How long did you breast feed for?

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How long did you breast feed for and why did you stop when you did? What would be your best tips to give a new mum regarding BF?
 
15 months. Stopped because my LO was bored with it. Tip for new mums: BF lying down - it is so much easier and restful than sitting up. (But you might need to wait until the baby is a month or two old to BF lying down as it is not so easy to get a newborn into the right position. Once they are a few months old, it is very easy.)
 
exclusively for 11 months then weaned him to cow's milk. was ready to wean after 6 months but bub didnot take to formula. so we put our energies into stablizing solids instead of getting hysterical about stopping bf. both bub and i had had enough by 11 months :) plus it is much more difficult to wean after babies are a year (or so)...

tips: buy a good feeding pillow. my sis-in-law passed me her "breastfriend" pillow. i started using it quite reluctuntaly but honestly that had a big part to play in what kept me going. it was easy as hell with that pillow. AND - listen to what everyone is saying coz ppl do have good advice and tips. but do what you are comfortable with - as good as bf is (and i am a big believer) there's no point killing yourself over it.
 
I wanted to BF until my son was 1 year old....but I got pregnant with my second when my son was 10 months old and started having horrible morning sickness so was forced to stop when my son was 11 months old because I was so sick. :( At 9 months though, I stopped pumping at work because work got really busy and so had to start giving a bottle of formula while I was at work though I still BFed when I was at home with my son.

The best tip I have...hmmm...would be to suggest that you relax and not worry so much about if your baby is getting enough milk! If your baby is peeing and pooping what he/she should be everyday and your baby is gaining the requisite amount of weight per week, don't stress your self out too much as to whether or not he/she is getting enough or not or whether your supply is good enough. This is much easier said than done because I know for my second, though I know this advice, I will still stress.....just enjoy the moments of bonding and don't think too much about it! Most of all, don't be affected by other people telling you that your baby is not getting enough! Just look at the wet diapers and the weight gain! Good luck!
 
FutureHKmom said:
The best tip I have...hmmm...would be to suggest that you relax and not worry so much about if your baby is getting enough milk! If your baby is peeing and pooping what he/she should be everyday and your baby is gaining the requisite amount of weight per week, don't stress your self out too much as to whether or not he/she is getting enough or not or whether your supply is good enough. This is much easier said than done because I know for my second, though I know this advice, I will still stress.....just enjoy the moments of bonding and don't think too much about it! Most of all, don't be affected by other people telling you that your baby is not getting enough! Just look at the wet diapers and the weight gain! Good luck!
Click to expand...

couldnt have put it better. thankfully my baby's weight was always on track but i still stressed :)
 
I breastfed for 15 months and stopped when I was pregnant with my second. I think just get comfy and have patience. And if you have ANY problems at all, call LLL, they're so helpful.

I never found the breastfeeding cushions particularly comfy. I felt they lifted the baby too high for me. Maybe I just have a short torso ;) I also found laying down uncomfy, although I did sometime lean back in a reclined position...

I found the first month the hardest, just getting used to it all. And then the next hardest time was when my daughter was about 10 months old and I got a thrush infection - there was no visible sign of it so the doctor misdiagnosed it, but the pain was unbearable and nearly forced me to wean. Thankfully LLL gave me some awesome advice and it was quite easy to get rid of once I followed their advice...

And I love what FutureHKmom said - don't worry about your bub not getting enough, you don't need to measure it. Just make sure your baby is growing and peeing and pooping and if all that is fine, then there's no need to stress :)

Breastfeeding is really so convenient and much cheaper than formula - not to mention the health benefits for the baby :) All the best!!
 
Breast fed my daughter till she was 16 months old and had to wean her when I go pregnant with our son.
Tip 1: Travel now because you won't have to worry about feeding your child other stuff.
Tip 2: Treasure the closeness between you and your baby while you breast feed. Don't be in a hurry to wean, when they grow up to be toddlers, intimacy is the one thing you will miss the most.
 
i breastfed my son 50-50 from birth.
i fed my daughter exclusively to 6 months, then only a nighttime dreamfeed until she was about 12 months or so.
 
I bf till 8 months... my son was just not interested anymore.
Tips ? there are so many.... drink a lot of water, have a look on a good internet site (or LLL) about what to avoid (like mint, sage, cabbage...), don't be impressed by people looking at you bfeeding when you are out, IMI in Central makes an efficient drink in case of milk lower supply, don't listen to people saying your milk is not good or fat enough, bf on the same breast long enough as the fat is at the end, and if you have any problem, pain, lower supply... talk to someone, and embrace these moments :bfeeding
 
Had to stop when baby was 7.5 months old because I got pregnant and had to take some medication that didn't allow for breastfeeding. Luckily, baby was ok with switching to formula. Just relax and if you have any latch issues, get it worked out quickly! Call LLL, Yvonne Heavyside or Annerley for a home visit! So worth it! Lying down is GREAT for feeding but like it was said before, easier when baby is a little older. Good luck!
 
My son is 11-months old, still breastfeeding.

My only other advice besides the ones the others have already given you is that you shouldn't worry if the baby only feeds for 5 minutes (and he/she is still gaining weight), just means he/she has become an efficient feeder.

Also, if a doctor tells you to stop breastfeeding, check with La Leche League (LLL) and they can tell you if there is an alternative method.
 
i did 50-50 with my first and with my 2nd one now I am doing 20-80...first I did it for 3mths and with this 2nd one I am still debating....it's great that some can do it for such a long period of time, but it wasn't for me - stopped at 3mths with the 1st because my flow was low and i didn't like the idea of bumping to get the flow going...this time around my supply is better so i'll probably bf for more than 3mths...maybe 6mths...don't know for sure.
 
my son is 2.5years old and im about 25weeks pregnant and am still breastfeeding. though only twice a day, mostly for comfort, im glad i did not rush or force to wean him off. i enjoy the intimacy with him and during nursing, he strokes my belly and is able to feel the baby's kicks, which surprises him all the time! nursing has helped him lessen his stress on the knowledge of having a new baby sister.

hmm advice? get a good pillow to help out during early days. if there is a problem, call the LLL right away. alot of people will give you opinions as to why formula is better, but it realli is up to you and the baby. there's also no need to beat yourself up if breastfeeding doesnt work for your family :)
 
#1 - 11 months - stopped when baby self-weaned
#2 - 8 months - stopped because I was so utterly fed up with it

I hated breastfeeding both times and only did it because I understand it is best for the baby. I hated sitting around and I'm used to being up and doing things. I know you're supposed to sit there and gaze adoringly into your babies eyes as you bond, but this is just not me. I bonded just fine with both daughters and it had nothing to do with breastfeeding.

So my recommendation is to just put up with it for as long as you can. Probably not very helpful !
 
Funny, I didn't "loooovvee" breastfeeding like that either, but I didn't hate it as much as some other people I know either. My daughter wasn't THAT attached to it either. Most of the time I'd watch TV while I breastfed. My main motivations for breastfeeding were the convenience (no need to make up bottles and take them with you everywhere, then worry about warming them etc), the cheapness of it (I'm a bit of a tightwad really), and the health benefits for bub. The bonding thing didn't really make that much difference to me, neither did the whole "it helps you to lose weight" argument.

With my 2nd daughter, so far I'm exclusively pumping (she's 16 days old in NICU and has a cleft palate, along with other health issues which are likely to make direct bfing difficult, if not impossible) and I don't know how long I'll keep that up this time, because the convenience factor has gone right out the window this time!! Although it's still cheaper and healthier for bub... I'd like to keep it up for at least 6 months if I can, but we'll see...
 
i nursed for 5 months and it was honestly the longest 5 months of my life. The day I stopped felt like a huge weight was lifted off of me. i was not into breast feeding at all, but definitely wanted to give it a try. i know that some feel very close to their child and love it, but for me it was a chore and I did it purely for the nutritional and health benefits for my child. I started doing formula feeds at 3 months too...

I am due with #2 this October and I plan to nurse/pump as well for at least 4 months...who knows if I'll make it to 5.
 
I'm still breastfeeding my 8-month-old baby, combined with a bottle of furmula milk for the bedtime feed. My baby's weight gain hasn't been 100% fantastic, and he hasn't slept through the night, so I sometimes felt pressured to introduce formula before he hit the 6 month mark. I'm glad that I didn't give in, because formula wouldn't have made any difference any way. I really wanted to exclusively breasfeed for at least 6 month. I followed my gut feelings and talked to people that I knew would be supportive of me. My tip would be if you have any problem, don't wait long to seek advice from LLL, lactation consultants, or friends who would be supportive of you. Don't spend too much time on the Internet! But, breastfeeding is not the best choice for everyone. If you don't enjoy it, don't feel pressured to continue. Always listen to your inner voice! Good luck!
 
Mixed of BF direct, pumping, and formula from birth. Stop BF completely around 6 mth. My supply was never high and it took a long time for each feed or each pump(30-45 min). Everyone has different experience and preference. Just do what you are comfy with and don't feel pressured to BF exclusively or for a long time if you really hate it. Get advice from people but choose to accept the ones that make sense to you.
 
Like someone stated above, BFing is much cheaper! We now go through about one box a week and each box is 150 dollars so it adds up. I had to stop, but don't feel pressured to do it either...do what you think feels right for you and your baby. I was raised on formula and I seemed to turn out ok :) I enjoyed breastfeeding once my supply was established and baby was latching properly. It was also really easy when going out especially when bub was really little. No bottles and carrying formula!
 
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