When to stop breastfeeding?

[ThatsNotEvenAWord]

First post

My DS is just over a year old. Currently we feed 3-4 times a day, when he's just woken, at nap times and before bed. Generally speaking we don't feed through the night at all unless he's really unsettled.

Until recently, giving up has not crossed my mind as he feeds to sleep (which I am happy to do). However I went out over the weekend and DH was able to put him to bed with a drink of cows milk with no trouble. He suggested tonight that we do the same as he doesn't 'need' my milk any more

Just wondering how you 'know' it's time to stop. DS does sometimes stick his hand down my top or grab at me which I suppose will get worse as he gets older. I love feeding him so much which makes me wonder am I doing it for him or me?

Thanks for any ideas

[ThatsNotEvenAWord]

As an aside, does anyone here feel nauseous/headachy/dizzy when engorged/full? It's something I've noticed since taking longer breaks between feeds.

Not noticed this but still get a raging thirst when I'm feeding!

[Milkyway1304]

Misty: I find hand expressing really good for relieving engorgement without ramping up supply.

[Milkyway1304]

My 14month old is still breastfeeding, probably 3-4 times a day when I'm home, 2-3 times when I'm working. I had never planned to keep breastfeeding after 6 months, let alone a year. My dd was a bottle refuser, and had no interest in solids until she was at least 11months. Even now she won't have any dairy products (even yoghurt/ice-cream!) so I'm happy she's getting some calcium from me, and it's a lovely way to reconnect in the evening. She is fine if I'm away for a night/working nights. Although as others have said my breasts know all about it! As an aside, does anyone here feel nauseous/headachy/dizzy when engorged/full? It's something I've noticed since taking longer breaks between feeds.

[Misty9]

Forgot to say, she has been getting frustrated at the breast, as if there's not enough? And suckling more than feeding most the time. Hmm, maybe we have finished :(

[Misty9]

Glad to find this thread - i was looking for advice on how to relieve engorgement after 15mo dd has stopped feeding to sleep and I thought I was giving up. But actually, maybe we can continue on an ad hoc basis? I figured once she'd transitioned to bedtime without it, it'd confuse her if I offer it again. But maybe not? She went down without even asking for it tonight :( and I'm in agony! Will maybe see if she wants some tomorrow morning... :)

[Superarchie]

Another still going strong here - 15 months today. Just twice a day, morning and evening (sometimes not even that). I've also been haunted by the 'I should be over this by now' thought, but I am still enjoying it and so is he. For me this is the best part of the bf cycle - he's not dependent on it, and I don't arrange my life around it - if my schedule means that he misses a few in a row and my supply depletes then so be it.
Lovely to know you're all out there. Happy BFing

[ThatsNotEvenAWord]

Hats off to you Rigglin!!!

[RigglinJigglin]

I thought I'd stop at 6 months as pre pregnancy bf freaked me out...

DD is 27m and still going

I had a reduction so bf was very touch and go to start with for us, she can only feed from 1 side but it works for us.

[ThatsNotEvenAWord]

Oh and must just make clear my DH has always very much been supportive of my bfeeding and would never pressure me to stop, I think he probably just thought I'd like a break now!

[ThatsNotEvenAWord]

Yep, at his 8mo check hv was all 'ring us when you want to stop'

[lavendersun]

Yes to all these comments, a lovely thing to do .... and I confess to not telling my ageing parents I was still bf after 12 months, they just wouldn't have understood.

DH & I thought it was fab to carry on, and it is, shame there isn't much support or 'normalisation' of it, even by our health professionals (have lots of doctors in our family, those who did know thought I was v odd, despite understanding DD's health issues)!

[Writerwannabe83]

Extended breast feeding is not understood very much in society I don't think. My grandparents weren't happy that I was breast feeding at all so I think they'd be horrified if they knew I still was. They don't ask about it and I certainly don't talk about it

I know of people who have raised their eyebrows and spoke negatively about a woman who was still BF'ing her two year old.

I tell people that it feels just as natural to feed DS now as it did when he was a young baby.

[YouCanDanceIfYouWantTo]

Writer I ended up expressing into loo paper in a portaloo at a wedding! Not my finest hour

And thatsnot I like this thread a lot too! Thank you so much for starting it, it's been weighing on my mind recently so I'm glad to have discovered that I'm not alone!

[ThatsNotEvenAWord]

Oh durrr I've just thought as well, in the morning or when it's been a while I still leak out of whichever one he's not feeding from

[Writerwannabe83]

yoycandance - I once forgot my breast pump and when I accepted that I couldn't cope with the discomfort anymore I had to lock myself in the toilet and hand express into the sink!! It was squirting everywhere and it was so messy. By the time I had finished I was wiping up milk off the mirror and the toilet seat

[Writerwannabe83]

Due to my shifts I'm sometimes away from DS for 48 and bloody hell my boobs let me know about it. On my second day away from him I take a breast pump into work and after about 36 hours of being away from him I have to pump as my breasts are rock solid and absolutely straining against my uniform I take 10-15 minutes out to express and although I only express enough to just take away the pressure I easily get 4-5 oz.

When I'm feeding DS he will sometimes pull away and there's always milk dribbling own my boobs and dribbling down his face so I know he's definitely getting it

Aside from the whole 48 hours away from him issue I haven't felt 'full' since he was about 8 months old.

[ThatsNotEvenAWord]

I had a day a couple of weeks ago when we missed our morning feed (thanks ofsted) and I was definitely... Aware of my boobs by the end of the day! dance I'm the last bfeeder standing out of the group of mum friends I made when DS was born. As I said up thread it just seems to be much more of an effort to stop than to carry on, and my general parenting ethos is 'take the path of least resistence'

I like this thread

[YouCanDanceIfYouWantTo]

Just seen the updates since I posted, the not feeling full thing I've been questioning too, and wondered how much was comfort vs. getting the milk, but I was away from her for 24 hours recently, forgot the breastpump and boy did I realise that she must have been getting quite a bit of milk as I had to hand express several times in order to relieve the pain!

[CatsCantFlyFast]

Same here - never feel full, in fact my boobs are deflated entirely. However she's feeding so I know there's milk! Amazing how our bodies adapt from the early days of feeding with huge rock hard boobs

[YouCanDanceIfYouWantTo]

Thank you so much for this thread, I could have written it myself. I've been asked when I'm going to give up breastfeeding recently and I just don't know! It just seems so odd to me to put a firm stop date on it, am just imagining things decreasing naturally.

I feel like a bit of an oddity at times, barely anyone I know was still breastfeeding at 6 months so I get a few raised eyebrows that I'm still going past a year.

[ThatsNotEvenAWord]

Thank you writer, I do feel proud there have been times where I've been very close to stopping but I'm actually enjoying this stage of feeding so much. Nice to be able to use cow's milk as a back up but so lovely to still have the feeding relationship.

Toads this sounds a bit silly but I guess if you weren't producing then your DS would stop feeding? I know what you mean about not feeling full any more.

Are you still wearing nursing bras? That's one thing I'm really fed up of and am slowly transitioning back to normal bras

[Toadsrevisited]

nice to hear others are bfing older babies too. I've been feeding overnight since I went back to work and still feed at around 2 and 6 am. DS is 17 months.

Silly question though. how do I know I'm.still producing milk? I.never get that full feeling any more... don't have anyone in.RL to.ask!

[Writerwannabe83]

My DS is 15 months and when I'm home with him he breast feeds 3-4 times a day.

Due to shift patterns that I work for 3 nights a week my DH does bedtime as I'm not home and DS will take cow's milk from his beaker.

I have absolutely no intention to stop BF'ing.

Just because a baby can take cow's milk from a bottle it doesn't mean breast feeding has to stop. Breast milk should always be the favoured method of feeding over cow's milk where possible. My DH would never dare suggest to me that I stop

You have done wonderfully. You carry on for as long as you want to. I'm proud to still be feeding DS at this age and you should be too.

[ThatsNotEvenAWord]

Thanks for all the replies. I've realised how much more hassle and discomfort it would cause to try and stop rather than continue. I joined an 'extended' bfeeding group on FB with a view to getting to know some other local mums. Feeding DS to sleep right now

[Booboostoo]

I breastfed DD till 3yo and only stopped because my milk dried up during pregnancy. At that stage she only fed to sleep so it was not such a big deal. I don't think you should feel pressure to stop due to your child's age, he is still very young and bf continues to be of benefit. If he is happy and you are happy, keep going.