BF goals

Sammy K

To all the BF ladies: I'm curious how long you want/plan on BF. Is there a certain length you want? Will you do it as long as you're able and LO is willing? Do you have any specific reasons? No judgment, I'm just curious.

With DS, I pumped for 9 months but had enough milk to get him to 1 year. He was a biter, so I stopped nursing at 6 mo. I'd like to get LO to a year as well but I hate pumping, so we'll see. Hopefully she doesn't bite like DS.

ETA typing 1 handed

krystleshel

I keep setting small goals. When it hurt like hell, I said I wanted to make it to 6 weeks. Then when it got better, I said 6 months. At 3 months (this week) I had to start supplementing with formula because I can't pump as often at work, but I want to continue to BF. I'm seeing how my body does pumping 1-2 times from 7-3 & EBFing when with her until 1.

7425cait

I would love to make it to a year, but would be satisfied with 6 months when I go back to work. I plan on pumping while at work, so hopefully that will bring me to my year goal. There is no plan really, I will BF as long as I can. I don't know if I will be happy pumping every day past a year though.

I was miserable for the first 6 weeks, so even making it to now seems like a huge accomplishment. Now I love it.

henrytviii

I feel like I should go a year. I went a year with DS1 and it was a struggle. This time is much easier but I still hate pumping and hate dealing with big boobs. I was going to let myself quit at 3-4 months if it was challenging again. Right now I am letting myself skip pumping sessions. I only pump every 5-7 hours at work. Once or twice day. I think I secretly hoped my supply would tank but so far its working well. I do nurse a lot at night. Looks like I'm stuck going to a year.

If I make it to 6 months without having to buy any formula, I am going to treat myself to Frye Boots that I've wanted for a decade. This is the only thing that gets me through each pump session. Already halfway to mama's new boots!

AlyLynn07

Hoping to make it to a year so that baby man is old enough to switch to whole milk instead of having to buy formula, but young enough that he is not verbally asking for the boobs!

virginiaunicorn11

Several people have asked me this, and it really surprised me! Curious to see the responses. Thanks for asking this.

Given our strong start, I'd probably be disappointed if we didn't make it to 6 months as EBF. And if it worked out to go 2 years with BF playing some kind of role, I'd probably let that happen. Or maybe that will weird me out, who knows. My kid will decide, and we'll try BLW at 6 months. My mom said I just refused to nurse after 7 months.

For me, this is kind of like a birth plan - I don't really want anything beyond broad parameters, so I don't set myself up for disappointment.

rklinge0

I am planning on using breast milk till a year. But hoping to have a huge stockpile by 8 months that I could stop. I will be honest, not exactly sure how much dd will eat when she gets bigger and when I want to introduce food.

47923ang

I am C-H-E-A-P and I don't want to have to buy formula. So hopefully, a year.

ChardeeMacDennis

I did 6 months EBF with DS1, then hit a "six month pump slump" and switched to formula while I worked and BF at home. Then I got pregnant at nine months and weaned him, which I regret a tiny bit.

I did a year of almost EBF with DS2 (he got a bedtime bottle of dairy free formula) then quit on his first birthday because he only nursed to sleep and was up several times every night.

I'm definitely aiming for at least a year this time, maybe longer since I am comfortable drinking alcohol this time. On the other hand I am really looking forward to my body being all mine again after 5 years of ttc/pg/bf so maybe I won't last long after a year.

enigmaticjj

I'd also like to BF for a year, that way we can avoid buying formula.  I return to work in a month, so still have to see how things go with pumping, but hopefully no issues.  I do enjoy the bonding BF provides, but it will also be nice to have my body truly back to myself at some point down the road.  So for now, enjoying the closeness, but I doubt I'd continue past a year.  For me at least, I also think it might be a bit weird for her to be old enough to ask for the boob...and definitely wouldn't want her to be old enough to retain memories of it.

aj1327

I'm like a PP who is setting small goals. Hoping to make it to 6 months. Then we'll see. I'd like to make a year, but don't want to set myself up for disappointment. I went into breastfeeding with an open mind, and I'm happy to have made it this far!

LaurenS119

My goal is ebf for 6 months. I'm pumping 2-3 times during the day at work when I'm in the office 3 days a week then bfing the other 4 days a week on demand. I will be doing this until after the new year. Starting in January I will have to start traveling for work again. I'm going to keep up an extra pumping session after her first feed on my boob office days to keep building my stash. In going to try to pump when I travel because I really would like to keep bfing until 1 year. I'm hoping that she'll still take the boob if I go away and come back. Travel will be a Monday through Friday every 3-4 weeks. So if all that decreases my supply then we'll user the freezer stash to keep some amount of breast milk and use formula if necessary but I would love to be ebf until 1 year.

YouAreMySunshine15

I'd like to go a year at least. As others have said, I'd like to avoid having to buy formula and love the health benefits of breast milk. I also love the connection I have with LO. I'm not really comfortable with having my baby verbally ask to nurse, but that may change. I'll follow LO's lead for the most part. I don't think I want to go past 2 years.

Sammy K

rklinge0 said:

I am planning on using breast milk till a year. But hoping to have a huge stockpile by 8 months that I could stop. I will be honest, not exactly sure how much dd will eat when she gets bigger and when I want to introduce food.

Same here. We're thinking about an adult-only trip at the end of March and it would be nice if I wasn't pumping. I'll reevaluate after LO starts solids.

LolaMarley23

I had a terrible time EBF but once we switched to exclusively pumping, things have been going so well! I honestly never thought I would make it this far, but if things keep going this well my goal is to make it to Christmas (6 months old) and then reevaluate how things are going. 

MaliKaela

My hope from the beginning has been a year. It's my understanding that they start to drink less as they eat more solids. Anyone know in this is true? It seems like it would be easier if the feeding wasn't as frequent...

mlindzz

My goal is a year. We will reassess then. No hard feelings if our plan changes though, we're fairly go with the flow. I'm following his instincts on this one.

cbrtncanadian

MurLindzz said:

My goal is a year. We will reassess then. No hard feelings if our plan changes though, we're fairly go with the flow. I'm following his instincts on this one.

This is our official goal too! However from the first moment where BF wasn't happening at all and we were pumping/formula feeding to week 2 when we were able to go exclusive BF/pumping and eliminate formula... I know better than to get my hopes too high. Any number of things may change so really my goal is day by day... every day we can get is my realistic goal.

hudson202

Ohhh, definitely following this thread. I'm very curious what people think. Is there an amount of time you are *supposed* to bf? I hate, hate, hate pumping, but paying for formula doesn't sound fun either

janat1717

My short goal is to EBF til 6 months (counting the 5 oz a day he gets of SIL's milk). Long goal is a year with BLW going on. Due to the benefits to baby I'd totally go longer if he was into it but definitely don't plan to keep pumping so much next spring so we will see how he is nursing and how my supply is doing. I know there is teething coming up, possible nursing strikes, etc. My goals are much more realistic now then when I was pregnant!

enigmaticjj

@hudson202, pediatric people recommend to BF (or use breast milk) for the first year if able to. But I think I've also seen some recommendations of first two years. Of course those are just recomendations.

virginiaunicorn11

hudson202 said:

Ohhh, definitely following this thread. I'm very curious what people think. Is there an amount of time you are *supposed* to bf? I hate, hate, hate pumping, but paying for formula doesn't sound fun either

WHO says at least a year, is ideal.

I assumed we'd do BLW then told DH about this thread, and apparently he'd been looking forward to making homemade baby food! So who knows what will happen.

And oo, good points about your kid being able to ask for the boob after a year or so. I can see why that might feel awkward. I once saw an actual kid (not infant, not toddler - little man was 4 or 5) nurse on the subway, and when he was done, his mom asked if he wanted a sandwich. (He did.) I'm not judgmental, but that was, um, interesting!

queequeg09256

Well being that baby scratched the crap out of my boobs yesterday, it's not looking so good on continuing to pump/breastfeed. I don't think dh realizes how much freaking work this is. We are supposed to go on an anniversary cruise in april so ideally Feb to wean off but if she starts to bite me game over. Or I get another job that is not as cool about pumping.

rrcameron21

My goal is a year! But, my tune might change when I go back to work. My pumping space is limited to a fitting room, my car, or an office with cameras. Hopefully I can make it work!! Luckily, I live 10 min from work so I can go home and nurse on my lunch break if I want. I really don't want to give up Breast feeding.

KonaCoffeeBean

Until whenever he's done, I guess. I would probably want to wean at 2.5 if hasn't done it himself by then so that I'm not breastfeeding when I'm ready to TTC again.

mjschenk

Wanna wean around 9months or by nine months so we can ttc right around LO first birthday. Hoping things continue to go well till then.

Sammy K

MaliKaela said:

My hope from the beginning has been a year. It's my understanding that they start to drink less as they eat more solids. Anyone know in this is true? It seems like it would be easier if the feeding wasn't as frequent...

DS definitely went through less milk after starting solids. That's why I was able to pump until 9 mo and have enough milk to get to a year. I just kept pumping even though he was eating less. I'll definitely keep pumping through 7 mo then try to estimate what LO will need and make a weaning plan. Unless something changes.

lovethatcolosun

With DS I made it to 9 months when he stopped on his own. I was totally ok with it because it had been a struggle for us with supply and him being a lazy eater at night.

Now with DD I'm a little torn on when to stop. My goal has always been a year, but I'm anticipating some pretty strong sad feelings about stopping this time because she's my last baby. I'm like the others on this one. I'll just wait and see, but one year has been our goal from the start.

virginiaunicorn11

mjschenk said:

Wanna wean around 9months or by nine months so we can ttc right around LO first birthday. Hoping things continue to go well till then.

This really confused me, then I realized that maybe you're talking about getting your period to come back? Which is another consideration I hadn't thought of!

mrs1374a

With my first, I tired to make it to 18 months but she weaned herself around 15 months. My goal this time is 18 months again. We will see!

aresee

Aiming for about a year. I went back to work last week and pumping is going okay so far. I don't have a huge stash, though, and I have a work trip scheduled for when LO is 7 months, so I'm worried I won't have much saved after that. Just playing it all by ear. I agree with others who have said they're glad to have made it as far as we have.

lwhrmomma

I'm EP'ing, and have set short term goals to keep me going. LO will be 4 months on Monday and my next goal is 6 months. I'm hoping to start BLW and purées at 6 months also.

I decided not to go back to work until Sept. 2016 (I'm a teacher), so without my income I am hoping to keep pumping and giving BM until then so I don't have to pay for formula. Fingers crossed!

dancegurl1118

My goal every day is tomorrow.

bethanne09

@kristenk727 We're in the same boat, except my LO is only 12 weeks. Current goal is three months but we're almost there. I'll bump it up to six, then nine, then a year. Going back to work at the start of next school year so we'll see what happens after that.

delujm0

My goal is basically what @Sammy K described with her first. Breastmilk for a year but probably I'll start doing a sippy cup when she gets old enough or is biting me. Pumping at work is the worst so hopefully I'll have enough of a stockpile to wean off of pumping by 9-10 months and still have enough milk to get to a year. I realized the other night that I currently spend at least two hours every weekday between pumping, cleaning, and preparing bottles...and that's not including the time I actually breastfeed. It's getting to be kind of a lot.

klkonwi

One of our doctors who is always up on the latest research says the newest studies he found say the benefits aren't much past 10 months:
A year ago the articles we had up on our floor (OB) were benefits for 6 months.

science. Always changing.

klkonwi

I've made it 2.5 weeks at work without using any of my stash..... So I'm playing it by ear. Ideally I would love to quit at 7-8 months and have enough stored for a year.
Baby steps.

dancegurl1118

I always talk about how cheap I am and not wanting to pay for formula but between the bottles, spare pump parts, coolers, bags, stuff for my clogged ducts I feel like I've spent more than a few months of formula.

klkonwi

^^^^ this. Also the grocery bill from the increased amount of food I've been eating from bf ing.......
Formula prob wouldn't be an added expense if I stopped eating a country every week.......

janat1717

^^^ agreed I was even doing accupuncture weekly to help with supply. That was a fortune!!

aliciaspinnet

I'm thinking about a year. Breastfeeding is going pretty well and I'm lucky enough that we can manage on DHs salary so there's no pressure to go back to work. I don't think there will be much benefit (if any) for LO to continue past a year, and whilst I'm happy with how BF is going, I'd like to get my body back at some point.