Never thought I'd say this about BF, but

[happylittlevegemite]

I actually enjoy it!

I feel slightly bonkers posting but I don't know anyone IRL who has BF past 4 months (besides my Mum 30 years ago). So I read MN obsessively occasionally to feel like I'm not doing it alone :).

I've gone through different phases of: detesting it (1 - 3 months); tolerating it (3 - 5 months; accepting it (5 - 8 months); and now DD is 8.5 months and it suddenly struck me that I am actually enjoying it. I thought I'd just float through with the acceptance that it was one of the choices I'd made and that was it. Feeling a bit at the realisation.

I'm not trying to sound smug or self congratulatory (although secretly giving myself the tiniest of pats on the back :)) but just felt like sharing with someone. Thanks for reading if you got this far!

good :)

I think that sums Up my experience too

Good for you

That's really lovely.

That's lovely.

I feel quite similar to you just now. DS is 6 months and have started to drop one feed. Some days in the early weeks I could never have imagined getting to this point and there were times I really struggled with the whole idea of it.

But now it is second nature. When we do eventually stop, although it will be time for us all, it will be very sad. I will miss those sleepy feed cuddles

:)

Well done.

Have a pat on the back from me then! I'm still going despite my family all starting to make comments along the lines of 'you've done the important bit, now it's time to think of yourself'. I just quote bits of The Politics of Breastfeeding' at them and they retreat in panic just in case I offer to lend them the book.

DS is just 8 months BTW.

Great. That's a lovely post. Thx for sharing. BF can be a wonderful part of being a mum.

I am still bfing my 21 month old. Wouldn't have it any other way.

I still wouldn't say I enjoy BFing but i think I'm passing the point of really hating it.

I still find it frustrating in the middle of the day when DS is fussing and in the middle of the night when it's me who has to get up everytime.

I'm looking forward to the acceptance and enjoyment stage :D

I love post 6ms breastfeeding the most! So I am completely with you. It is less intense, you and the baby know what you are doing, no need to wind or faff with positioning.

We need to spread the word, lots of women stagger to 6ms and then stop, they're missing the best bit.

Well done :)

Feeding is lovely, but it does take time to get the hang of it all. I'm hoping that the enjoyment stage will arrive sooner with DC2 who is due in March!

Helen I hope you get there soon :)

Me too. My DD2 is 20 months and it's so easy. One of my friends is very disapproving but I just tell her not to think about it, after all I don't think of her and her DH 'at it'!

What a lovely post! Well done you :o

That's great - exactly how I felt about it too! DS and I mutually agreed to stop at 16 months

Glad I read that as my DS now 10 weeks and have just had a conversation with DH where I said I will have to move over to formula because it looks like this bf will never work as well as I imagined..and formula must be a preferable option and DH finally agreed with me after 10 weeks of unwavering encouragement and support

maybe will give it a bit longer then

thanks

great thread - i feel exactly the same.

i HATED HATED breastfeeding for the first 11 weeks and found it so painful (especially as i had thrush and mastitus) but at 11 weeks i was out shopping and rushing around and suddenly thought i could not wait to get home and settle on the sofa with a cup of tea anf DD1 for a long restful feed! i always thought i would just suffer it out to 3 months but now at 14 weeks am actually thinking i will carry on till 6 months at least!

to anyone still in the early days it really does get so much better!

Thanks all for the kind posts and encouragement, it's mostly reading that people can do it successfully on MN that got me through the first few months. I was always amazed to read of those continuing 12 months and beyond (especially when my goal was to get through the next feed!) but it's not hard to imagine now at all.

Inspirachion, I was the same at 10 weeks and sometimes used to fantasize about giving DD a bottle, but just kept telling myself that I would get through that day. Somehow the months just ticked by and here I am :). Whatever way you decide to go, you've done a superb job getting to 10 weeks when that first part is the hardest.