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Infant feeding

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

Those who've bf for a year plus - any tips?

11 replies

Okonomiyaki · 20/03/2011 14:30

Ds is 4.5 months and ebf. I'd like to continue for at least a year and longer if possible. Am due back at work at 11 months.

What makes for a successful long-term bf relationship?

OP posts:
StrawberriesAndScream · 20/03/2011 16:55

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StrawberriesAndScream · 20/03/2011 16:56

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Okonomiyaki · 20/03/2011 19:58

Luckily he's happy to take a bottle...unfortunately though I find expressing almost impossible - never get anything!

Hippy-ish is fine :)

OP posts:
MamaChocoholic · 20/03/2011 20:23

I went back to work when ds1 was 11mo. he had cow's milk from a cup during the day, and I fed him morning (x2), evening, bedtime and nightime. we were fine. so don't worry about not being able to express (I can't much either), and enjoy feeding your baby as long as you both want :)

soangryIcouldspit · 20/03/2011 22:09

I am feeding ds (17 months). I didn't express at all when I went back to work (3 days). He feeds morning and evening and more on my "off days" or if he is sick. It just happened, didn't really require any planning! It is great fun feeding them when they're that bit older. He gets all excited and smiley when it's "boo" time (his word, not mine!)

LakeFlyPie · 21/03/2011 00:51

My advice would be keep going as long as you both like.

IME bf is very flexible, I went back to work P/T when DS1 was 12 months old and he bf when I was there and took a cup when I wasn't.

I hoped to bf for a year and see how it went, currently bf DS1 (2.10yrs) at his bedtime and DS2 (4 months) at all other times or so it seems at the moment Grin

Have found the option to bf DS1 during illnesses and upsets really helpful.

Have been pleasantly surprised at the lack of "you're still bf DS1??" comments.

Enjoy Smile

exexpat · 21/03/2011 01:15

DD started nursery roughly 9am to 4pm when she was 11months, so at that stage we cut down to three feeds a day (morning, after nursery, bed), and then just to morning and bedtime. I never got into expressing, and she didn't mind drinking some formula during the day at nursery by then.

However, she self-weaned at 13 months, though I would have been happy to carry on for a bit longer - she started biting and refusing to feed. I'm not sure if that was related to feeding less during the day or not - DS wasn't in childcare at that age, but I don't think we fed much during the day after 12 months, and he was still an enthusiastic feeder until I decided to wean him at 15 months.

missjackson · 21/03/2011 01:33

Don't worry about the amount you express now - by 11 months you should find your supply pretty much levels out so that you can express at will, feed on demand, and also go long periods without feeding/ expressing.

Be prepared to feed at night - when I went back to work when DS was 11 months, he would go without milk during the day (wouldn't drink my carefully expressed and frozen bm at all!) and wait for me to come home, then spend the night guzzling - but I really enjoyed co-sleeping and felt like the night-time parenting made up for the lack of presence during the day - would just latch him on, snuggle up, and go back to sleep, so it didn't affect work either.

Be prepared for your LO to take longer to get into solids than non-bf babies - and remember there is way more nutrition in your bm than a bowl of pureed carrot anyway. But all babies different...

Someone else said it - just relax and go with the flow!

I fed DS up until he self-weaned at 22 months when I was 6 months pg and I think my milk dried up- it was a very natural end to a wonderful feeding relationship but I still miss it - and nothing beats a quick bf for getting them off to sleep/ taking the pain of a banged head away/ calming an over-excited toddler down - I still miss those advantages!

Extended bf also brilliant for weight loss - but I found this only really kicked in at about 6 months. I think that's why a lot of women say it's a myth - only about 3% of babies are still being ebf at 6 months I believe, but when you are producing enough milk to single-handedly keep a lively 6 month old growing and healthy, that takes a lot of calories!

Okonomiyaki · 22/03/2011 14:38

Thank you all, lots of good tips here!

OP posts:
DorisIsAPinkDragon · 22/03/2011 14:41

I tried to feed for as long as possible with dd2 but she was too interested in what dd1 was doing, with dd3 I feed her in peace and quiet without the other 2 dd's around (moring and evening) which I think has helped ( she's 21months now)

LaTristesse · 22/03/2011 20:01

My DS is 12mo now and I'm back at work in 3 weeks and am hoping DS will adapt like soangry...'s - bf on Mummy days and water on Grandma days (he hates cows milk).
I agree with the comments about teeth - there will be days when you think you'll have to stop because it hurts, but with each new tooth it takes a few days for the bub to get used to having it and adjust his latch - just take each feed as it comes - you'll get through it!
And enjoy it - there's an enormous sense of fulfilment in meeting your feeding goals! Good luck! Smile

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