how did you bf for ?

[pregnantbabyelephant]

when did you stop ?
and why?

im only 6 weeks into bf been thinking about how long im gonna keep doing it ex for
just wondered what your experience where

Exclusive for 26 weeks, still feeding at 21months. Plan to let ds self wean.

18 months with both.

Stopped (with dd1) as wanted to conceive again and it wasn't happening. With dd2 I just thought I'd give her the same.

Before I had DS i said i'd give bf a try but not stress if didn't work. Things went well and I said i'd carry on until he was six weeks - that then gradually moved to 6 mths. He's now 9 mths and still going strong - I guess he'l decide when he's ready to stop.

as it happens, last year someone came on MN doing a survey along these lines as part of a research project. 135 of us answered - results are here if you gancy a nosey.

I stopped at 6m with ds1, we wanted another with short age gap and I was so knackered all the time with ds1 that I couldn't begin to think of getting pg and bf at the same time.
Paid off as I got pg 2 2nd month of trying! DS2 I bf exclusive 2 months and combined until 8 months when I went back to work, he was getting well on to solids by then so its not like he needed lots of milk.
Both times I thought I would miss it but no, we just moved on to the next stage of babyness.

Just over two years. We stopped when she decided she'd had enough.

ds self weaned at 11 months. Just wasn't interested anymore.

I Exclusively BF for 6 months then continued to breastfeed until dd1 self weaned at 25months.

Now exclusively feeding dd2 and will continue for a LLLOOONNGG time

11 months for one then went back to work sostopped. Though by then he was on the odd bottle of formula.
15 months for ds2 (feed at bedtime, morning and occasional comfort.)
In those days, both were weaned onto solids at 4/5 months though.

aboiut 12 weeks of mixed feeding with ds1 - which just tapered out to FF
ds2 - exclusively for 6 months then continued to 2 and a half years and still going (brief morning feed and a bed time feed)

just to add that I worked full time from when ds2 was 6 months to 12 months then reduced to part time

Mixed for the first 4 weeks, then exclusive bf until 6.5 months, now ds is 2.2 and I'm 34 weeks pg and we're still going strong Will be waiting for him to self-wean, and tandem feeding if that's what he wants.

out of curiosity PBE, why are you thinking about stopping? just enjoy your little one and don't worry about the future yet!

congrats on baby

bf dd3 7 months then ff and bf (morning and night) still now bedtime only. keep at it as long as you can manage good luck x

are you finding it hard pbe? just thought id mention there is quite a growth spurt at around 6 weeks which can be quite demanding. it does get better though honest

DS1 - 12 months. I'd planned to stop around then and I got tonsilitis and felt absolutely sh*te so I did!

DS2 - 14 months or so. Again, kind of planned to give up around then, went away for a couple of nights without children and he bit me on our return so I stopped!

DD - she's 18 months old and I've not stopped yet. Just morning, nap and bedtime feeds now. I guess I plan to stop when she's 2. I am toying with the idea of stopping now because I don't like her pulling my top down and asking to be fed. It's outside of my personal comfort zone to be feeding a "baby" who asks.

Still bf DS twice a day and he's 2.6. I'm also pregnant so may be looking at tandem nursing a few months down the line if he doesn't lose interest.

DD1 - 4 days
DD2 - 2 feeds

Hopefully DS1 will be a good baby, and I will get all the help I need to BF for at least 3 months!

I went back to work with both girls so exclusively with DD1 4 months then did mixed for another 2 months (maternity leave was only 4 months then)

ANd with DD2 I did exclusive for 6 months, then when went back to work and did mixed for another 2 months and then went away for a long weekend without her and the breast pump smashed and I stopped then by teh time I got home.

Will hopefully do longer thsi time round.

ds1 fed till he was 18mths when he self weaned.

ds2 fed him till he was 3yrs 10mths, i had ds2 when he was 2yrs 5mths, so tandem fed, not something i planned at all, but ds2 just carried on, and it worked out ok, he gradually cut down over time, till he was just having a one or two feeds a day etc, then he would have a day when he forgot or i was busy etc, he had one last feed and a big cuddle, and was happy with that as he said he was a 'big boy'

ds3 is 2 and a half and still feeding, i am now expecting baby 4 and if i end up tandem feeding again i wouldnt be suprised as ds3 is a bfeeding monster, he always wants "milties" as he calls it

DD was prem and although I tried to bf my milk had dried up by the time she was able to feed

Exclusively bf DS til around 8 1/2 months, when DS had grown teeth at both top and bottom and none of the 'stop biting' techniques worked!!!!!

I also remember VERY nearly giving up at around 6 weeks, I fed constantly with around ten minute breaks for three days!!!!
But rest assured this stopped, and if I ever have any more children I am determined to bf for at least a year, DS got a horrid bug at around ten months, and I really wished I ahd been able to feed him then, its so much better than a cuddle, especially as they get that bit bigger and stroke you and look into your eyes

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DS1 - nearly 17 months - he self-weaned when I was pg with DS2.

DS2 - still going at 18m, will keep going as long as he wants "moof"

DD1 Exclusive bf 6 months, then switched to mixed feeding as I went back to work, carried on til 13 months when she self weaned.

Dd2 only 23 weeks old and I don't really have a plan. In a few weeks I'm going to see what she thinks of formula in a cup so that other people can feed her when I'm not around if necessary. Kind of imagine carrying on til she's a year old but not sure, depends what she wants really.

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