just a quick poll ... how long did you bf for ? what it as long/longer than planned

[robinredbreast]

just a quick poll ... how long did you bf for ? what it as long/longer than planned

Had planned to breastfeed until a year at least - did not want to use formula at all.

DS1 - 11 months. Was too rigid when feeding him (20 years ago) was very structured with regard to dropping milk feeds when solids were established.

DS2 - 10 months - was pregnant and felt really ill.

DS3 - 14 months - he self weaned.

DD1 - 15 months - she self weaned.

In retrospect, with what I know now I would have breastfed for longer. Only managed exclusive BF for 6 months with DD1. Would have done it with them all had I known I could.

DS1 self weaned at 12 months but was only having an evening feed from me at that point, as he was drinking follow-on milk from a cup during the day (I never got on with expressing milk unfortunately).

TBH I hadn't really thought about how long I would carry on for when I started bf as I didn't want to put myself under any pressure...but I suppose I would have hoped to manage 6 mths.

Ditto MaeWest

Took ages for me and ds to 'get' bf. Was waking up every day for 5 months thinking 'today I'm going to stop', but somehow carried on. Once I started to enjoy it it felt wrong to stop after all the effort.

Still bf at 2.2 years - despite disapproving parents, in-laws and (childless) friends.

Planned to breastfed DD for 6 months, after terrible birth and painful nipples for the first month, I was amazed to make it to 6 months.

Set new target of a year, made it to a year three days ago, despite two emergency hospital admissions when I was adviced to wean but I pumped though the morphin to keep my milk and to keep feeding my DD.

No further targets, I have decided to carry on and see what happens.

Planned 6 months. Still going now at 18 months.

No plans, but was vaguely keen on extended bf

Had a nightmare of a time, never really "got it", ended up mix feeding from 5 months, stopped completely at about 9 months.

17 months
3 years
4 years (and counting but it's only a token feed these days)

And what I expected? No probably longer but I hadn't really planned anything anyway.

5 months but I hadn't planned on how long etc, just felt time to stop for me.

18 months

My plan: was not going to breastfeed at all.

Best thing I ever did and strangely miss it sometimes!

Still going at 17 months. It never occured to me that anyone fed for longer than 6 months when I was pg, but DS loves it, and I can't see a good reason to stop yet...

Pre-birth, would have said 6 months max / earlier if teeth came through (they arrived at 5 months). Nightmare first 6 weeks but once it improved, loved the hormone kick for relaxing/sleeping and still going at 15 months. No longer think feeding a 4 year old is odd (interesting how you can find yourself with totally unthought-out, unresearched 'views'), though will depend on DD from here.

16 months and still going.

Had assumed before I had DS that I would stop at 12 months, never occurred to me that DS might have a view on the matter too .

Fed DS1 until he was just over 2, he self weaned when I was pregnant with DS2. Hadnt really planned how long I would feed for, thought maybe 6 months - I didnt know much about breastfeeding and thought babies didnt need milk once they started solids so thought I would be giving up by then.
Was very happy to feed for that long and it would probably have been longer if I hadnt been pregnant. Will feed DS2 until he self weans (I think).

dd1 - 3 days
dd2 - 6 months and still going strong
I think I am going to have to stop soon though. I am going back to work next week and really worried about how it is going to work and also supposed to be going to England in 5 weeks time for a wedding- will be away all weekend and not intending on taking the kids!

Sorry forgot to add. DD1 - had really hoped to bf for much much longer. DD2 just took it a day at a time but never for a minute thought I'd still be doing it at 6 months. [proud emoticon]

ds i thought i'd do about a year, did 13 months.
dd thought i'd do same, am still feeding now at 20 months. tbh, she'd stop now, but i'm not ready to give up.

dd1 - 11 mths (fell pg)
dd2 - 13 mths
Was happy about both amounts of time.

dd 2.2 yr now self weaning, always meant to for at least a year

Always intended to bf but was soooo squeamish about it that I couldn't think any deeper than 'I'll do it'. We've got to 9 and a half months and still going but I'm just starting to have the odd moment where I dread it

15mths, DD self weaned so decision to stop was made for me.

Had no preconceived idea of how long I would do it for but once I got past the first twelve weeks I wanted to get to 12mths then once I got to 12mths I wanted to stop at 18mths

first baby 18 1/2 months
2nd baby 2 years
3rd baby 2 years 2 months
4th baby 2 years 9 months.

whatever felt right for each one.