what's the longest you've breastfed for?

[weightstrugglinmum]

Hi all.

I'm just wondering what the longest times you have breastfed for? A friend has mentioned today that she still breastfeeds her 4 year old every night before bed, just got me thinking thats all, and out of curiosity I thought I'd put it out here, to hear about people's experiences!

11 years 1 month. But that was three kids the eldest 2 weaned a few days before the next was born. My youngest weaned when i had surgery. Although she did ask me the other day for some milk. I was like nope all done.

DC1 for 2 years, DC2 3 years & DC3 4 years. Tandem fed DC2 & DC3 for 2 years

3yrs 10 months.

3 months, 12 months and still feeding17 month old.

I'm a bit sick of it now but it's such a special part of our relationship that I don't know what will replace it, if that makes sense

DGS is still BF on demand day and night at 3 years 2 months.

I know someone who on-demand feeds her three year old. He barely eats solid food and still feeds up to fifteen times in the night. She sleeps on the floor with him and has to have her boobs out always so he can help himself, otherwise he loses his mind. 😞 it sounds awful for her, but she’s adamant she won’t stop until he wants to. I can’t see it ever happening. She’s not slept for longer than 40 minutes to an hour since he was born. She looks done-in all of the time. I worry about her, and I worry about her job as she’s a doctor.

Over ten years in total between my four kids. 23mths, 22mths, 2y7m and 4y3m.

DD was 2.5 and I weaned as was throwing up multiple times a day pregnant with DS and couldn’t manage it…at 6 she is still sad she doesn’t get booboo…DS is 3 this month and still feeds in the morning and at bedtime. Ready to stop but he’s got a lot or change right now so holding off until things are calmer.

DS1 was 3. DS2 was 2 and a half. Unfortunately, only my cousin knew exactly how long I breastfed (she breastfed both of hers until 4), as everyone else I knew had very uninformed views about it - thought it was 'disgusting' and that I was doing it for me rather than the baby. This was when DS1 was only 8 months! A good friend of mine seemed very supportive, but then thought it was hilarious to make a joke about the fact I was still breastfeeding DS1 at 2yo, to a couple of her other friends. I pretended I had stopped because I was made to feel so uncomfortable.

Three kids, each bf for about 2 years. Slightly longer for the first (about 26 months), and pretty much spot on 2 years for the other two. Always fed on demand. It always felt easy, natural, bonding, nurturing. I'm eternally grateful that it came so easily to all of us.

DC1 6 months (stopped due to multiple times of mastitis and antibiotics); DC2 34 months, partly due to a sense of compensation, partly felt changing routine a bit problematic. I did feel a bit embarrassed near the end 😳...

2 years 4 months ish. He refused for a couple of days which I realised I was so happy about I told him it had all gone when he then did try. He whimpered for about 20 seconds and that was that.
I'd started feeling incredibly touched out by it, like it actually made my skin itch and I had to grit my teeth, it was almost like he knew I was bracing myself for the battle and decided for me.

So annoying isn’t it, my little one is only 8 months but all people ask is when I will stop. It’s like when I decide why does it even bother you to ask the question . BF in the UK beyond infancy is not very common which is why a lot of people don’t talk about it which in turn for some reason makes it a bit of a taboo subject when in fact the average age a child weans from breastfeeding worldwide is near to 4 years old. In the UK it’s alot younger

I never really discussed breastfeeding with others, just because I'm a private person in general and don't have particularly close friends, and other mums can be touchy about it if they couldn't manage it. But I wasn't ashamed of it, almost everywhere we went was breastfeeding-friendly and I had no problems doing it in public. But when dcs were over 1 they were almost always only breastfed at home as it was only in the morning and night. So I wasn't really open about it and most people didn't know how long I did it for.

Both mine still feed. One is 5yr3m old and only has a quick feed before bed, can go without it if we're busy. Younger one is almost 2 and because we co sleep he still likes to feed at night a lot but also sometimes in the day.

Obviously the benefits to them continue both nutritionally and emotionally regardless of age but I also like the fact it has a positive impact on my chances of cancer. I absolutely love it when I meet someone else who breastfeeds beyond what is the social norm.

There are a few really good supportive FB groups for feeding older babies. I feel I'm now at a stage/age where I don't worry what people think so I try to never hide the fact I feed my older daughter because I hope that it might help change society's views on what is 'normal'
X

Same, 4 years

2 days.

Breastfed DD until 2 years 3 months,when DS was born.

Unfortunately after a point, I'd say about 1.5 - 2 years you can't be open as you do get judgement. And from places you wouldn't necessarily expect it.

I've had it from Dr's at different points when I've requested medication that wouldn't cross the milk. Even in hospital when I was nursing my asd, non verbal, development delayed, very poorly child. They wouldn't take food or drink, couldn't tolerate oral meds, and I was just grateful they would nurse and therfore have something. We were doing anything to keep them off drips as it would have been a living nightmare. ..the Dr tried to tell me to wean them as I was stunting their development. Yeah, boobs broke the kid. Jerk.

3 years for DC1, just over 3 years for DC2. The last 9 months of DC1 overlapped the first 9 for DC2 so it was 5.5 years in total.

Fed DD till she was 3 years 8 months, she only did it before her nap towards the end having stopped asking at bedtime then didn’t nap for a week and it took that long for her to notice she hadn’t had a feed. I was pregnant and hoping my milk would run out and/or she’d stop by herself as I didn’t fancy tandem feeding, and it was the latter. It was the best end I could have hoped for. Massive huge respect to the tandem feeders btw, I just couldn’t face it.

DS is 3 months and I don’t have any age in mind that he’ll stop, he’s been a champion feeder since minutes after he was born, so we’ll see.

I was always open with anyone about feeding DD, I live in a pretty crunchy area and it’s not at all uncommon for mums to be feeding older kids.

I stopped at 3 years and two months, but for the last year it was only first thing in the morning (weaned off night and bedtime feeds around her second birthday). I rarely talked about it, but someone I mentioned it to was so relieved because she still bf her 18 month old.

3 kids, 2 years each consecutively. So 6 years total. I couldn't tandem feed as I developed a very severe nursing aversion towards the end of my pregnancies, I guess my body was preparing for the new baby each time.

DS1 13 months
DS2 just after his 4th birthday

I fed my eldest to age 8 and my youngest to age 6, they both self weaned and for three years I was feeding both of them. I fed for 11 years in total without a break.

DS1 till 6 months DS2 is currently 7 months and planning on breastfeeding until he's 1