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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

Breastfeeding beyond a year - who has done it?

70 replies

octanegirl · 04/09/2013 21:22

I initially thought I'd only do the 1st 6 months. I then decided to go till he's a year old and am now thinking of going even longer than that. Unless he decides he doesn't want it any more. He is eating 2/3 meals per day now but still gets 4 BFs, almost 8 months old.

What about you guys? People seem very surprised that I'm still BFing him now, I imagine I'm going to get odd attitudes the longer I go on. Even other parents say "Still"when I tell them he still BFs.

Are teeth an issue? Not got any yet!

OP posts:

hellymelly · 04/09/2013 22:25

I did 8 years without a break. DD1 'til almost 2 and a half, (through my pregnancy with DD2) and then DD2 for over five and a half years. She just was happy to carry on and only had to stop as I needed antibiotics that were not ok for her to take in through the milk. I ignored what anyone else thought after the first year or so! (clearly...)Your baby, your body, your business how long you want to feed for.

choceyes · 04/09/2013 22:32

Still feeding DD who just turned 3.

Not had any negative reactions from anyone so far. I have recently cut down to just bedtime. I feed her to sleep which makes bedtime so easy so I'm going to stick with it till she doesn't want it anymore. She goes to sleep fine (although more hand holding needed) without me too.

midori1999 · 04/09/2013 22:38

My DD self weaned a few weeks ago when she was 26 months. I am 34 weeks pregnant now and had assumed I'd tandem feed them, but probably not now.

I initially intended to feed for a year as it seemed natural to continue until I could switch to cows milk. I didn't even realise people breastfed longer or what the WHO guideline was and I had tried and 'failed' to BF my first 3DC.

I would have happily fed her until self weaning whatever age that was and the same applies to the baby I am carrying now. No one ever really said anything to me, but I think my views on BF and natural term BF are quite clear to all my friends and family anyway.

NoComet · 04/09/2013 22:52

Everyone I know well who BF did so for more than a year.

My DD2 BF way way past school age. DFs DD until she was 5 and two other DFs and DSIL well into toddlerhood. I've no idea when they gave up.

You don't see older DCs being fed, they tend to do it in the morning and evening.

And no we aren't a load of hippies all very ordinary.

mawbroon · 04/09/2013 22:53

Teeth are not a problem! I was still tandemming when both mine had a full set, so there were 40 teeth near my boobs when they fed together LOL

MoaningMingeWhingesAgain · 04/09/2013 22:58

I did it too.

By 6m it was so second nature that I just decided to carry on for a while, Then 12m came and went. He stopped just after turning 2.

I did have phases of feeling bloody sick of it (I won't pretend I was delighted all the time) but I was more fed up with being pawed/touched all the time, or fed up of the broken nights and generally knackered.

But my older one was FF from 3m and she didn't sleep either so I knew it was just another non-sleeping baby, who happened to be BF rather than he didn't sleep because he was BF.

Solo · 04/09/2013 22:59

I fed my Ds for 18 months and Dd for 4yrs 10 months!!
Teeth? when Ds bit me, I yelped loudly and he cried. He never did it again though! Dd bit me often, but I'm stubborn and carried on anyway, but I continued through many many bouts of ductal thrush and mastitis and the biting was nowhere near as painful as the thrush was. The day she stopped was the day my supply ended. I reckon she'd have continued until she went to uni if supply had continued!

MoaningMingeWhingesAgain · 04/09/2013 22:59

Teeth didn't make any difference at all for us BTW, the very occasional bite/chomping down all happened before any teeth appeared. Those gums are hard

DefiniteMaybe · 04/09/2013 23:01

I'm still feeding dd who turned 2 a few weeks ago. Everyone who knows us knows shes still bf as she feeds loads, at least 6 times per 24 hours. I've had a few subtle comments from family but it's none of their business.

BonaDea · 04/09/2013 23:10

Really pleased to see this thread. My DS is 5.5 mo and like the op I had thought 'well, I'll get to 6 months'. Not really sure what I thought would happen then! I just can't imagine stopping now - it is so quick, easy and lovely. Oh, and DS refuses a bottle. Yes would like a night off but can wait a bit for all that...

I plan to keep feeding until I go back to work at one year and even then would plan to do morning and evening feeds I think.

Will have to grow a thick skin. People already raise eyebrows because DS looks older than he is. But screw them. 6 out of 7 of my nct group still feed, 4 of us exclusively so at least I won't be alone!!

Solo · 04/09/2013 23:25

Bona my Dc's both looked older than they were too. I fed Ds in public at 12 months, but he looked like a 3 year old. Dd at 12 months looked like a 30 month old. It wasn't my problem and maybe I exuded a 'don't you dare' hormone or something, but no one ever said anything to me!

rascal1979 · 04/09/2013 23:30

DD is still nursing most nights she will be 6 in a few months and has absolutely no inclination to stop any time soon!

Sparklysilversequins · 04/09/2013 23:31

14 months, then she self weaned with the introduction of cows milk. I was but I think it was time.

scallopsrgreat · 04/09/2013 23:44

Still going at 22 months. Teeth were an issue for me. I got several painful bites and blood on numerous occasions (sorry!) It was a phase. Although my experience is probably not representative as my DS fidgets, wriggles, scratches, hits and kicks constantly whilst bfing and always has done (although that might be normal, I don't know!).

Original poster

octanegirl · 06/09/2013 10:29

What lovely responses. I'm certainly planning to continue and stop only when he or I decide that enough is enough. At the moment its pretty easy to plan my day around the feeds and he's so quick now...

OP posts:

DoingTheSwanThing · 06/09/2013 10:32

Yup, DS1 27 months, DTs are 13 months and no plans to wean in the foreseeable... Far too lazy

Fazerina · 06/09/2013 21:55

Breastfeeding beyond a year - who has done it? - Me. DS is nearly 28 months and still going strong, no end in sight :)

Squiglettsmummy2bx · 06/09/2013 22:06

Still feeding ds at 19 months. He feeds 3-4 times during the night, 1st thing in the morn, before bed & can feed anywhere from once to ten times during the day depending on what we are doing, what food is on offer, the weather etc. I didn't feed my first 2 DC & struggled with a low milk supply with him & it took a lot of time & effort to build it up so I will feed as long as he wants it. Well not until he's a teenager but for the next year or two, lol

willyoulistentome · 06/09/2013 22:12

Ooooh I had major problems with teeth. I fed Ds1 till 12 months and Ds2 tlll 18 months. They both bit me badly when their teeth came in. Proper nasty cuts and bleeding nipples not just the soreness of the first two weeks - proper deep bites. I nearly gave up both times, flipping agony, but manged to grit my teeth through it and growl/yell at them scarily enough to put them off doing it.

DS1 self weaned at 12 months. He just didn't want it any more. Ds2 I had to go cold turkey with at 18 months as I was totally fed up by then.

FetchezLaVache · 06/09/2013 22:17

DS, 3.4, is in the process of self-weaning and the feeds are getting further and further apart. He had a quick feed this afternoon because we were cuddling on the sofa, but the last one before that was 3-4 weeks ago. I always thought I would feed for as long as he wanted to, but I assumed it would be a lot sooner than this! However, there's never been any positive reason to stop and it's just lovely- I have always thought of breastfeeding a toddler as my reward for the hideous first couple of weeks when we struggled a bit. I'm going to miss it!

jessieagain · 06/09/2013 22:31

I'm still bf my ds (26months) but when he turned 2 we cut down to one feed a day. We have had a few days where he didnt even ask for that feed so I'm hoping he will decide to stop completely soon.

I don't think anyone evens suspects he is still breastfed. Apart from my dp of course and the pharmacist (who didnt even blink).

I stopped feeding him in public (or around family/friends ar home) at around 8 months or so and I think people just assumed I stopped altogether.

Teeth have never been an issue, they don't seem to get in the way at all iykwim.

I am happy with how it has turned out. Although I never really enjoyed breastfeeding for myself, I think it really benefitted my ds health wise and also it has made him bond really well too. So I don't think it was too much of a sacrifice for me to make for him.

Nicknamefail · 07/09/2013 10:42

I am jealous of those with no teeth problems! I would love to carry on but dd's teeth graze my nipples with every suck and I don't know how much longer I can do. (11 months now.). As above, most don't have a problem. Enjoy feeding as long as you want OP.

Booboostoo · 07/09/2013 12:03

I didn't have any plans when I started, just one day at a time. DD is still bf now at 2.4yo, however at 2yo I stopped the 'don't offer, don't refuse' because she was asking every two hours, even through the night, despite eating loads of solids. She is now on 3 feeds, morning, before afternoon nap, and before bed time and it's more manageable. I can finally wear whatever I want and no one knows I am bf as it is all done at home.

I did have a problem with teeth when she got her first ones, but as soon as she bit I would say 'ouchie that hurt', take her off the breast and put her down for a little while. She quickly cottoned on that bitting means no bf.

MadMonkeys · 08/09/2013 09:11

I had massive problems with bf to start with, was still very painful at 4 months but it suddenly got easier and now dd2 is 12 months so we've done loads better than I could have hoped. She turns out to be cows milk protein intolerant so I'm so pleased I stuck with it and I don't have any intention to stop any time soon.

mykingdomforasleep · 09/09/2013 12:40

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

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