For those of you still BFing...

ccip82 · July 2012

How long will you continue to BF for?

I still am BFing, my supply has been very good since the beginning so I have yet to supplement with formula. I consider myself very fortunate, I have not had any BFing issues whatsoever. My goal is to get to a year, but I might go longer.

We will start TTC next spring, will I have to stop by that point?

hlc820 · July 2012

I am still BF although it was a struggle in the beginning. I have yet to have had to give any formula. He doesn't love solids yet and he still nurses every two hrs. I will go to a year until we can switch him to an alternative milk source since he can't have dairy or soy.

rockychryslerb2010 · July 2012

I plan (hope) to continue BF'ing until 1 yr. We've already cut back to nursing once in the morning before work and maybe 2-3 times in evening and overnight. I pump so much more than I need that my freezer stash is out of control, so I'm being more liberal with it and he gets 2-3 oz in a cup at dinner.

I think depends on your body if you will need to stop BF'ing when starting TTC. I know I am on month #2 with AF, and my cycles were regular before E, and this last cycle was only a few days longer than what I was charting before, so I think AF is here to stay for me. If you haven't gotten AF yet (I know my sister has to wean to get AF back) then you might have to cut back or wean so you're nursing less. I get sad thinking about the day when E no longer wants to nurse

ccip82 · July 2012

I could not imagine having BFing issues coupled with the stress of having a newborn, much credit to you moms!

I also get sad thinking about stopping. It's our special time together. I have noticed lately how easily distracted E gets sometimes while BFing.

I have Mirena, so I have no idea if AF would have returned by now. I plan on having it removed in January. Call me crazy, but I would love another December baby!

TiffJ21 · July 2012

I'm also still breastfeeding, everything has been going great since the beginning. I do plan to start supplementing 2-3 bottles a day while DS is at daycare next month. I don't think I'll have time to pump during the school-day. I am really hoping to breastfeed morning and evening/night until a year old. The only problem that might come up is we are currently ttc until September, if I don't get pregnant by then we'll have to wait. But if I do then I'm not sure what that will do to my supply.

cookinitup · July 2012

We still BF throughout the day. We haven't had more problems since the three month mark and I plan on continuing for the foreseeable future. We'd like to TTC again, but I've only had one AF and that was 58 days ago.....wondering when the next one will be. My cycles were pretty whacked before DS but got more consistent a few months before conceiving. I think I'll have to cut back more or wean before I'll get KU again.

motang · July 2012

I'm still BFing but I've noticed my supply take a big hit lately. I've tried several things to boost it and they haven't worked so that makes me sad. I'll try to BF as long as I can but I've been having to use some of my stash since my supply dropped. I still haven't seen AF and we want to TTC ASAP so I might have to wean in order to TTC.

uncharch7 · July 2012

Since DS has now refused to BF, I'm EPing and plan to do so for a year. He gets about 12oz of formula a day due to my low supply.

waiting4bfp2 · July 2012

I am still nursing-never had to supplement...my goal was a year, but will most likely go past that.

As far as TTC, some women get pregnant while nursing..some do not ovulate. I would check to see if you are ovulating while nursing.

michelle142 · July 2012

My goal is a year, I think we'll make it. We haven't had to use formula at all yet either.

Did you get a cycle back yet? If yes, you don't need to stop BFing to conceive. If no, it's still possible to get PG, just a little more difficult.

KeyLime81 · July 2012

We're still BFing! My next goal is 9 months, and after that 1 year. I supplemented a bit (1-2 times a week) around 2-4 months...not necessarily due to supply issues, but because LO was a 24-hour comfort-nursing cluster-feeder and there were days (and nights!) I needed a break. Those days, I was only planning to make it to 6 months.

However, BFing has finally become much easier for us. Our nursing sessions used to last 1 hour or longer and I wouldn't get much of a break (maybe 20-30 min) between sessions. All of a sudden around 5.5 months, it was like a switch flipped and LO became a more effective nurser. Now, I feel like we're on that "nurse for 20 min every 2.5-3 hours" that everyone was talking about back in February!

So far, no sign of AF, and I'm okay with that for now. But, I sort of hope she shows up this fall or winter. DH and I would love to have #2 in the not-too-distant future. Ccip, you're not crazy for wanting another December baby...that's what we want, too!! If it doesn't work for a November/December baby, we'll avoid a tax-season baby (I'm not interested in dealing with a newborn, toddler, and sleepless nights while DH is working 60+ hours a week!) and try again for late spring/summer 2014.

ebd08 · July 2012

Originally my goal was 3 months, then it was 6...now it's a year, but who knows? I usually have just enough milk to make it through the day. We'd like to start TTC this winter, so I suppose after E's first birthday I'll start looking into weaning.

jokesonyou · July 2012

So impressed with all of your ladies who are still EBF. You rock! I just recently stopped pumping at work, so now I'm just BFing morning and night. I hope to do that to a year, but my next goal is 9 months. The small goals have definitely kept me going.

bridein08 · July 2012

We have also been incredibly fortunate, and did not have any issues BFing overall. We had the normal tough first couple weeks but after that, it has been smooth sailing. I plan to BF to a year, and then maybe night nurse (before bed) for a couple of months. I got my first PP period this week (ds is almost 8 months), and he is still nursing 10x per 24 hour period (i was told it wouldnt likely happen until he dropped down to no overnights, or many fewer total feedings), so you should be able to TTC once that happens.

kwinkle1980 · July 2012

I am in it for at least a year. I will be very sad to stop. Just yesterday I realized that is only 5 more months and it shocked me a little.

brookie9 · July 2012

I'm still BFing. Started out with major issues but everything was going smoothly around 7-8 weeks (finally!) I never had any supply issues. Plan to go to at least a year if not longer. I really enjoy BFing but will not pump at work after he's a year. Would like to keep nursing in the evening but I work days and evening shifts and haven't thought about how it would work with my variable hours.

Kelly1109 · July 2012

My goal is one year. I only made it to 9 months with DD as I had to go back on Clomid as we were TTC. Some days I am ready to be done pumping, but other days I love my work breaks! Now that DS had 8 teeth nursing can be a challenge but I do love our nightly bedtime nursing. I don't love our 3 am sessions...

JammieJk · July 2012

My goal of BF as his primary source of nutrition is one year... at which point I think I'll start to wean from the pump (I pump 3x at work). As for the rest of it, evenings, nights, weekends, I'm leaving that up to DS. We're doing BLW for solids, so I'm letting him take the lead as to what he wants to eat.

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MrsRucinski85 · July 2012

My goal/plan is to continue till she is a year but I honestly like BFing so much I might go longer. IDK.

As far as will you have to stop I think that depends on a lot of things.
Like Can you get pregnant while BFing (like are you getting your period). If you do get pregnant, are you high risk? And other things along that line.

Greenbaby3114 · July 2012

I am planning on a year with no foreseeable problems. We've been lucky to never supplement either. It's been pretty smooth sailing with the exceptions of growth spurts...whew. I want to stop having to pump at school in December, but if B wants to do an am or pm nurse I will be fine with that. We plan to TTC next fall hopefully I'll be completely done with bf'ing but we will see. I'm such a sucker for those precious moments with him. Love it!

capulet · July 2012

I nursed DD for 21 months and plan to BF DS for at least a year - since I wouldn't deliberately wean with no outside reason till he's at least 2, probably longer; with DD, weaning was an effort! I will start looking for a job at the beginning of next year, so if I work after he's a year old I won't pump and would ramp down to morning and nighttime feedings only. With both my kids stupid AF came back around 2 months PP, so TTA is the issue, since we wanted space between our first two kids and haven't decided yet whether to have a third.

catlackey · July 2012

I am still breastfeeding! It was a struggle in the beginning, mostly due to bad advise from the pediatrician...After seeing a great LC, we have been doing great ever since:) I plan on weaning around her first birthday, but we will see how it goes.

dbob · July 2012

I'm not sure. My supply has gradually been declining and it makes me sad, but he seems fine with formula too so I will probably just play it by ear and gradually drop nursing sessions until we are done. We do want to start trying for another soon so that might be a factor, too. I would guess that by the time he is a year old, we will probably be done.

bunniekrissy · July 2012

I'm hoping to BF until age 2 (give or take) Maybe longer, we'll just have to see how it goes. However, we're planning to TTC #2 when DS turns one, and some babies self-wean during pregnancy. I really hope that doesn't happen, if I'm blessed with another LO soon.

You don't have to stop BFing when you TTC or get pregnant. Some women don't become fertile again until weaning but that is not the norm. Also you can expect your milk supply to take a dive or disappear sometime during pregnancy.

Seldaar · July 2012

DW is still nursing DS. It was a bit of a struggle the first week, and we were forced to give him formula. But after the rocky start it's been all BM.

DS is also on solids (purees) now (3x a day).

Plan is to get to a year, but to hopefully stop pumping at 10 months as we've built up a significant stash.

DS has a slight dairy allergy (lots of spit up if DW eats something with milk), not sure how that'll effect things.

Stakerz21 · July 2012

I am still breastfeeding and have never had to supplement with formula. Back in the beginning, my supply was awesome and I would nurse all day (while I was on leave) and still be able to pump an extra 15-20 oz a day.

My niece is 16 days older than my DD, and my sister was having supply issues, so for a few months I would pump for her too.

Now that I am on summer vacation, I stopped pumping for 2 weeks to enjoy nursing all day long.... which has totally messed with my supply. I still have enough for my daughter, but I am only pumping 4-6oz extra a day. It is driving me insane.

I will continue to breastfeed until my daughter no longer wants to. I already have AF back, so it is not a TTC issue for us.

edited for typo

spacedolphin11 · July 2012

Right now, I don't think I'll attempt to wean until he's two. That said, I'm currently job-hunting (I've been SAH) and if I have to work full-time I don't know what will happen. My minimum long-term goal has always been a year.

tetedefromage · July 2012

Right now my goal is to make it to a year. I don't know, I may want to go longer at theatpoint...we'll see! I had some supply issues around 3 or 4 months, and tried to supplement, but she wanted nothing to do with formula, so that didn't work out. Luckily my supply went back to normal.

iluvmylab · July 2012

I want to go a year. The challenge will be getting the pump back out when school starts up again.

beka0404 · July 2012

I'll keep going as long as my supply keeps up. My daughter regularly sleeps 10-12 hrs a row at night so I've already seen some decrease due to me skipping a 10-11pm pumping session. On low supply days I top her off with a bottle before bed - sometimes I have milk in the fridge, sometimes I don't and she gets a few oz of formula. Whatevs. I had such craptastic supply in the beginning and dealt with all sorts of issues, I'm just jazzed I made it 6 months.

ChelseaP1985 · July 2012

I plan on nursing him for as long as I can (although I think age 2 will be my limit, as I hope to be very pregnant or have a newborn around that time). I recently went back to work and was nervous about my supply, because I only pump on my way to work at 6am, again around noon, and then on my way home around 5:30pm, and I didn't think that would be enough, but so far I've been able to pump more than I need for bottles each day. Hopefully I can keep up!

GoldenPeaches · July 2012

I will continue till he self-weans. You don't have to stop for TTC or pregnancy. I want to nurse throughout my pregnancy then go on to tandem nurse (provided he doesn't self-wean with the pregnancy).

GoldenPeaches · July 2012

rockychryslerb2010:
I plan (hope) to continue BF'ing until 1 yr. We've already cut back to nursing once in the morning before work and maybe 2-3 times in evening and overnight. I pump so much more than I need that my freezer stash is out of control, so I'm being more liberal with it and he gets 2-3 oz in a cup at dinner.
I think depends on your body if you will need to stop BF'ing when starting TTC. I know I am on month #2 with AF, and my cycles were regular before E, and this last cycle was only a few days longer than what I was charting before, so I think AF is here to stay for me. If you haven't gotten AF yet (I know my sister has to wean to get AF back) then you might have to cut back or wean so you're nursing less. I get sad thinking about the day when E no longer wants to nurse

Before weaning, you could try maca root, vitex, and vitamins b6 and b12 to stimulate the return of AF.

Lemmon_ade12 · July 2012

Haven't had any issues BFing as of yet, and LO is still going strong nursing multiple times a day. I'm aiming for a year and don't really have a desire to go past that point. I love the connection we have when he nurses and I love being able to provide that for him, but we're likely going to start trying for #2 around then and I have yet to see any sign of AF.

For those of you still BFing...

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