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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?

43 replies

Hayls · 15/09/2004 09:46

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

OP posts:

suedonim · 15/09/2004 16:00

I only fed for three wks with No1 but did 14mths for no2&3 and 2yrs for No4. If it suits you both to carry on then tell the nosyparkers to go hang!

Socci · 15/09/2004 16:28

Message withdrawn

Cavy · 15/09/2004 17:04

"...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"

And then you could have the common situation of bottlefeeders -- the child who is still insisting on a bedtime bottle at age 3+! Bottlefeeding has its own set of annoying problems.

"'isn't it just like a drink now?' "

No, actually, because no other drink is made by nature for baby humans, no other drink increases her IQ, her resistance to disease and her bond to you. No other drink is always sterilised and safe. The only other drink she might be able to keep down if she gets a tummy bug is water.

Good luck, Hayls -- You're doing the right thing.

muminlondon · 15/09/2004 19:53

I carried on till dd was 12.5 months although from 8 months she had some formula while I was at work (from a cup). I wouldn't have given cow's milk at that age - wow, your hv is irresponsible. As for bottles - why?

KateandtheGirls · 15/09/2004 19:57

I breastfed mine until she was 17 months. Thankfully I never had a comment about feeding her for so long. (I know my in-laws thought it was a little strange, but let me get on with it without commenting.)

Posey · 15/09/2004 20:50

Fed dd for a year although mixed fed from about 6 months.
Ds is now 20 months and still going strong. Am trying to get my head round stopping but he won't take "normal" milk! Will continue to 2 unless he decides to self wean before then.

skerriesmum · 15/09/2004 21:19

I weaned ds at 13 months, by then he was just on one feed a day, before bed. I probably would have kept going longer but I was planning a trip on my own
Breastfeeding was for me one of the nicest things about having a baby! I got some queer looks and comments too from some people, but just smile and ignore them if you can.
I know several women including my sister who just couldn't keep going, too little milk etc. so count yourself lucky and enjoy, they do grow up so fast.

Tommy · 15/09/2004 21:29

Hayls - I stopped breastfeeding DS2 last week - one week after his first birthday. It has made me so happy to be able to do it as I only fed DS1 fully for 3 weeks and felt really disappointed about it. I went through the biting thing with DS2 (see several other threads!) but came through it.
It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks - it's between you and your baby - well done for doing it - do it proudly and in public lots!

zaphod · 15/09/2004 21:33

I breastfed 'til 15 months, 12 months, 27 months, 16 months, and am still feeding ds4 who is 15 months and shows no signs of stopping. For me the great benefit of carrying on the feeding is the comfort value for the baby, especially when they are ill, when I know they will be getting some nutrients even if they cannot eat.

Just do what you feel is right, and don't mind anyone elses opinion, who can argue with the WHO?

debra64 · 15/09/2004 21:36

14 months felt like a long time to me at the time but now it doesn't. I'm quite looking forward to breastfeeding another baby and may go on until age 2 next time. I remember seeing a boy who was nearly 4 reaching up under his mother's jumper and I did think that was a bit over the top!

We go through quite a lot sometimes to maintain breastfeeding in the UK, I think. You do get disapproving looks when doing it in public, even though nobody can see anything when you have a jumper or sweatchirt on. I once got asked to stop breastfeeding my baby in a cafe in the Metro Centre! I told them I was hungry and had come to the cafe to eat and my baby was hungry too so I was feeding him. If they disagreed with that they could ask me to leave - but I wouldn't be quiet about it. They left me alone.

yoyo · 15/09/2004 22:08

I fed dd1 until she was 2 (and I was pregnant), dd2 until she was 21/2 and am still feeding ds at 20 mths. He feeds quite a bit and wakes a couple of times at night still so am finding it rather hard going. He has got some big teeth coming through and I know it comforts him. Also am facing the MMR (MenC and extra Hib) and can't bear the thought of not feeding him as the needle goes in (actually can't bear thought at all, hence the delay). He's my last one so perhaps I'm just making excuses although I would love a night's sleep and do wonder how my body will look at the end of this (have developed a fascination for Plastic Surgery Live although would never have the guts for a boob job!)

toddlerbob · 16/09/2004 02:07

My ds is 18.5 months and still going strong. I see no reason to stop until he decides he wants to. I love the fact that he runs off and conquers the world and when it all gets too much he can come back and relax with me instead of getting horribly frustrated. It's got us through teething, learning to walk, starting to learn to talk and I hope it will help with potty training frustrations too. It gets me 10 extra minutes in bed in the morning, and means I can leave the house with a smaller handbag.

I find that going to La Leche League meetings about every 3 months helps me to feel normal, there is always someone there with an older child than yours, and a couple come along whose babies have weaned themselves, which is nice because it shows you it can be done. The children are all lovely, and while it's not just bfing that is responsible for this, it's helpful to debunk the "too clingy", "spoilt" myth.

Oh and I stopped going to the HV.

aloha · 16/09/2004 09:53

Just over a year for me. At seven months I didn't even consider giving up. It's so convenient! I could go anywhere with ds with just a couple of spare nappies and a babygro. Ignore stupid comments. HVs are notorious for their idiocy. If you want support, MN is very good at it. Babies of seven months are only little babies, and I cannot understand why anyone would think your tiny ba is too old for your milk.

SenoraPostrophe · 16/09/2004 10:14

Hayls, I'm in exactly the same position as you!

ds is eight months now, but still won't really take a bottle. He'll take water, but only 20-30ml at a time. I gave up expressing as he just wouldn't take it.

I've thought about giving up: it would be nice to be able to wear a dress again, and it would be nice not to have to take him updtairs to feed him every night (he's a fussy feeder - too nosey to feed on the settee), but it's good for him and it's nice to spend some time each day alone with him - not so nice for dd though.

But anyway, take no notice of the "proper milk" brigade. If you want to keep b-f-ing, then do so. It is rather handy, and a great panacea (falls over: breastfeed makes it better; eats cat food: breastfeed makes it better; is tired: breastfeed makes him sleep. sometimes). Plus it's still helping to boost their immune systems.

Pidge · 16/09/2004 10:18

toddlerbob - just wanted to say how I loved your description of your little boy running off to 'conquer the world' and then returning to you to feed. Really made me smile this morning and look forward to feeding my next one!

RexandBen · 16/09/2004 10:24

i breastfed Rex for 18 months. I would have gone on for longer but he absolutely relied on it before going to bed at lunch-time and bedtime. This led to ridiculous running backwards and forwards (he refused to take a bottle of expressed). In many ways I regret ending it. He still talks about 'boo-boo' now 6 months on!

Original poster

Hayls · 16/09/2004 11:09

This is absolutely brilliant, I've had more support on here in one day than I have in 7 months! I shall ignore everybody and let nature take its course, although when I go back to work I might have to do something. She'll be 11 months by then- how any milk feeds do you think she'd need during the day? It'll only be for 2 days per week so hopefully I'll carry on bf the other days.

OP posts:

SenoraPostrophe · 16/09/2004 11:23

ds goes to nursery and just has water and solids there. Admiteddly, he only goes for the mornings, so I do get to feed him just before his nap, but he feeds less and less at that time anyway.

You'd probably be OK with bfs just morning and night by 11 months.

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