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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

When did you stop breast feeding?

47 replies

Writerwannabe83 · 24/03/2015 22:04

I have a just turned one year old DS who I'm still BF and when I look into the future I feel confused about how will I ever stop?

I never thought I'd BF this long, I used to think it's something I would only do whilst he was a little baby but now that he's older it still feels just as natural to BF as it did when he was completely EBF.

I always thought I would stop before he reached an age where it became an issue - I.e before he hit an age where he'd demand a BF and scream if he didn't get it. I planned on the transfer from BF to FF being something I could do gradually whilst DS was too young to notice it care but I think I've missed that boat. DS only has to hear the word "milk" and he comes running over to me and starts trying to pull my top off.

I wanted to stop before I returned to work after Mat Leave but that time had been and gone.

I can't imagine being a prolonged BF'er but nor can I picture how I will bring it to an end.

Did you all have a set date as to when you were going to stop? Or did it just happen naturally?

I find myself irrationally fretting over it....

OP posts:

PoppySeedBun · 24/03/2015 22:14

I'm still BFing occasionally at night, but other than that have completely stopped. We just gradually switched over. We've always been quite keen to make sure she would take a bottle, which fortunately she did with few problems from about 6 weeks. This meant that DH has mostly done one evening feed, first with expressed milk and then with formula from about 8 months or so.
I once we were doing three meals a day, I started moving the day time feeds to bottles too. It probably took about 6 - 8 weeks to do. She still grabs for my top, but I'm getting better at anticipating when she will want food, and having a bottle ready. That was the biggest thing i had to adjust to , having to be prepared with a bottle instead of the total ease of just lifting up your top.
Good luck with it - and carry on for as long as you're both happy with it.

JiltedJohnsJulie · 24/03/2015 22:14

I always thought I would stop before he reached an age where it became an issue - I.e before he hit an age where he'd demand a BF and scream if he didn't get it. err, don't newborns do that anyway?

I never planned to feed past 6 months, but by that time, it was just so easy I couldn't see any benefit in stopping and lots of good reasons for carrying on.

Also, I picked up more knowledge, like Bfing is recommended for a minimum of 2 years, so going beyond a year isn't prolonged Bfing, it's just natural. I think the global average is 4 years.

Please don't worry about stopping. You may find that he cuts down or self weans. If not, and you find that you have come to a time when you do want to stop, come back and we'll give you some tips. In the meantime, just enjoy Bfing. Those cuddles don't last forever

TRexingInAsda · 24/03/2015 22:38

I was the same as you, before kids I thought I'll bf to 6 months. Then at 6 months I thought why would I give up this convenience and all the benefits to pay for something less good, less convenient and that baby doesn't want?! The WHO recommends BF until at least 2yo because so many studies show reduced risk of asthma, eczema, certain cancers etc in children BFed to 2, so I fed dd until she gave up herself at 22 months, and ds until about 26 months. Don't worry about giving up - baby loves it and is getting a lot of good from it, so unless you're actually fed up with it and want to give up then just carry on. x

YerTiz · 24/03/2015 22:45

I felt the same as you re. stopping 'early' initially but ended up bf until DS1 was 20 months. Stopping was much more straightforward than I thought it would be.

Plan to bf DS2 until at least 18 months.

YokoUhOh · 24/03/2015 22:49

I bf DS at night, he's 28 months. I reckon he'll stop of his own accord soon. We also co-sleep.

Trinpy · 24/03/2015 23:06

I'm hoping to carry on until 2 as WHO recommends. When ds turns 1 in 2 weeks time we're going to introduce a cup of cows milk in the afternoon and if that goes well, maybe another cup in the morning if he wants it just to take the pressure off me a bit. But he still bfs about 5-6 times a day at the moment (despite health visitor telling me he would have dropped down to 2 feeds a day by now!) so I don't think he would take it well if I stopped altogether!

MrsDiesel · 24/03/2015 23:14

I was going to stop after 6 weeks, then 6 months, then when he was 1, then 2, then people stopped asking.

I was very much of the 'if they are old enough to ask they are too old to be breastfeeding' school but when it came down to it, each set date that passed he didn't seem much bigger than he had the previous day and it didn't seem time to stop.
We finally finished at 2 years 3 months but untill very recently he still had a very very occasional feed. He seems to have forgotten how to latch on now though. He is 2yrs 8months.

LilyBobtail · 24/03/2015 23:14

Still BFing DD (3) here. Thought I would stop at six months but she had a cow's milk protein allergy and the soya alternatives she hated!

We co-sleep and BF - now usually once in the early morning, once after nursery and before bed. Showing no signs of stopping yet! I would prefer her to self-wean but she still gets so much comfort and peace from it.

Maria33 · 24/03/2015 23:21

I breastfed mine till they were between two and three (3dcs). I initiated weaning with dds or I would have been breastfeeding at the school gate DS weaned pretty easily at around 2. They're all in double digits now and it seems a long time ago

Nellyinwellies · 24/03/2015 23:32

To 22 mths. Went back to work when dc was 11 mths and fretted terribly about whether he'd be upset without it, but it was definitely an out of sight out of mind thing for him!

DishwasherDogs · 24/03/2015 23:42

I'm still feeding ds3, he is 4.
I aimed to get to 2 years, but then didn't stop. Home is stressful, bfing is a few minutes of peace, for ds and me.
He hasn't screamed for a feed since he was a baby, he will ask now, but if I say no it's fine.
He gets into bed with us most nights, but tends not to feed in the night any more. He'll have a bedtime feed and a morning feed, more if he's poorly.
Apart from wanting to get to 2 years I never had a date in mind. I did think he'd stop before now, but it's not an issue that he hasn't.
He starts school in September, I don't really know whether to let him carry on or whether to encourage him to stop.

AnotherStitchInTime · 24/03/2015 23:44

Dd1 22months, stopped because she was relying on them for comfort at night and I needed sleep.

Dd2 17 months, she stopped by herself, but I was pregnant so I think my milk had changed and wasn't to her liking.

Still feeding ds (15 months), he is showing no signs of being ready to stop and I will probably feed to at least age 2 if not longer.

LakeFlyPie · 24/03/2015 23:45

I thought I'd probably do 6 months to 12 months max with DS1. That was nearly 7 years ago and DS2 had what appears to have been his last bf last week. I can't quite believe I've done it for this long I came to the conclusion a long time ago that it's best to do what feels right for you and your DC and to smile and politely disregard the inevitable disapproving masses

CultureSucksDownWords · 24/03/2015 23:55

I wanted to get to 2yrs plus, but my DS self weaned at about 16-17 months. He was very good at feeding himself solid food and just got to the point where he wasn't interested in a breastfeed. He would also happily have cows milk in a sippy cup as well.

I wouldn't worry about when/how to wean unless you want to stop. I would have a look at nursing manners stuff on Kellymom to maybe address the top pulling if it annoys you.

bluelamp · 24/03/2015 23:58

DD1 BF for 15 months (I was 6 months pregnant at the time), DD2 BF for 2y10 months (I was 3 months pregnant and she told me my boobs didn't work anymore), DS still BF at 2y6m.

When I had DD1 I thought I'd BF until I went back to work but once I started reading I decided to BF to a year so I didn't need to give formula. Then I got pregnant and got very sentimental about BFing so just kept going and dropped feeds slowly. With DD2 there was a more conscious decision to feed to 2 years (as per WHO recommendations), not long after her second birthday I went abroad on business, I came back and she immediately demanded a feed. I cut down her feeds by going into work very early before she woke up so she only had a feed at the weekends, once I was pregnant that wasn't sufficient to keep up my supply.

DS has a CMPA so I don't have much interest in stopping any time soon, he won't take soya milk or nut milks so it's good to know he's getting his calcium from the best possible source! He's only having a couple of feeds a day though.

thetroubleis · 24/03/2015 23:58

26 months.

Turned out she wanted the cuddle more than the milk really so we kept on with the bedtime cuddles but she dropped the feed pretty much instantly.

Four years later, the cuddle (in mummydaddy's bed) is still going on!

ouryve · 24/03/2015 23:59

DS1 decided to stop at 18 months - turned out hormones had changed my milk!

DS2 and I mutually stopped at 2.5

HaveTeaWillSurvive · 25/03/2015 00:05

DS became less and less interested from about 14 months so one day I just didn't offer and that was that - v pain free.

Possible derailing comment here (sorry) just out of curiosity I squeezed my nipple over a year later and milk expressed out does anyone know how long it takes for that to go worrys about sour breasts

leedy · 25/03/2015 16:34

Just sort of happened with DS1 - he was 2.5 and I was pregnant, so I think a combination of milk supply going and him losing interest generally did it.

DS2 is still going strong at 28 months, I am hoping he is not going to be still asking for "milk time!" going to college.... That said, for now I don't really mind, as it's not particularly restrictive: I've already gone away for a weekend without him.

tiktok · 25/03/2015 16:44

My goodness, writer, aren't you the same poster who struggled a lot in the early weeks and months with the most unsupportive family who made ridiculous comments about your choice to breastfeed?! And look at you now....I bet they have shut up about it now!

Original poster

Writerwannabe83 · 25/03/2015 17:30

That's me Tiktok

Those bad times seem sooooooo long ago.

I imagine that all my unsupportive family members have assumed I've now stopped BF'ing because of DS's age (and assume I probably stopped a long time ago) so I no longer have to deal with their comments

OP posts:

Babieseverywhere · 26/03/2015 14:31

I wait till my children self wean which is usually around 4yo, with strong encouragement from me to stop.

That said it will be strange when 2 yo DD3 weans, my littlest girl and last baby.

That said DD3 doesn't seem to need to nurse as much as her older sisters. She doesn't even have a name for milk (pretty non verbal)... instead she clicks when she want milk !

QuietNinjaTardis · 26/03/2015 14:36

Bugger knows. Dd is nearly 16 months and she still feeds before naps and bedtime (unless dh puts her down) or whenever she's having a cranky moment and I want to shut her up. I've definitely missed the boat to switch to cows milk. She spits it out every time I try her with some and I don't really know how I'm gonna stop if she won't drink it!
I keep getting comments about it from my mum who was ever so supportive up until 6 months then started on about when I will stop. As I said, bugger knows can't see how I can really. Don't mind anyway and Dh is supportive so that's all that matters really for now.

sheeplikessleep · 26/03/2015 14:43

I'm still feeding my 19 month old, morning, evening and about 3 times in the day when he asks for it.

But I'm down for an op May time, which needs a general. I am sort of using that now as my excuse to stop. I'm trying to cut back very gradually over the next few weeks.

Dreading it as he is a milk monster. But I'm sort of ready now myself. Not sure what would have made me stop if it weren't for having a general and probably needing strong painkillers after.

Not sure how I am going to stop, eek!

alteredbeast · 26/03/2015 14:58

I just stopped breastfeeding my last baby (my third) at 10.5 months. And I regret it tbh. I fed her through mastitis, a breast abscess and milk blisters. I resent that I had these problems when I'd breast fed two other babies.

I'll never breastfeed again and I can't seem to get over that. I'm jealous of my friends still feeding. I read these threads and it seems everyone feeds their babies until their toddlers. I wanted to feed my last baby for longer.

I stopped because I was exhausted and was set back by mastitis and a milk blister at 9 months. Why the hell this occured I don't know. I had to feed on one side, then that got sore. I was wincing when she latched on for her bedtime feed. She seemed to rub/chew the nipple.

But now I wished I'd persevered. She won't drink any milk from her cup although her diet is good. I rushed into stopping in a low point. She weaned fine.

Sorry to hijack thread. Keep going as long as you like. I'm so sad I'll never have this.

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