When to stop BF?

[clare]

Started reading into weaning this weekend which I plan to do at 6 months. Exciting!

I didn't realise before that milk is still the main source of food thinking that puree\finger food would take over.

I was planning to stop BF at the 'normal' 6 month stage that weaning starts & introduce formula. I was excited that by November my feeding bras & pads will be no more & I can enjoy alcohol!

However from looking into it more, it seems alot of women continue upto a year or more as it is alot less hassle than preparing bottles as well as puree etc.

Just wondered what other's views are on this?

Thanks

[Amy&Daniel]

Hi

I thought the same as you, that I would feed Daniel until he was 6 months. But there never seems to be a good time to stop. He's 9 months now and I feed him 3 times a day. It is just a lot easier than messing about with bottles.

I'm a bad mummy too in that I haven't given up alcohol. I don't ever get drunk, but I'll have a couple of glasses of wine. Doesn't seem to be affecting him at all and I think I would feel quite resentful if I didn't drink at all. I had the odd glass whilst I was pregnant too, so he should be used to it by now.

Maybe the answer is to buy some nicer feeding bras?

Oh and as for breast pads, I used to go through about 8 a day in the first few weeks, and there would always be leaks. But now, my milk supply has slowed right down. I only use one in the morning, whilst I'm feeding on the first side (and I certainly don't fill it like I used to!).

Hope that helps.

A

[Amy]

If you're happy breastfeeding then you can continue until a time that suits you. When the baby is 1 year old they can have whole cow's milk (assuming they're not allergic to it - but you'd know about it from weaning before then) as their drink instead of breast (or formula) milk so that might be a good time to stop?

[Catherine&George]

Hi Clare

I think I was like you - assuming that the normal age to stop breastfeeding was 6 months but when I read a bit more about weaning ended up having to rethink!

We were really lucky with George in that he took to solid food well and we were soon up to 3 meals a day and 4 milk feeds - first thing, mid morning, mid afternoon and bedtime. We then dropped the midmorning feed as he had started sleeping longer for his morning nap and this feed was getting so close to lunchtime that he wasn't as interested in his solid food.

I went back to work when George was 8 months and he started having formula for his afternoon milk. He is now 9 months and I am breastfeeding him morning and night. We are still offering him formula in the afternoon but he sometimes takes very little of this.

I guess having got this far I will now continue to breastfeed him until he is 1 and can have cows milk.

Initially I was quite apprehensive about starting weaning but actually looking back on the process it all seemed to happen fairly naturally - George's interest in milk lessened as he ate more and actually seeing him experiment with foods and try lots of new tastes has been really fun!

Catherine x

[Rachel Doula]

Hi Clare

This is my first post on the site, I have not even done an intro which I must do next.

May I first say congratulations, feeding is not always easy and you have done fantastic to get this far.

You should feed until you are hapy to stop or your little one seems to want to stop, whichever comes first or whichever you are happiest with.

The government guidelines are exclusive breastfeeding till 6 months and breast milk still recommended till 2 years, this is based on the WHO recomendations see link.

http://www.babyfriendly.org.uk/?thesource=babyfriendly&gclid=CJbsoKCrnpwCFd0B4wodSznYew
http://www.realbabymilk.org/

I fed my oldest till 9 months and my youngest till 16 months and would have continued with both, they decided when to stop. With my daughter it was only once a day sometimes not even that but we both still felt happy with the relationship so it continued.

A fantastic book about feeding is called 'The food of Love' by Kate Evans and is one of the most accessible and funniest books about breastfeeding, if you get it let me know what you think. http://www.thefoodoflove.org/

When you do wean have you have you heard about baby lead weaning? http://babyledweaning.com/ Somthing else to look into.

I hope this has been some help.

Rachel the Doula

[Diane]

I too thought I would just breast feed until my little boy was 6 months old, then 6 months came and the penny dropped that I would have to continue. Isak is now approaching 9month and I can say that I am a tad fed up with it all. We have just been on holiday (hot climate) and Isak BF ALL DAY. He was off his food and is teething at an alarming rate - (5 teeth in 4 week). Before the hols I had it down to 4 feeds a day, now I feel like we BF all day. Everyone has promised me that he will just want it less eventually, wish I had the confidence to believe in this. He will not drink from a bottle so I feel really trapped and that I will just have to continue for the duration. I definately don't want to be doing it after he's one. Along with the constant BF, is Isak's separation anxiety, I can't even go to the loo. Are there any 2nd or even 3rd time mums out there that can reassure me that this is normal, do the two go hand in hand? Would love to hear how you all got on, I am at my wits end... x

[Amy]

Hi Diane

I'm really sorry to hear that you and Isak are having a tough time of it. Poor little thing with so many teeth coming all at once...

I'm a 2nd time mum - Jack is now 9 months old. I still BF him but he loves his food so he's only having 3 BF a day now (breakfast, early afternoon and bedtime). His elder sister wasn't so keen on food but I still managed to get her down to 3 BF a day by this age - I limited her milk intake to try to get her to eat more food - it didn't really work but at least it freed me up a bit. Like Isak she wouldn't take a bottle so whilst I was BF I couldn't go too far from her for very long! With both of them I just stopped giving them any milk late morning once we'd got a few weeks into weaning. Jack was never very bothered about this whereas I seem to remember that Emma was most unhappy for the first few days but they forget quickly. It means I have to give Jack a snack and a drink of water (from a cup) mid morning and often he's ready for his lunch around 11.30 but he has a good appetite for his milk when he wakes up from his sleep.

I intend to stop BF when Jack turns 1 or not long after then by hopefully going striaght to cows milk from a cup - I've never even tried him with a bottle. Unfortunately Emma was allergic to cow's milk so I couldn't do this with her but I did stop BF her at 13 months. She got her calcium from yoghurts instead and her calories from other food.

I'm lucky as I've not had to go through separation anxiety of any note with either so far so I don't think that BF can be linked to it.

What I would say though is things never go on for ever (its just horrible not knowing how long they are going to go on for) and to enjoy the closeness you and Isak have whilst you're still feeding him. I'm sure things will get better soon (he must at least stop teething for a bit).

Amy

[Diane]

Amy thanks so much for your reply. Things have seemed to settled down again. So maybe it was just his teeth...I really need to trust him more and stop worrying about other people prejudices re BFing. I think it may have been a combination of the holiday and teething. Will stick with it a bit longer now...Thanks you really helped me.

[mel]

Hi ladies,

I am 23 and a 2nd time mum to Katy 3 and harry 7 months. The best piece of advice i could give is to go with the flow! If you start making a plan of exactly when you will give up you will almost certainly not follow through as situation and feelings change over the course. When i had my first the thought of breastfeeding a baby over a year horrified me, but I ended up feeding Katy till she was 2! As time went on there just never seemed a point when i wanted strongly enough to stop. As she got older it was only one feed that we kept which was in the morning when we first woke up. It wasnt inconvenient and didnt interfere with my day so it was just a nice thing to do to bond i suppose. Also when she was ill and off her food it was reassuring for me to know she was getting fluid and nutrients from me. The feeding came to a natural end just before she turned two when we went on holiday with my parents and my mum didnt know i was still feeding (she never breastfed and urged me to stop when she was a year) i was less eager to feed katy around my parents and found she was quite happy to be distracted with something else and when we got back home that was that - she was happy and I was happy.
Obviously feeding your baby for that length of time isnt for everyone but i think if your happy to continue till a year you will find it easier to bring it to a close and your baby is easier to distract from the boob!
What I also want to say is dont give in to peer pressure if you are happy feeding your baby then continue for as long as you want and dont feel ashamed. I would add though that you need to make sure your partner is happy too my partner is very pro breastfeeding but from about 20 months he made it clear that he was wanting my boobs back and this did cause a bit of friction.
I am now feeding my little boy who is 7 months I could never imagine weaning him at this stage breastfeeding is still a major part of his food intake and I relish the bond I have with him when Im feeding.
That said though this is by no means me preaching whatever age you feed to, if you have made the choice to breastfeed you have given your baby the best start. Just go with what your happy with and dont just do what everyone tells you to or what is "the norm" you know best! xxxxx:)