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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Extended bfs out there

40 replies

sunshine75 · 03/03/2009 20:42

I never imagined that i would be asking this question as 6 months was all I was evr going to do it for and thought it was a bit wierd to do it past a year (aaargh... sorry).

Anyway dd is now almost 11 months and I don't really want to stop. I go back to work soon and plan to continue with wake up and bed time feeds. Anyway, will my supply cope with just 2 feeds a day? When does self weaning usually happen? And what are the benefits of continuing past 1?

Thanks - (oh -and I've changed my mind about it being a bit wierd)

OP posts:
Hattie05 · 03/03/2009 20:45

Hi there,

I'm pretty certain your supply will cope with two feeds a day!

I breastfed my eldest until she was two, despite returning to work parttime when she was 3mths. i expressed until she was 6mths, but then gave up expressing and just fed her when i was around, or she had formula if i wasn't and my supply lasted fine.

homicidalmatriach · 03/03/2009 20:49

Yes it'll cope. Self weaning is entirely dependent on the child. DD is still feeding at 2.4 but is down to a couple of feeds a day, DS is going off the whole idea at under one. There's loads of support threads here for extended feeders.

Benefits past 1 - well the immunity benefits really kick in during year two, it's great for stopping toddler tantrums - they mostly are caused by toddlers feeling frustrated and out of control and nursing seems to ground them and make them feel secure.

BTW it's not weird. Or if it is a hell of a lot of us on here are weird (actually we are, but that's for different reasons )

giveusabreak · 03/03/2009 21:59

This is pretty clearwww.bflrc.com/newman/breastfeeding/toddler.htm The author is a paediatrician. The lovely thing about feeding past one is that you and your child can write your own rules. You can do one feed a day and cows milk the rest of the time, you can do five feeds.......... it's up to you and your LO - lovely and relaxed. It is fab for managing tantrums (and does not spoil them in the process)

PuzzleRocks · 03/03/2009 22:07

DD, 22mths, really only has a bedtime feed now, and i'm pregnant, my supply is absolutely fine. Good luck with whatever you decide.

plonker · 03/03/2009 22:09

Yes - you'll be fine

My dd dropped to two feeds a day when I went back to work (almost 11 months) and was happy like that till she self-weaned at around 16 mo.

hth

llareggub · 03/03/2009 22:17

I'm still feeding DS, who is 2.4. He spent most of the day, on and off, feeding because he has a cold. Whenever he feels unwell he breastfeeds all day. Most of the time he has just a few feeds a day, but I've really seen the benefits when he is ill.

I went back to work part-time when DS was 6 months, and he just took his feeds around my schedule. I decided to wait for him to self-wean, thinking it would be around 12 months, but here we are at 2 and a quarter years still going strong. I'm also pregnant with number 2, and thought he'd stop during my pregnancy no sign as yet.

If you want to carry on, carry on! You don't really need rules or anything, just do what comes naturally.

aviatrix · 03/03/2009 22:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

BurningBright · 04/03/2009 11:13

It'll be fine. Your breast will produce as much milk as you need. So if you only do two feeds on work days but then find that your DD nurses more at weekends, your supply will just adjsut to this. And so will you and your DD.

whatknot · 04/03/2009 13:20

You will never regret NATURAL term BF. Extended isn't the right word for it at all It's the way it should be!

Bettymum · 04/03/2009 13:46

I went back to work FT when DD was 8 months, so have been pretty much just feeding twice a day, morning and night. We've had abosolutely no supply problems and we have had some extra feeds when she's been ill. I find it a really lovely thing to do now that I'm at work in the day, I'm so glad I didn't try and wean her before I went back. I'm planning to let her dictate when we stop.
I'm also hoping that by continuing I'm helping her deal with all the germs at nursery, although her constant runny nose may be telling a different story

Grendle · 04/03/2009 13:56

Good for you. It's funny how things sometimes feel different when we actually get there isn't it?

I bf ds just once a day for well over a year. Even when my supply was low due to pregnancy it wasn't a problem. By 11 months your supply is really well established. You should be fine. Enjoy it!

llareggub · 04/03/2009 15:36

bettymum, it has certainly been my experience that continuing to breastfeed has helped DS's immunity. He was with a childminder, and is now at pre-school, but I've never lost any time from work due to his illness. Bar the odd runny nose, he has been fine. Whenever he has a cold he feeds for England, and it seems to recharge him somehow.

JazzHands · 04/03/2009 15:58

I was fine. DD was down to one feed a day by about 11 mo and that was fine. Went back to work about 13mo and weaned about 14mo (she was having a feed first thing and with all the rushing around it gradually got dropped - so not really self weaned - she would have gone for longer - but she didn't ask for milk - she seemed to be happy to take it or leave it).

Supply -wise though that one feed a day was fine.

Heartmum2Jamie · 04/03/2009 23:19

Your body will adjust to whatever feeding schedule you decide to go for with your baby. I breastfed my ds2 until he was 3. We were still pretty much feeding on demand until 15 months, then he dropped a lunchtime feed, then a night feed ect, ect. At 2 he was feeding morning and bedtime. At 2.5, he dropped to bedtime only. I fed him as long as I did, partly because we enjoyed it and partly because he has some health problems and allergies and it made sense for me to offer him my immunity for as long as possible.

I am now breastfeeding ds3 and hope to go between 2 & 3 years again.

pigletmania · 06/03/2009 16:56

Though I totally support breastfeeding a baby,and have nothing agaist bf that is why we have breasts in the first place, I know the WHO recommends up to 2 years of age, however I do not agree with breastfeeding after that, espcially when the child starts school. The child is old enough to hold a cup or a sippy cup, why not express and put it in the cup, that way they will get the benefits of breastmilk in a proper cup, after all they probably will have most of their drinks from there anyway.

I think that its the mums do not want to let go. I bottlefed my baby not out of choice but because my milk dried up, I have spoken to many bf mums who also agree a cut off point and would not go beyond that. I know that you all say that they will wean when ready, what if they dont, you have to guide them gently to the next stage. I would not have my 3 year old with a bottle or a dummy they are too old for that, the same goes with nursing too.

cornflakegirl · 06/03/2009 17:49

pigletmania - my son is 3 1/2 and will start school in September. If he still wants to feed then, I will let him.

I very much doubt that I could express, even if I wanted to - I had problems with getting enough out when he was 1 and feeding more often, so I'm pretty sure I'd get next to nothing. Plus, it's additional hassle for no gain.

If you and your friends want to put arbitrary limits on the feeding relationship, that's up to you. But I'm happy to let my son take the lead on this.

BonyM · 06/03/2009 17:59

DD2 was about 3 when she stopped. By that stage she was down to just one, very quick feed at bedtime, and one night I managed to distract her from asking for it (by going to fetch her a drink straight after her story) and then she forgot to ask again the following night. When she asked on the third night I told her it had all gone (which was probably true as I doubt she was getting very much by that stage anyway. She moaned for about a minute and was then fine from that point onwards.

Oh - and if anyone had told me that I'd still be feeding her at that age I'd have thought they were mad .

winniethepooh74 · 07/03/2009 09:23

There is NO nutritious benefit for the child to continue beyond 12 months. By now your child should be eating a well balanced meal anyway.

Yes, I brestfed both mine and no longer than 12 months. As nice as it was 12 months was enough.

tiktok · 07/03/2009 09:38

wunniethepooh - I am curious.

Babies over 12 months do normally have a range of foods, which of course is necessary for health and well-being - but I don't understand why breastmilk cannot be a part of this.

Does something happen overnight on the child's first birthday that changes the 'nutritious benefits' breastmilk to the equivalent of dirty dishwater? Or do the 'nutritious benefits' of breastmilk disappear overnight, leaving nothing but plain water and a few dead cells?

Perhaps you have some interesting research to share with us about the body's amazing power to change like this? Are the women feeding their babies beyond this age giving their baby something that's harmful?

Or, more likely, are you simply affected by a prejudice about anyone breastfeeding for any longer than you, personally, found acceptable? And you justify this with a spurious nutrition argument.

Wisknit · 07/03/2009 09:38

Yes Winniethepooh, that's obviously why the WHO recommend BF for 2 years minimum. And, of course BF is only about nutrition anyway .

Fwiw, DS2 is still feeding at 21 months and has a feed or 2 a day. But I have milk again as DD arrived 2 weeks ago so he's enjoying the extra. I know lots of people though who have gone back to work at 9/10/11 months and their DC just make up for it when they are around.

I'd say go for it.

StealthPolarBear · 07/03/2009 09:43

"The child is old enough to hold a cup or a sippy cup, why not express and put it in the cup"
But why do that? What's the point?

Grendle · 07/03/2009 09:45

Who says Dr Hilary has no effect ...

tiktok · 07/03/2009 09:56

Stealth - the reason people suggest this utterly bonkers idea (expressing milk to put in a cup for a toddler) is, as you can no doubt guess, because it is rude, sexual, rude, indulgent and did I mention rude???

It's a shame. People cannot help their closed-minded hang-ups, I suppose, but why they think the same hang-ups entitle them to disapprove of other people's choices is beyond me!

Trinityrhino · 07/03/2009 09:59

I wuv you, your posts are a dream to read

from a militant breastfeeder

BonyM · 07/03/2009 09:59

Besides which, (and not the reason I did it) "Women who breastfeed for greater than two years have a significantly reduced risk of developing breast cancer later in life"
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090122080721.htm