What age did you all stop breastfeeding?

[flawless29]

To all breastfeeding mamas, I have a 7-month-old and I'm just curious: at what age do most of you stop breastfeeding? I realize everyone's journey is unique, which is exactly why I'm reaching out. How long do you think we should breastfeed to give our little ones the best start? Thanks!

Mothers who breastfed to two years or longer have not been ridiculing those those breastfed for a shorter time. They have not been throwing around language like 'tit in gob'. They have just been sharing the natural weaning age for human children and the official recommendations. It's clear who has the issues here.

The OP has done well to get to 7 months and if she wants to stop then there are safe and nutritious baby milks available as an alternative. If she wants to continue then breastmilk will continue to have benefits for her child as it has for the last 7 months.

It doesn't give a skewed view point at all. The OP asked how long people breastfed for. Some of us breastfeed for a long time. That's just as valid as the person who replies with 6 months, because that is the reality many women do chose to breastfeed that long.

There is no agenda, or shaming of mothers who don't natural term wean. Noone is advocating for continuing to nurse past a point that is in the best interest of the individual mother. These are all narratives you are adding to the conversation by shaming mothers for admitting they breastfeed long term in a thread about length of breastfeeding. Noone is shaming you for nursing less but those who fed preschoolers are being told they are odd, weird, wrong, unnecessary, self centred etc in this thread, all for nursing to natural term.

I couldn't care less whether you nursed at all. You could have given formula from birth and I wouldn't shame you for it, so why shame mothers for natural term weaning because you wouldn't do it?

I genuinely can’t believe how nasty a few posters on here have been towards breast feeding women.

So much vitriol and spite - it’s vile and so uncalled for.

Dc1 was nineteen months (wasn't my choice dc just stopped one day).
Dt were 12 months and had to stop for my own mental health (I had 3 under 4, a single parent and went back to work, dt were getting bigger it just got too much for me). It was sad but the right choice for me and dc.
I think it's what's right for you and your family at a given time each experience is different.

However, the thread has been hijacked by marathon breastfeeders congratulating each other on their longevity.

Has it? Reads to me like people are simply answering the OP’s question of “What age did you all stop breastfeeding?”

The rest of your post just reads like you have been massively triggered. You’re not the only one.

There's nothing shameful about stopping breastfeeding when you're ready.

You’re right, there’s not. But the only shaming on this thread seems to be coming from you and @Mumbuns

There is a massive difference in breastfeeding a baby on demand and breastfeeding a 3 year old once per day before bed. The latter isn’t even breastfeeding. It’s purely comfort and bonding. There’s nothing shameful about that.

I wonder of some of the idiotic posters on here realise that many of the mums who breastfeed for longer don’t tell people or report it, and stats are very likely skewed to show this silence. Breastfeeding past one is so incredibly frowned upon that most of us keep schtum. And no, it’s definitely not a self centered act - it is actually really fucking hard to stop breastfeeding a toddler when it’s their ultimate source of comfort. People don’t blink at a two or three year old with a dummy, but say that you breastfeed them still and people look at you like you’re some sort of pervert.

I agree. I certainly don't tell anyone that my 2 year old is still fed to sleep. I reckon stats are probably skewed by HV checks aswel. My HV certainly didn't ask me if I was still BF at DDs one or two year check. But yes I'd hate for someone to think they should stop or the majority of society are judging them, because some posters think the only answers allowed are 12 months or below.

I don't remember being asked by a healthcare professional after 6 months!

Well, if anything I suppose you've got a bit of insight if you've ever wondered why people judge you for breastfeeding a child, not a baby.

And you already knew that many people think you're wrong, but continue with it nonetheless. It's not fresh news and my opinion won't change yours.

So with that, I will leave the thread because breastfeeding is a personal journey and we each need to do what's right for us as individuals.

DC1 9mths, DC2 5mths, DC3 13 mths

I'd imagine the majority already knew the answer, because they are small minded bullies. But yes I'd say this thread confirms that.

Natural term weaning isnt even all that uncommon.

I used to nurse publicly openly even when they were 3 plus (probably less so after about 4 as all of them were night time and first thing in the morning nurses by then, although I probably did a handful of times if they were upset) and I lost count of how many mothers talked to me about it and told me they were still nursing their preschoolers. You just don't see it as often as it happens because of attitudes like the ones displayed in this thread.

Many natural term weaners may not even appear in the exclusive at six months stats if they started solids a bit earlier.

Trying to push an agenda and create guilt and shame on those who don't fit in with your unusual worldview is an unkind thing to do.

oh, the hypocrisy.

I mean, I can fully understand that breastfeeding is at times shown as this idyllic feeding directly from the breast, calm serene mummy and happy thriving baby. When in reality, breastfeeding looks like so many different things like exclusive pumping/ combi feeding etc and it can be a real struggle. So if your experience of it wasn't positive, then I think it's great you felt able to promote your mental health enough to decide on formula second time round.

However, I don't think it's fair for you to then criticise other women for making different choices to you. Breastfeeding isn't a complete panacea, we know that breastfed infants will still get sick/ have health conditions etc. And we also know that formula feeding isn't awful, and formula fed children thrive and do great. Using a few anecdotal examples from your lived experience and presenting them as 'proof' is really misleading. We know from research that in general, breastfed children do better academically and that is linked to the length of time they are fed for. We know that there are certain health benefits for mum such as reduced risk of diabetes/ certain cancers/ heart disease etc and again these benefits are linked to length of time they feed for. We know that immunity and allergy are two different things. So while yes, your bf child may have lots of allergies that doesn't actually speak to his immune system. A lot of allergies are actually hereditary. Parents with allergies are more likely to have children with allergies. Breastfeeding won't change that. What it can do is support a healthy immune system at the time in a child's life when they are most under attack in that respect with starting nursery etc. If children aren't sick as often or for as long (because we know they will get sick) then that benefits our economy. Helps women stay in the workforce when they are predominantly seen in a caregivers role. These are all perfectly valid reasons for someone to decide they want to continue feeding when it's working for both them and their child. And equally none of those reasons should be used to undermine women who decide to stop earlier or decide not to breastfeed at all. Women having the right to choose what works best for their body, their family, their baby is how we empower mothers. Not attacking their choices, giving them incorrect information based on two peoples experiences and name calling.

I'm sorry that you maybe had a rose tinted idea of what breastfeeding would be like and what it would mean, I think that speaks a lot to the lack of clear education and information around breastfeeding in the UK -it really isn't good enough and it lets a lot of women down. I'm sorry that you feel disappointed that you didn't see the benefits you hoped you were working for. But you can't use that as a means to put other women off. And comparing two individual children is not a wide enough pool to be basing the comments you are making off as your specific situation is at odds with the majority of research on the subject. But again- that's not really surprising since the research shows breastfeeding is not a 100% guarantee.

For me, hearing that other women have fed for longer periods of time has really helped me reach 11 months with ds with no family support and a lot of pressure from the beginning to switch to formula. While it might be weird to you (which if I'm honest i think is stemming from your own negative personal experience), for a lot of us it's reassuring and motivating since breastfeeding is hard.

I don't remember being asked by a healthcare professional after 6 months

Same. I noticed a section in the red book which has a box to tick if baby is still receiving any breastmilk at 1yo but nobody has ever asked me or ticked it. I can't even remember the last time I was asked about breastfeeding by a doctor or HV, and I take her to regular weigh drop ins, so they have the opportunity to get the data.

Same with sheep and calves, generally the mothers get fed up before the young.

@TheLoveIsReal

I wish I'd had more confidence to talk about it at the time. I was a young single mum and whilst it was the norm at my mothers group where there were mums up to 20 years older than me, it wasn't amongst other young mums I knew. I have much more confidence if I was to have a baby now.

Wow, I never realized breastfeeding toddlers was seen as wrong. I mix with highly educated people and the majority of them BF to between 1.5-3 years old. It's seen as a good choice if you are able to do it in my circles.

Shocked at some of the vile comments towards breastfeeding mums on this thread. Why judge other mums for something that has no effect on you whatsoever, and that is positive for that mum and her children. Some people are just sad and full of nastiness unfortunately.

OP, if you're still reading do what is best for you. If you're keen to stop, go for it - you don't need to compare your choices to anyone else's. If you wanted to hear stories about some of the benefits people found from long term BF, these are mine (DD stopped naturally at 2.5): we would have probably ended up in hospital quite a few times without it as it was the only thing that would comfort my DD and hydrate her when she was ill was BF. Not long after I stopped, every single time she caught a virus she would end up in A&E with dehydration as she refused to drink anything. Also gave her great comfort whenever she went through anything stressful or too exciting (eg. A holiday, changing rooms in her nursery, etc).

It's not a competition. Feed for as long or short as you like, whatever is right for you is best for your baby. Don't judge others that do different to you. Simple.

Because past one year a child doesn't need it. Its purely vanity on mothers part when they are still breastfeeding at 2, 3, 4 etc.

My daughter was on prescription formula until 2 as she still need a substantial part of her nutrition from milk. I wish I could still breastfeed her now at 3. Instead of paying £2.10 a litre for oat milk that has everything she needs out of milk added to it because it alone is insufficient for her needs. The alternative is milk perfectly designed for her as long as keep my milk free of her allergens. As it happened breastfeeding wasn't good for my health and for my needs so we had to stop at 10 months. My daughter's need for a safe source of milk continues long past 1.