Stop bf at 6 months?

[marzipananimal]

DS is 6mo today. I had planned to bf til at least 1 year, probably longer, but since he was born I've had mastitis 7 times.

I have it at the mo and might change my mind when I'm better but at the moment i feel like stopping. DS is poorly and hardly feeding so my supply has plummeted (always struggled with expressing so am only trying it to clear the mastitis) and in a way I feel like it would be a good time to stop. I was worried about how I'd ever stop given that I'm so prone to mastitis so I kind of feel like I should seize the opportunity of my current low supply. However, I also feel like that would be mean on DS as he's poorly. Also, the thought of paying for formula and making up bottles fills me with gloom.

If you stopped bf at around 6 months, how did you find the switch to ff? He's barely had any food so far and none at the mo cos he's pooorly.

maybe thinking about mix feeding, cos if he was having formula and his appetite dropped I could just increase the bf rather than get engorged

sorry to hear that it's not been fun...

Have you tried different positions when BFing... Kellymom has loads of info and ideas here

in terms of stopping i'd say that doing it when he's not well is probably not good - if your DS is feeling down he probably appreciates the extra skin on skin cuddlyness of BFing...

Transitioning to mixed feeding might work, assuming your DS will take bottle/formula but it does run the risk that you'll get ups and downs in demand which might not be good given your mastitis history...

Hope that is some help

I stopped feeding my 3 at approx 6 months, for no particular reason other than I had had enough. I felt a bit selfish (briefly), but it was right for me. I went back to work at 6 months after DC1 so i really wanted to stop feeding before that, but with DCs2 & 3 that wasn't an issue. It just kind of happened that once I started weaning onto solids, the idea of giving a bottle and them not being dependent on me seemed very appealing (I had been exclusively bf prior to that). I cut out one, feed, then another and quickly stopped all bf. I didn't do the drop a feed a week thing - I did it much more quickly than that. The way I did it whilst avoiding engorgement was initially to give 2 oz formula at each feed, then bf as normal, but as the baby had already had a bit of formula they were not so hungry and took less. The next day I put 3 oz in the bottle then bf as normal, then 4 oz, then 5 oz, then full feed in bottle and expressed a tiny bit (either by hand - hot flannels or in the bath, or with the pump) if I felt uncomfortable.

For about a week after stopping I felt terrible and weepy and sad (hormones I suppose), then I felt wonderful - like a new lease of life. I am pretty pleased with myself for managing 6 months of exclusive bf. I suppose sometimes I feel I should have carried on a bit longer (as lots of other members of my family have), but it was right for me.

but knitter, don't you think I could manage fluctuating demand better if I was mix feeding as I could just give him less (or more) formula depending on the state of my breasts

Nelly that sounds like a good way to transition between the two. Did your DC get upset and didn't you miss the convenience of bf?

I've been quite prone to blocked ducts with fluey symptoms (but I believe not full-blown mastitus) so I can certainly sympathise.

You need to do what is right for you, but I just wanted to point out you shouldn't view this as your only chance to easily stop - over the coming months, as your DS increases his intake of solids, he will slowly cut down how much milk he is taking. So if anything, you would probably find it easier in a few months time.

Do you have any sense why you keep getting mastitus? If you do decide to carry on, it might be worth talking to one of the helplines to see if there's anything you can do to make it less likely to re-occur. I believe my blocked ducts were due to oversupply, and when my supply finally settled down when DS was 4 1/2 months, I stopped getting them... until this week when he had a sore throat and I think accidentally upped my supply with lots of 'drinks'. But I continue to learn and will be more on the look out next time he's ill!

OMG 7 times?!? You poor thing! :( I've never had anything like that, maybe some people are just more prone to it, or maybe there's something you could be doing to lessen the risk?

Is there a BFing support group near you? Maybe they (or a HV?) could advise you on different feeding positions etc. It's worth a try anyway. They should also be able to tell you how to mix feed properly, and combine it with solid food etc.

However IMO you've been a saint to persist through such illness for 6 months. So if you did end up stopping you should feel no guilt whatsoever, baby's had 6 months of your milk and every one of those feeds has made a difference.

thanks people :)

I'm (ironically) doing a peer supporter training course at the mo so have lots of access to bf experts. It seems that I'm just really susceptible every time his appetite drops a bit, although we had latching problems at the beginning too which might have had something to do with it. Maybe I could have avoided it this time if I had expressed but I just can't do it effectively

do you drink caffiene? one of my bf peer supporter tutors said she realised after her umpteenth bout of mastitis that it was caused by caffiene, so just a thought :)

only 1 cup of tea per day. I do eat lots of saturated fat though (chocolate and biscuits) which I've read could be a factor, but they're how i survive!

I know the feeling!

Hi OP, just wanted to say my DS was 6 months yesterday too, and also thinking about stopping now. My DS hasn't has a drop of formula yet either; I'll prob give him his is first bottle of it today.

Feel sad as I've really enjoyed bf but I'm sick of people asking me when I'm going to stop. I've always been somebody who worries what people think of me, especially my parents, and unfortunately they're the worst. They came back from a long holiday yesterday and when I spoke to them on the phone my Dad asked, 'you aren't still breastfeeding him are you?!)

I just don't understand what the problem is for some of their generation?! Your family sounds a lot more sensible than mine. Anyway, sorry that's a different thread altogether.

We've done well anyway and I put my DS's extremely good health down to the ebf. He's had two colds in his life, whereas my friends' same age and not bf babies have caught all sorts of bugs, infections and viruses. If you do decide to stop, six months is more than good enough.

Could it be oversupply? I'm assuming you've tried block feeding?

I'd worry that adding formula to the mix would just add another area of complication. (NB if you do add formula, please use the first-stage stuff, the 6 months plus stuff is a waste of time and likely to give him constipation)

(And, just to cover the obvious, you're already careful about anything obstructing your breast while feeding? You have a well-fitting breastfeeding bra?)

hattie that's really sad, you should be able to carry on until you or your baby want to stop but it must be really hard with negative pressure all the time. I've been very lucky in that respect. Can you explain to them that it's important to you to carry on? It seems mad to start buying a breastmilk substitute when you have plenty of breastmilk yourself which you enjoy giving. Maybe ask for some advice on here, I'm sure others have been through a similar thing.

NotQuiteCockney can you have oversupply for 6 months ebf? I thought it was only a problem at the beginning and sorts itself out after a while. I haven't tried block feeding but would be reluctant as it would mean the non-feeding side getting over full. I think my bra is fine, although maybe should get the NCT bra fitter I know to check, and I'm very careful about bag straps etc

I'm feeling a bit better today, still have a lumpy boob but much less painful and ill

Thanks for your sympathy Marzipan! I didn't end up giving formula today, as remembered I have a small freezer supply of expressed stuff to use up first. Tried to replace the mid morning feed with a bottle but he wasn't really that into it and only took a couple of ounces then just played with the teat, chewing it. Now wondering if I should try just using a sippy cup instead...

I've decided to keep going with the first morning and bedtime feed for a couple more months. Hopefully my body will comply!

Glad you feel a bit better today, and hope your little man is better soon.

Boobs are 360 degrees, it is good practice to alter the babies positions about during the course of the day. That way there should be no milk remaining in the ducts. I found that I got mastitus when I started relying on only one or two positions.

Mastitus is horrible - you have my sympathies.