How long did you breastfeed your baby for?

[DancingDelli]

Just as the title says really!

I plan on weaning and continuing to breastfeed until I go back to work when baby is 9 months old. Would really like to carry on a bit longer though

ds1 was 14 months. He was mixed fed for various reasons and just seemed to lose interest.

ds2 is almost 4 and still going - though only evening/ morning. Never planned to go this long but he's been so upset when trying to cut down that I've carried on. Also gets him to sleep straight away I would be too self conscious to feed him in public though

Currently bf my 2y 2 m baby. Not sure how many times a day. As many as he sees me. Lockdown has made him a boob addict again :)

3 and half years. I was more than ready to stop, went back to work pt at 5 months, ft at 9 months

DS1 9 months and DS2 8 months.

That was the perfect time to stop for me. DS1 stopped of his own accord when I was 12 weeks pregnant with DS2, and DS2 just lost interest, but he was on a good mixed diet by then. I'd started weaning at 4 months as we did back then so weaning onto solids was very well established at that stage.

I loved breastfeeding a small baby, but at 8 or 9 months I felt I'd done my bit and to be honest I had no desire to breastfeed a toddler. I don't judge anyone who breastfeeds long term, but it wasn't for me. I also didn't enjoy breastfeeding once they had a few teeth!

With DS3 I only managed 4 months as he wasn't gaining enough weight. I was upset about that as I wanted to continue as long as I had for his brothers, but looking back I know I did the best I could and I have no regrets.

Dd 4 months, I did not have enough milk to satisfy her. Ds1 9 months. He was happy using a cup of follow on milk then and he bit me hard. Ds2 13 months. I had loads of milk for him and he never bit me. Plus, I knew he would be my last baby.

14 months with first. 2nd is 14 months but because of COVID and because I'm working from home I'm in no hurry to stop feeding her. She only has 2/3 feeds a day on average though.

First baby 3 months. Second baby 4 months

15 months on first
3 years and 1 month on second.

DC1 8 months of mixing BF and FF
DC2 34 months BF

I went back to work at around 11 months with each. A few times a year my job needs me to travel and be away from home Mon-Fri and this wasn't a problem with DC2, I just took a manual pump with me and pumped and dumped while I was away. She would never take a bottle so DH gave her a massive bowl of porridge instead of her bedtime feed when I was away.

I think being able to continue to BF when you return to work is often more doable than many people think.

Dc1 18 months (stopped of her own accord)
Dc2 Nearly 3 years (I got fed up and weaned him)

@EasterIssland 2y2m is a toddler not a baby?

If I have another, I'm going to aim for 3 months rather than 6 I think. The vast majority of health benefits are imparted by then, and if I'm being honest, I prefer bottle feeding.

I had a really good supply, could easily pump 200ml per boob - but it meant constant leaking which made me self conscious, and i worried about smelling of milk all the time. Boobs were always engorged and uncomfortable if feeds were not bang on every 3 or 4 hours, and I just found having to rummage around my clothes a total pain. You have to choose your outfits accordingly which I found a complete faff as I like wearing dresses.

Luckily my daughter really didnt seem fussed about going from breast to bottle, if anything she slept better and seemed happier I think because she picked up my vibes.

Out of my antenatal group of 9, 6 are still bfing at nearly 1, and I dont know if its coincidence but their babies have been terrible sleepers. The bottle fed babies seem to sleep much better. Fair play to them though for getting through it.

3 1/2 and 3 years. I was really ready to stop with both and had to push it a bit. Overall it was a lovely time for us all. I went back to work full time at 12 months with the first and p/t at 11 months with the second.

Ebf one feed after birth. Struggled through with mixed feeding with expressed milk (bf felt like they were dragging razor blades out of my nipples!) for around 6 weeks until I wasn’t even expressing enough for one feed each for my DTs in 24hrs of pumping and it was seriously affecting my mh. I realised around 5am one morning that it just wasn’t worth it, and that I couldn’t do it any longer so I stopped from then on.

1 year, 3 months, 3 months and 2 years.

The 2 by 3 months were twins

First baby 12 months and Second baby 2 years and 4 months

A couple of weeks off his third birthday and I weaned him off myself, I reckon he still be feeding at 4. Other self weaned a lot earlier depends on Baby/toddler

Still feeding my 6 mo, but he is getting teeth and attitude now, so the biting is not only horrendous he fights to relatch himself when I take him off. I’ve had to give him ‘time out’ a few times by turning him away from me on the bed

DC1 - 8 months. Couldn’t trust her after she bit me so hard I was bleeding! I was working full time and she was having expressed milk anyway so was only doing a morning and bedtime feed.

DCs 2 & 3 - 3 weeks. One wanted to be on there constantly, the other struggled with it (with what I now know was probably tongue tie) so I was expressing anyway. Just couldn’t keep up with it with school runs etc, for DC1 with no help when DH went back to work. I continued mixed feeding (expressed) until they were 3 months.

DC4 - 8 weeks. Undiagnosed tongue tie so he was a nightmare to feed. Very upset as he was my last but I was in agony (surprised my nipples didn’t fall off!) and had to throw in the towel.

4 yeers with each. Was going to be 1 then 2 then when ever they stopped. (Well 4 yers is world average apparently.)

One week.. I just couldn't hack it as she was too demanding for me and the lack of sleep was making me delerious. I put her on formula and never looked back!

18 months

My son was 2 in February and I'm still feeding him.

DS: 3 3/4 years. He weaned himself when I was pregnant and the milk started tasting weird.
DD1: 4 years exactly. I weaned her because I didn't like tandem feeding and DD2 was getting hungrier.
DD2: Longer than the other two combined, until the milk ran out!

24 months 22 months and 3 months. After 6 months it was only at night they ate solid food and I expressed one bottle for the day. Do what your body can do, do you.

3.5 years. I combi-fed for first year (half formula, half BF) because I had very low supply then just carried on with the BFing. Swopped the formula for cow's milk. Unless you have to be away from home overnight for work it isn't too difficult - it was only twice a day from nine months, and only once a day after 18 months. Doubt many people knew as it was first thing in the morning for the one remaining feed. It's also pretty quick - I was spending probably ten minutes a day BFing by a year old.