Anyone plan on BF-ing longer than a year?

rg8482 · March 2011

E is going to turn 6 months in April and BF-ing for that long is an accomplishment in itself, but I want to keep going until she's a year. That is my initial goal.

However, the more I think about this, I feel like I rather do it until she's ready to give it up but I absolutely HATE pumping at work.

I realize that I still have another 6-7 months to think about this some more, but I'm just curious if anyone else has thought about this.

If you plan on BF-ing for longer than 12 months, will you still pump at work or just nurse LO when you're home? What will you give LO when you're not around him/her?

SparkleTart · March 2011

6 months is my current goal, 1 year is my ultimate goal. I won't wean until I get the okay from the pedi. I find pumping a total PITA, but not worth quitting over. I pump only, he hasn't been on the breast since he was 5 days old. If the pedi says he's ready to move away from breastmilk, I will start the wean. He is a heart baby, so there is a chance that the pedi will want him on breastmilk longer than 1 year. If I've made it this long EPing, there is no reason to stop unless he weans himself or my supply tanks.

JDO · March 2011

I guess it depends on if I go back to work or not. If I'm home, I'll definitely BF longer if W wants. If I'm back at work, I probably won't. When I was working, I always felt guilty taking time to go pump, I think overall my employer was supportive of pumping but certain supervisors were annoyed by it.

MJHershey · March 2011

I am working on 6 months (unless something drastic happens, I am pretty sure I can make it), and then 1 year. I do think I will stop at that point because I think I'll want my body back to myself and will be sick of pumping. Depending on my frozen stash, I'll use the rest of that up even if I am no longer nursing.

PunkyBooster · March 2011

I'd like him to wean himself, but I'm not BF-ing a 2 y/o so if he's not weaned by next spring, I'll start the process then.

I'll likely pump just to relieve major engorgement during the weaning process. I'll have to ask my friend who recently weaned her 15 mo old how she did this.

Mama Rana · March 2011

Initially, I was on board to BF for just the first year. Once I started BFing (and got over all the hurdles we encountered), I started thinking about whether I'd continue to nurse past the first year. I was talking about it with my cousin and we both agreed that we love the bonding time it gives us with out LOs. So, I'm definitely considering BFing for more than a year. How long? I'm not sure. I haven't really thought about the logistics of what I'd do in terms of pumping at work. I have time to figure that out, I guess.

SuperThat1006 · March 2011

We'll hit six months a week from Wednesday, but I would like to make it at least a year. Then I'm going to see how everything is and play it by ear. I don't know what nursing a one-year-old will be like.

absolutelynot · March 2011

So far, nursing has been a pretty enjoyable experience for me. Unless something happens to my supply, I'm willing to continue to BF well past 1 year if DS wants to.

Mt2G1012 · March 2011

I hope to go to 18 months. That is the plan anyway. My mom said all 3 of us weaned ourselves no later than 16 months. I will probably stop pumping after a year though, but will play it by ear. I assume at that point DD will probably only be nursing maybe once in the am and once before bed, but who knows.

ETA: But I will probably have the 2nd kid about then so I really won't be done BF for probably another 2 1/2 years from now! Holy cow, that is a long time when I calculated it!

rg8482 · March 2011

Mama Rana:
Initially, I was on board to BF for just the first year. Once I started BFing (and got over all the hurdles we encountered), I started thinking about whether I'd continue to nurse past the first year. I was talking about it with my cousin and we both agreed that we love the bonding time it gives us with out LOs. So, I'm definitely considering BFing for more than a year. How long? I'm not sure. I haven't really thought about the logistics of what I'd do in terms of pumping at work. I have time to figure that out, I guess.

This is totally me!!

I love the bond I have with E because of it and she loves the BM.

She never gave a problem to take the bottle but because I work, I always feel guilty that I'm not there for her because there are times she just wants boob and not the bottle when I'm at work.

She'll still take it because she is hungry but when she wants to be comforted, she just wants Mommy and some fresh warm milk so this is why I'm considering it more and more.

Ananke · March 2011

I love BFing so much, I'll do it for a long time. My goal is 18 months, but I'd like him to wean himself. If he gets to be over 2 and still nursing, I'll consider weaning him. I ump when I'm really full now, and won't change that. Anything we don't use (so far we've used none), will get donated.

Around a year, I'll offer him goat or cow milk if his sensitivity is gone. Otherwise he can have water or juice to drink.

brittlandk · March 2011

We are approaching 6 months and will begin solids then, so I'm kind of waiting to see how DS's eating habits evolve. If/when we make it to the 1 year mark, we'll reassess. I think I would continue nursing at home up to 2 years, but probably wouldn't pump at work much past 12 months. I have a large frozen stash, too, so even if nursing ends prematurely, we can continue with BM for several months.

Genevieve_kris · March 2011

heckysue:

I plan to play it by ear. My plan is to go to one year and then probably stop pumping...but I may well still feed him in the morning and at night still as long as I have the supply. I figure at that point he'll be eating enough other food that it won't be as hard to BF as it is right now when I'm pumping all the time.

If I really feel up to it and my supply's still there, I may even continue to pump once at work. But I kind of doubt it.

Hecky, have I ever told you I agree with pretty much everything you say? This is my plan too

CherryStarburst · March 2011

My first two self weaned at 16 months, I'd like to try and go 18 months with Katy but we'll see if she's still interested in it by then. When my babies turned a year they didn't seem at all ready to be weaned, they were very much still babies in my eyes.

rg8482 · March 2011

heatherm818:

I hope to go to 18 months. That is the plan anyway. My mom said all 3 of us weaned ourselves no later than 16 months. I will probably stop pumping after a year though, but will play it by ear. I assume at that point DD will probably only be nursing maybe once in the am and once before bed, but who knows.

ETA: But I will probably have the 2nd kid about then so I really won't be done BF for probably another 2 1/2 years from now! Holy cow, that is a long time when I calculated it!

My mom also said that we weaned ourselves off of it but I think we were older than 18 months.

I guess every child is different and I find that the topic can be a little taboo to some people because they think nursing a toddler is weird, but I feel it's just a natural reflex.

As to BF-ing for over 2 years, with 2 different kids, I have a friend that plans on doing that as well so you're not alone.

rg8482 · March 2011

CherryStarburst:
My first two self weaned at 16 months, I'd like to try and go 18 months with Katy but we'll see if she's still interested in it by then. When my babies turned a year they didn't seem at all ready to be weaned, they were very much still babies in my eyes.

Exactly.

She will always be my baby even if she's 20 years old or older, hehe.

I think I would just feel very guilty to wean her if she's not ready and it's good to hear from someone that has already gone through this before.

The only thing I think I would find difficult is having to continue to pump. :-/

SDarling324 · March 2011

I will be making it to my first goal of 6 months this Friday - WOOHOO - but I plan on going for at least a year. I would love to continue on past that if possible. Hopefully I can go for 18 months, we will see! I will still pump after the first year but after 18 months I will more than likely stop and just nurse in the morning and at night. I will introduce cows milk when I stop pumping...

quidditchcapn1120 · March 2011

I am planning on nursing and pumping until a year. After a year, I will let him nurse in the morning and night until he doesn't want to anymore but I will quit pumping. I HATE pumping, so I am kind of excited for that, but I really like the bonding that nursing brings like PP's have said.

nosoup4u · March 2011

Good for you for wanting to nurse past 12 months, I found it really enjoyable (much more than I thought I would!). It's totally possible to stop pumping when you're at work, and still have enough supply to nurse your DD when she's bigger. I nursed DS until he was almost 2.5, and he was only nursing like twice a day for the last six months or so. He started eating yogurt around 12 months, and got milk regularly probably starting around 18 months. If you *do* end up pumping for her past a year, toddlers don't need anything to supplement BM to drink (besides water).

rg8482 · March 2011

nosoup4u:
Good for you for wanting to nurse past 12 months, I found it really enjoyable (much more than I thought I would!). It's totally possible to stop pumping when you're at work, and still have enough supply to nurse your DD when she's bigger. I nursed DS until he was almost 2.5, and he was only nursing like twice a day for the last six months or so. He started eating yogurt around 12 months, and got milk regularly probably starting around 18 months. If you *do* end up pumping for her past a year, toddlers don't need anything to supplement BM to drink (besides water).

Thanks for the information! It's good to know that it will still work even if I do decide to stop pumping, but if she still likes it a lot, I may continue to do it.

I enjoy it so much that I can't believe I've been doing it for this long sometimes and I think I'd just hate to stop especially if she isn't ready.

afiyfah · March 2011

I BF my son until he was 16 months old, and I plan to go beyond a year with my daughter. In the last months, I only BF in the morning and at bedtime, so I didn't have to pump anymore.

SnoopyLuv · March 2011

I would love to go until at least 1 1/2. I don't know how comfortable I am after that though. A cousin of H's nursed until her LO was 5 so I am not too concerned about getting the side eye. I just don't think I will let people know or do it in public past 18 months or so.

ChibiMommy · March 2011

Barring ttc2 problems, we will nurse beyond a year. We want to start ttc2 around 10 months pp so if bfing is still working as bc until then I will supplement (with the freezer stash) until bfp. If it doesn't, I'm looking forward to tandem nursing him and lo2 until they both self wean or I can't handle nursing acrobatics any more. lol

My friend nurses her 1 year old and he only nurses 2 times a day.

mamabear214 · March 2011

Right now my plan is to get to a year, I pump but K does not take bottles. We are TTC and as long as being KU does not make my supply disappear then I suppose I will nurse for as long as he wants. I'm sure eventually we will get to a point where I'm pumping only for him. I'm not sure exactly how that works yet though (feeding two LO at the same time).

grr_aargh · March 2011

I'll nurse until she self weans. W/dd that was 2+, w DS it was 14 mos.

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