breastfeeding moms...how long?

Question

my daughter is almost 12 months! (amazing!) and we are still breastfeeding. i can tell that my milk is drying up slowly but surely. my milk doesn't 'drop' when i am feeding her so much now. how often did you breastfeed daily? how long did it take your milk to dry up on its own? i want to nurse her as long as i can, because it is comforting for her to nurse to sleep and all that good stuff. how many big kid meals a day were you up to with breastfeeding too? what kind of a schedule for that? i have loved every minute of nursing my daughter! what a gift to give!

how did you get your child to stop nursing when they were really just doing it for comfort?

Answer 1

I nursed my kids until close to 12 months. By that point, we were only doing two feedings a day because they were eating solids well. Having nursed for so long, and having gone down to so few feedings, it was very much a gradual weaning process. With my last child, I had to go out of town for a week just before her birthday so she nursed the morning I left and then we were done. I did not have any engorgement at all. I thought I might, so I had my pump ready. . .just to relieve any painful pressure, but not enough to keep the milk supply up.

I've always been an advocate of "feed them when they're hungry," so I don't know if they had a set number of big kid meals. Obviously, at least three. I'd guess two snacks, too.

Congratulations on having taken such good care of your daughter for this first year. It's a wonderful thing to have nursed her for so long, and you'll both reap benefits from it for a long time. Now, get out there and enjoy a beer! :)

Answer 2

I am in the same situation as you are. My daughter is almost 12 months and I am still nursing. My milk is feeling almost nonexistant as well. I am only nursing about 3 times a day right now, morning, nap and before bed. She is eating 3 meals a day and snacks as well. My biggest concern is that she isn't getting enough nutrition because I am not sure how much breastmilk she is actually getting. So I have been supplementing with a little bit of formula for the last 2 weeks or so. I think this age is a good age to quit, as 1 year is what the American Pediatric Society recommends. Good luck with everything. And don't worry, I know it is kind of a sad, and disappointing feeling to end breastfeeding (was with my first one). But you will get over it knowing that you have given your child so much and it is amazing and wonderful to have completed an entire year of nursing. Congrats and good luck.

Answer 3

There is no reason for you to stop nursing your daughter at *any* age. In fact, the World Health Organization recommends nursing for *at least* 2 years, or longer if mother and baby are happy. Your milk will only dry up when you *stop* nursing (and, even then, it will probably take several months to completely disappear).

Nursing a toddler makes your life a whole lot easier! Toddlers are notoriously erratic eaters. At least you have one food that she gets several times a day that has *every* nutrient she needs. It is also full of antibodies (in fact, the less milk you have, the *higher* the density of antibodies, so that baby keeps getting about the same amount total even in less milk!), so your child is protected from all kinds of diseases. She will also get life-long protection from such diverse conditions as cancer (including breast cancer, Hodgkin's Disease, and leukemia), diabetes, and Crohn's Disease. Nursing is great for dealing with the inevitable tantrums (calms them almost immediately!!), and helps the child fall asleep with no fights. Human milk contains pain killing compounds, so a toddler feels better after taking a tumble while learning to walk or run.

Personally, I can't imagine parenting a toddler who *doesn't* nurse!!

Answer 4

I am very happy to see u still breastfeeding. My daughter just turned one and I still nurse her at naps times and bedtime. My daughter is not a big eater. She eats what she wants. She drinks from a sippie cup. and a bottle sometimes. I give her the carnation good start still. She drinks flavored water as well. I give her what I eat most of the time just blended. She eats the Yo baby yogurts for breakfast. it even as ceral in it. I think they are great to give them. My daughter loves them.It is a great gift to still be breastfeeding. I have loved every minute of it as well. At first it was hard but I really love breastfeeding and the joys of it. Well I hope this helps. Feel free to IM me if u ever want to talk. I am a single mom.

Answer 5

I nursed until my kids wanted to stop, around 2 years for each. Your milk is not starting to dry up, your body is adjusting to her feeding schedule. As your daughter matures she will nurse in different ways, your body adjusts to that. Let her nurse when she wants as well as feeding her solids. My youngest weaned 6 months ago and I am still producing milk.

Answer 6

My rule of thumb is ...once they start biting my nipple (OUCH!) it was all over.. ;o)

My oldest I breastfed for 10 months, second - 12 months, third - 14 months, fourth - 3 months (unfortunately had to go to work and coudn't pump.) I'm hoping to at least breastfeed for 12 months with the one on the way (36 weeks).

All but my youngest moved right to a sippy cup and started eating regular food at 12 months. They all started solids at 8-9 months and had juice and water introduced at about 3-4 months I think.

None of them had a problem weaning... my last feedings in their last month of breastfeeding were night feedings... or morning feedings... once they started walking they were all pretty off and on their way. They are all GREAT eaters now... not finicky at all. they love veggies especially spinach and broccoli as well as fruit. They are never afraid to try anything and will try something they didn't like in the past since I always tell them that your tastes change as you grow.

Anywho, hope that helps.

Answer 7

I started my kids on cereal (I know that is frowned upon now) at 9mo. My sons pretty much weaned themselves between 9mo. and 1 year. My daughter continued to nurse until she was 2. You are right, by that age it is a comfort thing. I'd heard of some women in the ministry we belonged to nursing as long as 5 years.

Answer 8

I pumped milk for my daughter for as long as I could afford the rental. She couldn't latch on but she thrived on the pumped milk. My son (now 2.5 years old) latched on right away and he still nurses. My husband hates it because he thinks he's too old but I go by the "do what makes mom and child happy" rule. He only does it once, maybe twice per day. Sometimes I tell him no but I honestly don't think it hurts anything and I don't think it's strange. Strange, to me, is forcing your child to wean off of something natural and addictng them instead to milk intended for a baby cow.

Answer 9

If your milk is starting to dry up a bit, you may want to think about starting to slowly wean her. at one year they can start having cow's milk.

if you are really determined to nurse you could try pumping a bit each day, to try to get your production back up. it is possible that your drying up because of the demand going down.
down side though; it is possible that you are drying up for another reason, and you might be using up all you have for that day so you would have to give it too her in a bottle.

Answer 10

Society puts such a stigma on moms who nurse for longer than a year. It's sad that many moms feel ashamed for giving their children love and nourishment along with so many other benefits.

There's lots of information out there, visit the La Leche League website.

My advice? Do what you feel is right for you and you baby. Noone lives your life and knows you and your baby better than yourself.
Good luck!