How long to BF?

KMR816 · January 2009

How long do most of you plan on breastfeeding and/or feeding pumped milk? I want to make sure I set a realistic goal. I do not want to feed longer than a year. I was thinking about breastfeeding and pumping until 6 months, and then giving pumped milk as long as my supply lasted after that. Is that realistic? Of course, if it's going well, I can always keep going. When can whole milk be introduced? I would love to not use formula. TIA!

CaitlinJ22 · January 2009

i would take it one step at a time, I am hoping to get to 3 mos, and if its still great and Im happy then 6 mos when he starts solids. When I was at 2 wks pp I was trying to get to the next feeding. i took two steps forward and one back with all th eissues I went through.

Its great you have goals, but make sure you dont overwhelm yourself. I aimed for 6 wks at first bcthats when things start to go uphill and they have

Also pumping isnt the most convinient..and it still hurts imo. GL!

GoBadgers · January 2009

I will BF for one year, longer if we want to. Cows milk cannot be introduced prior to one year.

jlc071903 · January 2009

I would recommend that you make small goals, like I'll make it to 6 w, then 12w, and so on. I've been pumping since birth, my girls were 30 week preemies and never learned the correct way to latch and honestly with their weight issues adn small size it was easier for me to just pump after they came home so that I could keep track of how much they were/are eating. I have about 5000oz (yes, you read correctly) in my deep freeze and then a few hundred more in my upstairs freezer. I am going to keep pumping until probably May (by the time I finish weaning) and then will use frozen BM as long as I can...so I am hoping that my supply will last until July...but I have 2 to feed. I honestly would probably pump until July but DH's co. is sending us to Vegas in June and I cannot bear to go there and pump and dump my milk for 5 days.

madhatter2003 · January 2009

Cow's milk cannot be introduced until 1 year. Honestly I would plan to bf as long as you can/want to. Pumping is not as efficient (usually) as nursing and it's HARD to make it to a year with nursing, let alone only pumping. I nursed my DD for 14 months and hope to make it at least a year again.

MrsDR1015 · January 2009

I believe in letting a child self-wean...they will let you know when they are ready to end the nursing relationship.

When my DD was born, I said that I would BF until she is at least 24 months old. Now that I am going to be in a wedding when she's 20 months old, I'm considering weaning at 18 months, but I doubt that I will actually do it because I'm already feeling incredible guilt about it and DD is only 15 mos old.

I will probably stick to my original plan of letting DD self wean whenever she's ready, even if it means that I'm BFing until she starts elementary school. After all, breast is best, and it's not unusual in other countries the world over to see children nursing until the age 5 or 6.

HTH

MrsG2B07 · January 2009

I really enjoy it now and she and I have no issues with it so I definately want to shoot for a year!

TheSniglet · February 2009

We had tremendous troubles at the start and it still hurts quite a bit but I have given up trying to fix it and accepted that this is what it will feel like. Even if it never get's better (and since he already has a tooth I doubt it will) I know (and feel in my heart) that breast is best for my baby and will not wean before an absolute minimum of a year- i will fight tooth and nail to get there. I would like to make it to two years but won't beat myself up if soething happens and I have to wean b4 then (I have a chronic illness and am putting off some treatment for myself to nurse).

Ideally I would like to let him self wean. If that means I am nursing a 3 year old then that is fine. hat would be my ideal situation.

That said when things were going really badly and even the LC said she couldn't belive I ahdn't given up I was telling myself that I was going to make it to 6 months and then reevaluate (and here I am!!). So I guess I ahve a good, better, best schedule in my head : )

citygirl_ · February 2009

My original goal was 1 year. I didn't set small goals - I told myself I would BF for a year and not give formula, and here I am, 2 weeks away from my goal!!! Now I just plan on letting him BF until he weans, or until the summer, most likely. I'll reevaluate as I go along.

How long to BF?

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