How long will you BF?

melissaquinn106

I've made it to 6 months and hoping to go the full year, but the struggles of pumping and working are real so I've been thinking that I may want to supplement with formula at some point. In March I begin coaching (DD will be 8 months) and I just don't see being able to keep up with my pumping schedule. I'm trying to freeze as much as possible and BF when I am able and hopefully that can get me through the year. But the fear of not having enough milk is always there so I thought maybe formula could take the pressure off a little bit.

Anyway it made me curious about what everyone else was planning on doing. So here goes nothing...

rboisvert

As baby gets bigger it starts to get easier as more solids are introduced.  I hung up the pump on my DD's first birthday and she never took another bottle but went on to nurse for another 2 years just when we were together.  

[Deleted User]

DD has been supplemented with one bottle of formula a day since birth. Otherwise she is EBF. We are just around the corner from 6 months and I'm confident we will make it. I'll probably start weaning at that point because DH wants to get working on #2 and I still haven't gotten my first PP period. We will see. I'd love to get down to just one morning and one before bed feeding and supplement the middle.

JuniperGaze

DD has been EBF until a couple weeks ago when we added solids in (oatmeal, purees). She was supplemented with formula a couple days after birth because her weight dropped more than 10%, but she hasn't had it since then. I love BF, but it is so stressful. I barely have enough to get her through the next day, but we've always managed to do it. I planned on stopping at one year, but now I'm kind of thinking of going longer.

darkangel42

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1982Babies

I'm EPing, so probably just a year.  If my BP doesn't go back to normal (pre-e dx), then he wants to start me on some meds after I wean to get it back down.

nolemomma14

I EBF DS. I'm a SAHM, so I don't pump often, mainly just if I'll be gone and he will need a bottle. He also gets solids now. My goal is to make it to a year. For a while I wasn't sure I would make it to 6 months but he will be 6 months on the 14th, and I feel we can definitely make it to a year!

I'm not sure how much farther past a year I would want to go. I don't necessarily want to stop right at 12 months, but I also know I don't want to continue much past that. 18 months might be my cut off, maybe earlier though.

For 2nd time plus moms, how long did you BF your first LOs?

Soon2BMrsN

nolemomma14 said:

I EBF DS. I'm a SAHM, so I don't pump often, mainly just if I'll be gone and he will need a bottle. He also gets solids now. My goal is to make it to a year. For a while I wasn't sure I would make it to 6 months but he will be 6 months on the 14th, and I feel we can definitely make it to a year!

I'm not sure how much farther past a year I would want to go. I don't necessarily want to stop right at 12 months, but I also know I don't want to continue much past that. 18 months might be my cut off, maybe earlier though.

For 2nd time plus moms, how long did you BF your first LOs?

I stopped pumping at work at a year with each of my older two but kept nursing at home. They each self-weaned around 16-17 months. I'll likely let DD self-wean as well.

darkangel42

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jnnfrrose6

Goal is a year. I stopped pumping for DS the Friday before his 1st birthday (birthday over a weekend) and he weaned right after that. I figure if I could make it that long for him, I can do it for DD too. I purpoesfully chose a DC near my office so I can nurse at lunch which helps. One less pumping session in the day. Now that we've started solids, I actually only *have* to pump once a day based on our feeding schedule. Any extra is just that. I remember it being a lot harder with DS, but I was also working to build up a freezer stash because we had a 4 day trip to Mexico planned that DS wasn't going on. Nothing like that this time around, so it's been a lot less stressful/more easy on me.

[Deleted User]

Plan on BFing until he self weans, though I don't think I'd go past age 2. At 1 (or close to it) I'll give him whole milk. I did "don't offer, don't refuse" with DS1 and he weaned around 15 months - at that point he had been down to early morning and bedtime only feedings and once his last teeth were in (not counting the two year molars) he pretty much stopped looking to nurse.

honeybee434

I plan on going a year. Not gonna lie, it sounds exhausting thinking about pumping at work another 6 months. These months are our slower months and I know spring and early summer are going to be so much harder to have time to get away twice a day for pumping.

So does it work for most people to not pump at work but still BF at home? I've wondered how that works when I want to stop pumping.

mamakiss

99% ebf/pumping. The last week she's had a couple bottles of formula because I pump exactly as much as she eats, but her grandma overfeeds her. If she uses up the milk, I make her use formula now because she was wasting my milk and she used up all of my freezer stash. I'm going from full time to 20 hours a week in two weeks so I'm hoping that will correct itself and we can continue with bm only. My goal is to go down to one pumping session at 10/11 months, and then quit pumping around 1st birthday, and then let her nurse until she's over it. Or until I'm over it. Whichever comes first.

mcvgal

With DS1, we started cereal at 4 months and supplmenting with formula at 5 months. We went to only formula at 10 months because I thought I was drying up.

This time around, with no NICU time and immediately getting to hold DS2 has made a difference and supply has been much better.

cuntasaurusrex

EBF/pumping... Pumping fills me with such anxiety (oz counting, ugh) but I absolutely love BFing.  I hate that I can only do it nights and weekends, and part of me doesn't want LO to sleep through the night because I'm going to miss that nursing time.

Soo.. until he graduates high school.

Jordanjkmr

I hope to BF at least a year. I find it forces me to sit and relax with LO on a regular basis and that's good for both of us.

Also (and this may be just my experience) I found that BF DS2 helped with the morning sickness I had with DS3.
DS2 got sick while we were gradually weaning so I spent a couple days nursing him non stop to ensure that he got enough fluids and the morning sickness lessened so much I stopped weaning.

Editing to say that I'm not pregnant now, just wanted to share in case it helps anyone.

bullybutt

With both my DS and DD, I've EBF and pump at work.  I will cut out a pumping session at 6 months.  I will introduce solids around then also for fun.  No cereals.  We will do BLW around 7 or 8 months.  My work will only allow me to take pump breaks up until a year old, so I will stop after that and switch to whole milk when my stash runs out.  I will let her self-wean like DS did.  I kinda hope she doesn't last 19 months, but we'll see.

jessafishy

aliletz said:

EBF/pumping... Pumping fills me with such anxiety (oz counting, ugh) but I absolutely love BFing.  I hate that I can only do it nights and weekends, and part of me doesn't want LO to sleep through the night because I'm going to miss that nursing time.

Soo.. until he graduates high school.

So much this.

I love nursing. I hate pumping. Pumping is stressful and nursing is not.

I'm hoping to make it to at least a year BF and pumping. After that I plan to ditch pumping and just nurse in the evenings/mornings until he is ready to wean. I'm really just hoping we can skip out on formula altogether.

Artistmom30

I plan on nursing DS as long as I can. With DD, I nursed her until she was 16 or 17 months. I had to wean her bc I was pregnant and my supply pretty much disappeared. We plan on trying for baby #3 in 5-6 months and so, DS may only get 16-17 months as well.

livkight

I'm not sure... DD is EBF since I'm home all day. I have pumped very rarely. My second baby is due a year and 2 weeks after Junie's birth day-- I'm not sure how my supply will be for the next 6 months with another baby on the way. She's very eager to eat solids, which is helpful, so we'll play it by ear with how long I nurse.

darkangel42

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blacktie3

bullybutt said:

With both my DS and DD, I've EBF and pump at work.  I will cut out a pumping session at 6 months.  I will introduce solids around then also for fun.  No cereals.  We will do BLW around 7 or 8 months.  My work will only allow me to take pump breaks up until a year old, so I will stop after that and switch to whole milk when my stash runs out.  I will let her self-wean like DS did.  I kinda hope she doesn't last 19 months, but we'll see.

What state do you live in?  I'm sure sure they can force you to stop pumping

blacktie3

I am stopping close to 6 months.  I have had a tough time with supply, multiple bouts with Mastisis, constant plugged ducts....BLAH BLAH BLAH!  Blaine will be 6 months on the 20th so  I will start going longer in between pumpings.  I have a freezer stash of about 2 weeks at the current amount.  He eats mixed bottle of Formula and BM.  I have had to suppelment since about 10 days old.

HayleesMomma

I supplemented from day 1 and was nursing and pumping until 2 months. It was so stressful only getting 3oz in a pumping session and never had a good enough supply. My daughter was lazy at the breast and always hungry. Exclusively formula fed now and very glad!!

blacktie3

ZeroZeroOne said:

@blacktie3‌, do you EP? I EP'd for a month when I was having troubles BF'ing and had clogged ducts all the time. They're awful to deal with and I would get so much anxiety about getting mastitis every time I'd get one. I'm sorry you've had to deal with all that.

Yes I EP,  I stopped nursing after the yeast infections.  It does stink but today DS is 6 months and I'm glad I've stuck with it but am ready to stop fighting it!  All the sudden my supply cut in half again..UGH!  I think its time to start the dry up!

rheard3582

I plan on doing it for a year.  Pumping is rough and around 5 months I was overwhelmed.  I mentally gave myself the okay if I needed to supplement (I was using my freezer stash..because my output went down).  The introduction of solids has helped take a lot of pressure off of me.  I am pumping within an ounce of two of what he needs now (I still have a good freezer stash), plus if he needs extra I can have someone give him solids to hold him off for an hour or so until I am able to get to him. 

LO will be 8 months March 1..so I am 3/4 of the way there. 

Bittycakes

-I was more active on the June 2014 forum, but baby came in July-.

My goal was to make it to 6-months. I am a week shy of 8 now & it has been a rough road. Want to make it a year now, but working full-time (teaching & coaching) has made it difficult. I feel like I am starting to be an inconvenience to my coaching staff & athletes. The bonding w/ baby still outweighs the drama I have w/the pump, crazy schedule & bouts w/mastitis (2) & clogged ducts. But I still stress over the oz I pump vs how much she consumes. Perhaps there is a blending of bonding vs supplementing I haven't found yet?

RebekahP14

Plan on going the full year. Even with introducing solids I still bf 5 or 6 times a day, tried pumping but dd never would take a bottle. It is going to be hard to wean (more for me than her I suppose) even with it's challenges of clogs cracking and blisters. I can't imagine that phase being over and done.