When did you stop breast feeding?

[Hayls]

DD is now 7 months and I'm still bf at least 4 times a day and am happy doing so. Lately though I've been getting the odd comment (even from strangers) about when I'll be stopping and 'isn't it just like a drink now?' When people see she has teeth they assume that I'll be stopping now because it'll be too sore (Ok she does bite me sometimes but I can deal with it!) Even dh is getting worried that she'll keep biting me and I'll get too scared to feed her and as she won't take a bottle -am trying water and ebm in a cup just now- we'll have a horribly hungry dd.

I really don't feel like I'm getting much support now because she's on solids and my milk doesn't seem to be as important any more. When I talked to the hv about it her reply was 'well have you tried her on proper milk yet' as if bm wasn't 'proper'! I don't really know anyone else who bfs and those who do stopped after a few weeks.

PLease tell me I'm not unusual in still bf at this age?! I'm not going back to work until she's a year old so there's no issue about weaning her off yet and I'm only going back 2 days a week so I was hoping to continue for as long as she wanted it. I love the closeness of feeding her and I suppose the fact that even though she's growing up and developing fast she's still quite dependent on me for food.

Sorry this has turned into a bit of a rant but I didn't intend it to be

Just tell them that the World Health Organisation recommends babies are fed till they are at least 2yrs (and no that is not just for children in the third world). Babies and toddlers benefit from the antibodoes thay get which boosts their immune system.

I fed for 11 months, then 10 months (pregnanct and felt rotten), 14 months and 15 months. I would have fed longer (not so experienced first twice) butthe last 2 self weaned.

Carry on as you are Hayls - you are doing a great job

I fed ds for 4 months, but fed dd for 9 months and loved it, I didn't want to give up till she was a year, but she had had enough and just got bored. At least I know I did what I could for her. I'm now expecting twins, and I'm determined to bf for as long as possible.

Keep going you are doing a great job, (I hated stopping with dd, I still miss it now and she will be 2 next week!)... Don't give up before you are ready, you would regret it too.

Hayls, I fed DD until she was 15 months old. She was only feeding at bedtime by then and my milk supply was dwindling. Even now (at 27 months) DD asks if she can have 'booby' and we then have a discussion about her drinking it all up when she was a baby, so there is none left now!

Keep going, do what you think is best for you and DD and tell everyone else to bugger off. It is your business and no-one elses!

Hayls - I fed my 2 until they were about 9 months - they decided it was time to stop not me. I think it was because they got used to bottles during the day as I went back to work when they were 6 mths old.

However a friend of mine kept the bedtime feed going until her child was over 2 yrs - good on her.

I found that it's not just the feeding, it's the sense of closeness it gives you that's hard to give up - I was really sad when ds2 lost interest.

Hayls - stick to your guns, your baby is happy, you are happy and your milk is still wonderfully nutritious for her. As mears says the WHO actually recommend breastfeeding for 2 years.

I just stopped feeding my dd at age 2 - she effectively weaned herself, which was what I wanted. I was down to 2 feeds a day for the last 6 months, then 1 feed in the morning for a couple of months and then one day when I offered it to her she was more interested in reading a book! And I was just pregnant, so frankly ready to stop what with battling morning sickness and exhaustion!

It was wonderful feeding her for that time. A great way to have a cuddle after a day at work. And although the breastmilk becomes less important as they take in more solids, to me it makes sense that it was still really healthy for her to be having milk from me.

I did get quite a few comments from disapproving in-laws though, plus a couple of friends both with and without children. A recent thread on here showed that even women who see themselves as breastfeeding champions, suddenly start disapproving at some indeterminate age, whether it's 9 months, 12 months, 18 months or whatever. So just be prepared to either keep it to yourself, or stand your ground and defend your choice!

I fed ds fully until he was 12 months, put him onto cows milk during the day during the week (as I worked and was fed up expressing!) and continued to feed him evenings and mornings and fully at the weekend for another month and a half (we were going to South Africa - so I wanted the conveneince of "comfort on tap" for the flights) and then wened him of the evening feed and then, reluctantly (as I liked the snuggle - but dh was keen that I stop [even though he had always been very supportive] and I suppose there was sense of wanting my body back), the morning feed. SO he was probably about 14 months when I finally stopped.

dd is 10.5mths and bf about 4 -5 times a day.. no intention of stopping. It is not just like a drink, it is extremely nutrious food. I to love the closeness.

Don´t feel defensive when people put out the odd comments... instead ask them why they would think such things? Put them on the spot, because I think you have your head and heart in the right place.

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dd 18 mo and shows no signs of stopping,
Still remember ds (about 22 mo) had a bad fall in the park with big bump on his head. he stopped grying as soon as he got plugged in; so bf can't be that bad...
btw,he still falls in the park and usually has some bumps on his head....

Hayls, I fed dd1 to 13 months, ds to 15 months (my milk dried up when I get pg again, or it would have been longer) and I am still feeding dd2 at 9 months, and plan to carry on until age 2 with her. Currently she is fed at least 5 times a day, though she does take a bottle if I'm not around, and drinks by herself out of a sippy cup.

What does your HV mean by 'proper' milk? Is she seriously suggesting cows milk at 7 months? A bit early for that, isn't it? At least as far as I remember!

I BFd till 16months and DS is now 19months. It was 3times a day till 14months then I dropped it down gradually and stopped at 16months. I think my DH was getting a little concerned and I could not give a toss what anyone else thought. I could just tell that DS could take it or leave it really. He was having water with his lunch from 6months out of a cup and never had a bottle after we got the BFing properly established at 3weeks. I was planning at one stage to stop at 12mths when he could have cows milk as I am too layz to mix formula etc, but it did not feel right then.

Do it while it suits the both of you and to hell with all the other jealous or ignorant people. Sadly in Australia only 20 per cent of mums BF beyond 6months, so I guess it does make us 20 per cent a bit freakish to the average onlooker, but who really cares.

I bf ds until 13 month - in the end just last thing at night - and would happily have continued, but one day he'd had enough and refused. I was a bit sad and still miss it, but as smellymelly said, I know I have done the best I can for my boy.

Plenty of people bf for 1 year+ so nothing strange there...keep going as long as you feel happy about it.

hayls, bf dd1 for 22 months, intend to do the same for dd2 (now 16 mths) - keep up the good work and do not be intimidated, it is your choice and a fantastic way to build on your relationship with your dd, it is much more than just a drink.

I am so glad I live in NZ hayls ...
My DD is 7 months too and I still b/f and no one ever comments ... I have had a couple of funny looks from older people though, in shopping centres.
I go through days of thinking, "I'll give up soon" but I really can't be bothered as I can't be ar$ed to start making up bottles! She is with me all the time anyway so why bother making bottles.
I think that by the time she is about 9 months I'll be ready to stop ... but then again, maybe not

No, you're not at all unusual and it's so sad that you're being made to feel that you're doing something strange. I fed for two years, until dd decided she didn't want to anymore and weaned herself. She had dropped down the number of feeds by then, so that I wasn't having to feed her when we went out, but at 7 months I can't see why anyone could object to you feeding anywhere (and what business is it of theirs anyway?).

My dd only bit me once, quite early on, and my reaction (I shrieked quite loudly) upset her so much that she never did it again.

You are doing the best thing you can for your dd and as you both still want to carry on, you need to insist that your dh stops being negative and supports your decision to continue. And as for your health visitor asking about "proper" milk, I'm appalled! Refer her to the "Birth to Five" book that they give out, where it says "the longer you can breast feed for, the greater the benefits".

I started a thread a little while back about stupid comments people make about bfeeding and I think your hv deserves a special name and shame!

You're not at all unusual, dd2 is still feeding morning, lunchtime and evening, more often if she's unwell and off her solids. Why do people feel that at 4 months cows' milk from a bottle is somehow better for babies than proper milk from their mummies? Beats me.

frogs, thanks for that link....I went to it, and had a jolly good giggle again, even at my own comments

Thanks for all your replies, I feel soo much better having read them. I do still feel comfortable feeding so I'm going to try to ignore comments etc and let her lead me. Neither dh nor I can be bothered making up bottles anyway!
That was a great link frogs, I've gone and added the comment to it.

Stick with it. DD2 is chucking it in herself, really, at 15 months - at your dd's age she was swigging merrily away at every opportunity she got!

I bf dd until she was nearly 2 and only stopped bf ds at 12 months because I went back to work. Don't let people make you feel like a weirdo for bf at 7 months, people who make such remarks are all fools.

Absolutely - stay with it if you want to. I fed DD until she was 16 months and DS has self weaned at 14 months - that was 2 months ago and I still miss it , not that much to have an other though!!

DD is 10.5 mths and still fully BFed. I have no idea when I'm going to stop with her as she refuses to take anything but water or juice from a cup. Luckily I've had nothing but support from the people I know, but maybe thats because they know how p*ed of I'd be if they were anything else!

I breastfed my two until they were 14 months. They never had any other liquid until after that and they they went onto those spill proof sippy cups. They had both developed a tooth top and bottom at this stage (I know - quite late, I've heard from other mums) and had got into the biting habit.

That wasn't the main reason I stopped but part of it. A year's breastfeeding was recommended at that time and I'd passed that.

They both got to a stage where they would wake at night and wanted feeding back to sleep and I had got to the point where I really wanted my sleep back.

The final straw was when my cousin brought her six year old to visit and he said 'I used to do that but my mummy ran out of milk!' - I asked how old he was when she stopped, somehow horrifed that he remembered, and he was 18 nonths. At the time I didn't like the idea of them remembering, so the 18 months idea was there anyway. That seems odd now (that I was bothered by the idea of them remembering, as I actually think its rather sweet now!) - and my eldest can remember anyway, because though I stopped with him at 14 months there is 23 months between him and his younger brother and he remembers him being fed which triggers his own memories.

I stopped last week I think (have blocked from my mind exactly when it was ). DS was about 9 months and didn't want to bf any more. As you can probably tell, I'm still a bit fragile about it..

At 7 months DS was a firm 5 or 6 times a day type of boy - I used to think then he'd never take a bottle and now that's all he'll take. Oh well, as DH says we'll have to have another baby and then my breasts can grow again to a beautiful size and be useful again