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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Did you have a planned cut off time for breastfeeding?

52 replies

suzi2 · 31/01/2006 22:08

I always said that I hoped to do it for 6 months and then stop after that. Thanks to fab support (here and at home), I will reach my 6 month target on Saturday. Now though, 6 months doesn't seem long enough and I've upped it to a year. Did anyone else have cut offs in mind? If so, did you meet them?

OP posts:
hunkermunker · 31/01/2006 23:51

No, no cut off.

With DS1, I struggled for about five weeks to establish feeding without it hurting, so I took it one feed at a time at that stage, but would not let myself give up in the night and in the day it never felt so overwhelming. Fed him for nearly 17m and he self-weaned when I was pg with DS2.

Have fed him for 13 days so far... I know what I'm doing this time, so I'm finding it much easiser. He can feed for as long as he likes. MUCH easier to let them self-wean IME. And I have no hang-ups about feeding a toddler.

Hattie05 · 31/01/2006 23:53

Had no plans.

Went back to work partime when dd was 3mths, so expressed into bottles whilst away and continued breastfeeding when i was at home. Between us we stopped at two years because she'd kinda got addicted and had gone back to feeding through out the night (co-sleeping) and i decided she didn't need that much and that we'd both benefit far more from more sleep!, so very gradually weaned off altogther.

skerriesmum · 31/01/2006 23:54

I was the same, thought I wouldn't last more than 6 months but ended up doing it for a year!

skerriesmum · 31/01/2006 23:54

I was the same, thought I wouldn't last more than 6 months but ended up doing it for a year!

skerriesmum · 31/01/2006 23:54

breastfeeding I mean, sorry for double post

LeahE · 01/02/2006 00:02

Hadn't (and still haven't at just over a year) got a particular target in mind - we'll see when he wants to stop. DS has had one formula feed a day from about 8 months when I went back to work, though. DH has just started to venture the occasional question about when I might be thinking about possibly stopping, so I'm not sure he's entirely on board with the whole self-weaning thing but he's not hostile to it either.

hana · 01/02/2006 00:05

wanted 12 months for both
dd1 was about 15 or 16 months
dd2 is 13 months and now just first thing in am, will prob stop soon, I just can't get downstairs fast enough for warm milk at that hour in the morning!!

JendleWendleBells · 01/02/2006 00:12

I started off saying 6 months, then 12 months - he's now 16 months and we are still BF'ing. Usually just first thing in the morning and late afternoon and only in private. Although sometimes I am required to provide on demand comfort during the day. I am going away shortly for a one week course, so the decision is being forced. For me it's been a really special part of being a mother and I'll miss it when we stop. There's a Channel 4 shown on BF'ing on Wednesday which I think is going to explore the issue of extended BF'ing.

bobbybobbobbingalong · 01/02/2006 02:45

6 weeks
then 3 months
then 6 months
then 12 months
then 24 months
and then stopped setting dates.

Shivs1974 · 01/02/2006 08:39

My dd never latched on so I exclusively express. After being told by MWs & HVs that I wouldn't manage to get past 6 weeks, I decided (stubborn cow that I am) to prove them wrong
So 8.5 mths on, I'm still exclusively expressing. It's been made easier that I took 8 mths off and so only have to pump once a day at work. I'm really really hoping to get to a year but I somehow think that I might not....as she's still having 5 bottles a day and I'm just managing to provide enough for her....so to answer your question, initially 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year....

harpsichordcarrier · 01/02/2006 08:41

shivs1974
that is amazing
you are a saint and clearly superwoman

Shivs1974 · 01/02/2006 08:45

Well thank you....but I like to think of myself as a woman on a mission to educate my HV that it is possible!! I'm lucky that my sister is a HV (and a v good one) in another part of the country and she has been incredibly supportive and encouraging (there are some nice ones out there!). Also I've only got one child so if I have another, I'll have to perfect that latch because I don't think I could go through this all again....but you never know!
If I were bf'ing properly and had experienced no problems, then I would definitely try for a year.

popsycalindisguise · 01/02/2006 08:51

with ds1 I was openminded and decided I would just go with the flow. However, he was in SCBU for the first few weeks of his life which led (unnecessarily I now feel) to him being mixed fed from 3 days old. My lack of confidence (and probably diminishing supply) meant that he was misxed fed until around 3 months. One day I just realised that he hadnt been breastfed at all and that was it.

With DS2, there was no option for me. I was going to breastfeed and that was final (stubborn Taurean trying to banish old ghosts....). Formula wasn't an option. Anyway - he is now 11 months. Was exclusively breastfed until 6 months then I went back to work. I express at work so he has milk for the childminders and obviously has solid food too. A lot of rambling....but I have no idea how long I will carry on. I have never really had a cut off point where I would like to get to, but think 2 years old is around where I would make a conscious decision to start cutting down and tailing it off. At the moment, he still feeds frequnetly and throught the night (grrrr). Not sure when I will stop expressing at work...MOTHERINFERIOR....can you tell me a bit more abotu what you did....did you still feed during the days you were at home?

Laura032004 · 01/02/2006 09:18

Not really - just thought I'd take each day as it came. Wanted to do at least a year..... we're now at 22m!

TuttiFrutti · 01/02/2006 09:34

I always said I'd try to do it for 6 months. We went away for the weekend (without ds!) when he was 5 months, and I managed to keep it going by expressing, but my supply still dwindled and during the last month I was b/feeding mornings and evenings only.

I stopped completely at 6 months. It felt a relief to get my body back and say goodbye to breasts leaking all over my clothes!

MissChief · 01/02/2006 09:36

never thought I'd make it to 6 mths - have now and don't want to stop! Will try for 12 mths, maybe even 2 yrs if going ok - any experiences of this?? dh thinks I should stop by 12 mths

sfxmum · 01/02/2006 09:40

dd is 8 months old and bf on demand, but we seem to have developed a pattern.

going back to work when she 12m, hope to be on 2feeds a day then really no idea how this is going to work - suggestions welcome

plan on keep going until self wean i guess

Jasnem · 01/02/2006 10:15

Never set a date with my first , but stopped at 8 months as found I was unexpectedly pregnant again, already underweight and exhausted, and felt that something had to give.

Also stopped at 8 months with second - not consciously planned, no good reason.

Would like to last at least a year this time.

julienetmum · 01/02/2006 22:06

I planned on feeding ds until he was 1 year old. As it was I carried on until he was 16 months and I had to go away for a week.

kama · 01/02/2006 22:08

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

sweetkitty · 01/02/2006 22:14

Planned for a year and got to a year.

Was 3 months pregnant with number 2 and she just never asked for it one morning so I never offered which suited me as I was feeling so lousy being pregnant.

With DD2 been doing it 6 days now will plan for a year but who knows? (will not be getting pregnant when DD2 is 9 months though)

FrannyandZooey · 01/02/2006 22:17

I never made plans which was just as well as at nearly 3 ds is keener than ever. I honestly can't imagine him ever wanting to stop, although I know he will one day. I think I may have had enough before he has though - he loves it so very much.

notasheep · 01/02/2006 22:39

Planned for one year with both dd and ds.

They stopped at 9 months

hercules · 01/02/2006 22:42

Planned the same way for ds as bobby did and got to 4. Planned 2 for dd and am still feeding at just over 2. I wont feed till 4 this time but have no date in mind. HAve cut down a lot in recent weeks.

Aloha · 01/02/2006 22:45

Year-ish. Fed ds until 14months. DD is a year old on 8 February (to my great shock!). Still feedign about four times a day.
And for all those who say you cannot shut up a child by breastfeeding - crap! How else do you think I mumsnet. It's pure selfishness on my part!