How long did you breastfeed for?

[sammyjayneex]

I'm currently breast feeding my 18 week old. I've got 4 other children who I've also breastfed and my aim has always been to breastfeed until they are 6 months of age but with my now 18 week old I'm really undecided on how long to breastfeed for.. Part of me wants to breastfeed him until he's 1 and the other part just to breastfeed until he's 6 months like my other kids were. I will feel guilty this time around not continuing till he's one and my husband is encouraging me to continue until he's one but I want to be able to go back to work soon as I really need to because I've always been a SAHM and I went a chance to work instead of watching my husband have a job, Social life and hobbies. So how long did you breast feed for and how beneficial is it after note age of 6 months?

My first I fed for 6 months and I'm still going with the second. He'll be three next week...

21 months for dd. Hoping for something similar with the next one (currently pregnant).

Currently feeding 21mo, aiming for two years, suspect it could be longer.

Once feed and a couple of weeks expressing with DD1. 22 months and counting with DD2. It's been an amazing experience and I'm happy for her to self wean.

But remember it's a breastfeeding relationship. It only works if it works for both of you so don't feel bad if you decide you want to stop or introduce some formula. Equally BF isn't a barrier to going back to work

Ds1: a few weeks, had no support and no idea if I was doing it 'right'
Ds2: 5 years, but only at home after he was about 2/3

And yes, op, sounds like you did and are doing a sterling job. Do what suits you and your wee one.

1 1/2 years until he self weaned.

Well done on what you've done so far! If I was you I'd keep going until it felt right to stop.

Still feeding DS at nearly 8 months, I'm back at work full time and he is still exclusively bf. I express milk for nursery and feed him morning, when we get home and night myself not to mention all the times he wakes throughout the night

3 years, 21 months. 3.5 years. Never intended to feed for that long with first-he just hated bottles and I couldn't see a reason the force them and then it gave him tremendous comfort and then it seemed to make bugs and cold viruses more bearable!

Breastfeeding for any length of time is great! Continue as long as both you and baby are happy to do it, if you want to stop so you can go back to work that's fine, 6 months is great. You might find you can continue while working just feeding at night but its up to you.

I breastfed until 13 months, wanted to carry on longer but DD had so many allergies I was finding it really hard to eat enough to keep healthy.

The good thing about planning when you stop is that you can really treasure that last feed, I still remember it vividly which is lovely as so many of those 'last' moments you don't get to remember as you don't know it will be the last time.

Until just before age 2 when DD decided to stop, but no daytime feeds from 11 months when returned to work. DD never took a bottle. No periods was a bonus all that time but DD is nearly 3 and I'm still struggling from massive sugar cravings and increased appetite that never went away afterwards. Wouldn't change a thing though.

Oh but also DD did wake about once an hour for a feed til she was 19 months :)

2 years and 2 weeks so far, desperate to stop but don't know how, I have already cut down to morning and bedtime only.

I'm currently bf my dd who is 10 months old next week. Going back to work next week compressed hours 5 days into 4, going to be long hours.
For some reason I'm rubbish at expressing, ive been able to get a feed prepared but it takes about 2 weeks of pumping once a day to get enough for 1 feed!!
I tried cutting down our mid morning and pm feeds to see if we are ok with just a morning and evening feed and my supply started to dry up.
Love bf ing my little girl and will try and keep it up, would love to get to 2 years old ideally.
She doesn't seem to miss the mid morning or pm feeds if we don't fit them in so I think she'll adapt ok. My husband wants me to start her on formula to prepare for her going to the childminder but I haven't cracked open the tin yet that is sitting in the kitchen. I think I'm in denial about it!!
Ah well it's a privilege to get this far, in the early days I never thought I'd be here let alone enjoying the experience!!!

I'm currently 5 months in to breastfeeding my third. It was horrific in the beginning and I can't believe I'm still doing it to be honest with you! I suppose because she loves it I feel like I can't stop but if she wanted to stop tomorrow I'd be grateful, I hate hate hate it. I hope she doesn't want to go a year It beyond

Or

18 months with first and still going at a year with second.

Less than 3 months along with expressing milk till about 7 months with DS1.

DS2 self weaned somewhere around 2 and 3/4 years. I didn't set out to breastfeed that long - started out with the aim of getting to 6 months, and as it was working well, it seemed like it would be more bother than it was worth to wean DS2 onto bottles and formula. Breastfeeding DS2 once breastfeeding was established was, for me, definitely easier and more convenient than bottle feeding DS1 had been, especially during night feeds.
Went back to work when he was about 12 months, and he adjusted his breastfeeding around my working hours no problem.

Thank you everyone. Well done to everyone who had breastfed their babies. I am amazed how some of you have done it to 2 years and beyond that really is amazing. I would love to do it to 1 year at least and I'm just gonna see how life goes when he's 6 months. He loves his milk though X

9months so far. Introduced a bedtime bottle about a month ago as I was getting resentful of always having to do a bedtime feed.

I'm considering adding a second bottle.

Still bf at 15 months, but just for night wakings. Went back to work at 9months with no problems (no bottles either!)

DS about 10 weeks I think (he was in SCBU I had no idea what I was doing) DD till about 2 and a half.