When will you stop BF?!?

Erika101076 · January 2015

i use to supplement with formula about 20% for about 3 wks now but noticed he wasn't gaining again (we've been struggling with weight gain) so now it's about 60% formula and I nurse as often as he will let me....

Just wondering when most of you "plan"on stopping breast feeding?!? I went from pumping maybe 5x a day to help him gain while I nursed to maybe twice a day becuase it's exhausting! I don't want to lose my supply but he's almost 5 months and thinking in the next month or so we may call it quits! Any input?!!

kareik01 · January 2015

Another here planning to go for a year and as PP said simply because I like it.

My supply seems to be slowly dwindling so I hope not, but we're still EBF and I have probably 75 ounces minimum in the freezer, so that usually gets us by if I have a slow day. Being at work is the problem. The days I'm home and I feed on demand are wonderful.

Erika101076 · January 2015

So jealous! I have maybe 30 ounces in the freezer

... Never was a big producer and that's with pumping around the clock.... Maybe I'll go all in 1 more time and tryy ass off to not lose my supply... Blah lol

MC03 · January 2015

christel811 said:

I plan on going no longer than 18 months. I'm going to stop pumping at 12 months and let her nurse morning and night till then. Things were hard at first (baby in NICU), but now that things are going well I'm going to ride with it.

This is pretty much my exact plan too. I did this same thing with DD1, stopped pumping at 12 months, and then stopped BF completely at 14 months because I went out of town for work and it was just a good point to stop.

rstarrlemaitre · January 2015

My original goal was 6 months. We're two weeks away yay so my next goal is 9 months.

leannerivers · January 2015

BFdg has been very easy for me as well so I'm definitely doing a year. I think my max would be 18 months. But who knows!

violajack · January 2015

I loosely planned for D to lose interest and wean himself by getting pregnant again. That didn't work, so I'm currently tandem nursing. I'm hoping D will be done by 3 because I'm kind of over it with him, but not enough to cut him off yet. Since we're planning on a third with about the same spacing, I will likely still be nursing 4 years from now. Not sure how I feel about that.

Russiandea12 · January 2015

Planning on stopping pumping ar work at 6 months, then seeing how long I can still do morning & night feedings. We are already supplementing at least one but usually 2 feedings a day due to my deceased supply.

kaitm22 · January 2015

I am thinking about going as long as LO wants, up to a point, maybe around 3 years old. I am undecided and playing by it by ear. I really enjoy the bonding and since I am home most of the time and plan to work less and less over time I don't really have a reason to stop. I was always side-eyeing people who did extended nursing but now I am completely on their side, I just didn't understand it back then.

I am interested to see how bfing affects my fertility though. We are planning on trying after LO is two, but I am thinking my cycle will be mostly back to normal by then.

Eena1242 · January 2015

I plan to go at least a year up to 18 months as well. I might continue pumping beyond 18 months so he could continue to benefit from BM, but nursing at that point just isn't for me. At least that's what I think right now.

caybeh · January 2015

Shooting for at least a year. I nursed DS for 15 months and really only quit because we wanted to TTC but my period hadn't returned. So I was over nursing due to baby fever....

But I've been fortunate to have had good breastfeeding experiences with both kids.

Jessica+Penny · January 2015

Probably until 2.5 years. I BF my oldest until 31 months (the last 3 months I was tandem nursing). I still give my oldest 4-5 oz of breastmilk everyday for the health benefits but might stop after the flu season ends.

*knock on wood* My oldest has been so healthy since birth and I believe the BM is the biggest reason.

lynds002 · January 2015

I love breastfeeding. Love it. I would do it forever, but will probably stop before he's two. No hard plans.

Cat&S · January 2015

At least one year but less than two. Will reevaluate when she turns one to see how far I want to go...probably 18 months but we will see. I won't nurse or pump past 24 months...that's just me.

Jessica+Penny · January 2015

*loss mentioned below*

For anyone curious about how BF effects your fertility, this is my experience:

Started EBF in April 2012, period came back May 2013, BFP in July 2013 (ended in MMC in Sep), BFP in December 2013, baby born in August 2014, all while breastfeeding my first born.

RedBean84 · January 2015

I plan to go about a year, maybe a little longer since she was a preemie. It was really tough in the beginning, but now we have found our stride and it is so easy. I am concerned about getting my period back though. I had really long cycles before and it took us awhile to conceive. Hopefully things will go back to "normal" when she weans.

mindfulmama14 · January 2015

My goal is to go until 6 months. I'm supplenting about 40% formula anyway so I feel like that may be a good place to stop. I guess we'll see if I haven't changed my mind by then.

ETA: I think once you start supplenting, the thought of weaning is more bearable. That's the case for me because I've already reached the crossroad of giving LO formula so I've slowly let go of the idea of being primary source of food for my LO.

herecomesthesun · January 2015

lynds002 said:
I love breastfeeding. Love it. I would do it forever, but will probably stop before he's two. No hard plans.

This. It hasn't always been easy but both LO and I love it.

Also not sure how it might effect fertility (Since we will likely have to do the fert doc again). It will be hard to wean LO if he doesn't want to- but I also want at least one more so he has a sibling. He may wean himself. (I did at around 1yr)

*Merry* · January 2015

I nursed DD for 13 months until she pretty munched weaned herself... She was much more interested in everything else going on and to busy to sit still and nurse. I plan at least one year with DS and then we will see. BF has come easy with both and though pumping isn't my favourite thing I do well enough that we thankfully do not have to supplement because wow formula is expensive!!

becominggold · January 2015

My goal is a year. I may continue after that but I may be wanting to try to get pregnant again at that point. Also, when school is out for summer in June I plan to stop pumping. I will use up whatever freezer stash I have left for the times he needs a bottle away from me over summer.

belle785 · January 2015

Goal is 6 months which is two weeks away. This is hard with working and pumping plus two kids! I will take it month by month after 6 months. Definitely will end by a year

jendem8 · January 2015

At least one year but less than 2.

SoSayWeAll · January 2015

I really want to make it to a year. I am willing to nurse longer if it works for us, but I am going to be done pumping because I hate it. I also want to TTC when he turns 1 and tandem nursing does not appeal to me. It stresses me out thinking about it.

wandsandwine · January 2015

rstarrlemaitre said:
My original goal was 6 months. We're two weeks away yay so my next goal is 9 months.

Pretty much this exactly, especially since I believe @rstarrlemaitre‌ share the same birthday for LOs.

However I've been going through a very difficult time lately producing enough. We've always supplemented but it is getting to be more formula than BM lately. But I'm giving it everything I got and then we will see

Laur110 · January 2015

My goal was 6 months which is less than a month away. I am thinking of going for 9 months, but don't think I will go past a year.

cdseno · January 2015

My first was weaned at 22 months after I got my BFP. This time I have no real set plan. I have considered supplementing lately because I actually have to go to class this semester and would like H to be able to help more if I have a lot of homework. I've never been able to pump a lot so we will see how it goes.

Unknown · January 2015

This content has been removed.

RoccoBabyK · January 2015

It has been rough so my goal has been to be happy if I make it to 6 months EBF. I think i would be okay with supplementing some formula at that point to take some stress out. I hope to continue to a year.

ungraceful13 · January 2015

The goal is a year but whenever it stops working or being worth it for us.

chase16 · January 2015

I really wanted to BF for a year.. But I've had supply issues and DD has had weight gain issues.. And now DD is too distracted to nurse during the day. She prefers bottles so she can look around. So I'm almost about to call it quits. I'm still pumping.. I get about 4oz a day. I'm still pretty depressed about the whole thing, but I am looking forward to not pumping anymore. God bless all you EPers. I hate it.

mmsweeney1 · January 2015

I really want to make it to a year, but I think going back to work in a couple weeks will most likely mess up my plans. I have never gotten more than 4 oz pumping (when I feel super full) so I guess we'll see what happens. I'll be disappointed if it doesn't work out.

jamjoyful · January 2015

I plan to wean at 1 year. At that point I just want my body to be my own again.

cdseno · January 2015

@YoginiKiki‌ I went past 18 months with DS1 for a couple reasons. We are not really a milk drinking family and I don't really believe it is all that great for us anyway. Because of that I chose to continue BFing to give him as many nutrients as possible while I felt he was still young. Also, he just really liked to nurse. It isn't a weird as it seems when they get older. We didn't do it when we went out in public. He mostly nursed in the morning and at night and sometimes throughout the day if he needed some extra comfort. But weaning him was surprisingly easy for how much he enjoyed it. Another reason we did it for so long was because I grew up in a very BF friendly environment. I nursed until I was 4 (my parents were in a Christian community that supported this, their friends all nursed babies for a long time and also nursed each other's babies if it was needed). My mom was super supportive of extended breastfeeding and I was actually the only one of the girls in my family to do it. To me it was never taboo or odd that we went past a year. I actually never thought about when I would quit, I just went with what felt right for our family.

cdseno · January 2015

Oh I don't think you were asking for anyone to justify their reasons. I don't know if I will make it as long with DS2. It is harder with more than one kid, at least for me while also being in school. I also think that is takes a little extra support to go longer when we live in a society that places such an emphasis on breasts as a sexual instead of life sustaining. My H is super supportive of whatever I choose for our kids. When it comes to how they are fed I make he decisions and he goes along with it. He has never once commented about it being weird or me needing to quit after a certain time.

I love having an open conversation about it. I'm sure it is weird to a lot of people that I nursed until 4 and that I nursed off my mom's friends. But that was just our life. It is only a big deal if we make it a big deal. The best part is that these are women who I am still extremely close with now. They are like second mothers to me and I am grateful for them in my life.

kaitm22 · January 2015

@yoginikiki I just love the bonding and the snuggles. Since the WHO recommends at least two years and however long the child wants to after that that is what Im going with. I don't know if I will while prego, but when that time comes we will see.

I don't have any particular reason other than the nutrients and that I really enjoy it so far and Im not looking to stop or put a stop date on it for now.

tamarar5 · January 2015

In hoping to make it to a year this time. DD1 self weaned at 10 months because I was working ft and bottles were easier than bfing. DS weaned at 10 months practically overnight because I got KU and my milk evaporated overnight. Oops!

kraft333 · January 2015

I'm going for a year flat. Feeling pretty good about it, although now that I'm back at work, pumping is something of a PITA. That's ok, though, I love BF and there are only 7 months to go!

violajack · January 2015

Why I still nurse my 2 year old:

I was raised with the "if they can ask for it they're too old" mentality handed down very harshly and judgily (among many other harmful judgy ideas from a unhealthily judgy church experience). But when I actually got pregnant myself and started reading more about all kinds of things, I started with the WHO recommendation of at least 2. And really, what do language skills have to do with readiness to end nursing? I'm also in an area (far away from where I grew up) that supports extended breastfeeding and no one bats an eye if my 2.5 year old still wants to nurse through the quiet rocking song at music class after I nursed my 5 month old earlier in the class. At the gym class we go to, one amazing mom could tandem nurse her infant and toddler together at the same time (I've only pulled that off a handful of times and it's been way awkward for us, we stick to one at a time). Just seeing it has helped solidify what I feel is right for us. There's something in the way he asks that makes me feel like it's still enough of a need (probably emotionally since he nursed through the dry part of pregnancy) for him that I won't force him to stop. Yet.

I totally put the pump away at 1 though.

jamjoyful · January 2015

After pregnancy and a year of nursing, I know I will be ready to have my body be my own again.

I miss cute bras.

shevaCC · January 2015

I'm still nursing my 2.5 year old with no immediate plans to stop for similar reasons to @violajack‌. It still feels like an emotional need, it's a wonderful bonding experience, and it's not at all weird. Starting around 18 months I put more limits around our nursing relationship to the point where now we only nurse at home first thing in the morning and at bedtime.

I hope to nurse both kids until they're ready to stop, at least to the WHO's recommended 2 years of age. I'll start introducing the idea of weaning to DD when she turns 3 and see what happens. I don't yet know how DS and my nursing relationship will evolve.

Elaina22 · January 2015

I plan to nurse at least one year, two would be nice. However, the pump is getting packed up at one year.

Want a personalized experience?

When will you stop BF?!?

Re: When will you stop BF?!?

Choose Another Board

Search Boards