only reason by any means, but it definitely makes me feel like I'm getting some instant gratification at the same time as the DDs are).

sweetkitty · 06/10/2010 16:25

DD1 - 12 months, I was pregnant with DD2 and feeling very yucky and sore so quite glad she stopped, I did the never offer never refuse thing
DD2 - 15 months
DD3 - 13 months
DS - 5 months and still BFing

DD2 and 3 don't know why we stopped really they were probably down to one or two feeds a day and I probably just forgot to feed them one morning and thought "oh well this must be the end of BFing"

I think I will cry when DS stops as he is my last baby.

otchayaniye · 06/10/2010 18:02

I nudged my daughter into stopping at 21 months because I hadn't had a period and I wanted to try for another child (I'm 38 so don't have all the time in the world)

I was demand feeding (in public and through the night) until about 20 months when I decided that I would cut the day feeds (my DH - SAHD would bring her to my work (I'm p/t) even then at lunch to meet/feed). The feeding to sleep DID get to me, because it meant my husband sleeping on the sofa, it interrupted my fertility and she was waking frequently and taking ages to settle. I actually found breastfeeding hurt more in these protracted sessions than in the early days. Anyway, moved her to her own room and still fed her as part of routine but not to sleep. Bit of upset but not much and she slept through.

One day she didn't ask for it before bedtime so I didn't offer and then she did ask the second night but I made excuses. Then bingo, she was weaned. BUT...

Following a holiday where we all were in the same room she regressed and to keep her from waking the other villa guests I allowed her to b/feed when she asked. So what we have now is a toddler who will occassionally feed if she wakes in the early hours and I cannot cope with getting up.

I'm happy with this. I have my periods back and I guess I will continue

Basically she spent a night with DH at friends and was fine. What was doing my head in a bit was that I was on call every night, every couple of hours and it made me resent it, having done it for so long. Now it's not like that I'm fine continuing.

Would I do this with my second child? I've wondered, it's so full-on, but I guess I was just compelled to do it this way and will do it again (permitting). I may have a better sleeper so it might not feel so bleak sometimes!

deemented · 06/10/2010 18:11

My DD is 2.5 and that's how long i've been breastfeeding for. I fed her all through my pregnancy with DS3, and it was literally the day i came home with him that she stopped feeding from me - she was just over 20 months old and wouldn't come anywhere near me after seeing DS3 feeding from me - i was gutted as had planned to tandem feed Sad

I'll keep on feeding until DS3 self weans but hopefully there'll be another baby or two along the way.

NinthWave · 06/10/2010 18:17

I Bfed my DS until he was 16 months old. We stopped because he lost interest.

Now 39 weeks pg with DC2 and hoping to feed for at least as long again :)

Bucharest · 06/10/2010 18:20

Dd was 5yrs and 10 mths.
She decided.Smile

smokinaces · 06/10/2010 20:02

DS2 was around 10m. We'd struggled through lactose intollerance and other problems, but he just decided he prefered soya milk and wasnt interested anymore. We were only feeding morning and night (and upsets) at that point, but after 3 days of him refusing I stopped offering. TBH with a toddler only 19m older I was quite happy to stop as I was juggling working and illnesses too.

montoyadiary · 06/10/2010 20:18

first until 13 months, second until 14 months.

baby getting teeth top and bottom was the reason for stopping both times - we were down to just an early morning feed anyway so they were just about ready to stop - i couldn't deal with the sharp little teeth!

lazycow007 · 06/10/2010 20:25

DD self weaned at 14mths - was gutted, had planned on bf til at least 1.5-2yrs.

cheeselover · 06/10/2010 21:14

Feeding ds, nearly 15 mths. Will carry on till he stops if I can, but work related travel in the new year might make it difficult. Find it especially helpful if he's ill or teething and off his food.

ProcessYellowC · 06/10/2010 22:48

DS is still going at 2.5y, my intention was to let him self-wean, and just when I was wondering if those people who said they never self wean are right, he has really cut down of late.

I've thought plenty times "right that's enough now" but never had the patience or energy to try and stop it, plus I worried a little about losing my magic wand to get him back to sleep/ease constipation/just have a long quiet cuddle while putting my little boy to bed(I work full time, 11 hour days away from home).

FairyLightsForever · 07/10/2010 13:16

DS 16 months, but it was over a decade ago and I didn't have MN, or WHO guidelines for that matter! I was considered an extended feeder back then.

DD is 3yrs 6m and is still going, she shows no interest in stopping and I made the decision that it would be her choice to give up when she was ready... could be years yet!