For long-term breastfeeders... how long did you go and what made you stop?

Question

I am at 8 months now and feeling like I am ready to be done. My supply is going down, and my son seems less interested. He will take formula and a bottle. I wanted to go to 1 year, but right now seems like we are both ready. What do you think? What was your experience?

Answer 1

I am two months ahead of you....and I was just thinking about twenty minutes ago that we're just about done. I wanted to go to a year, as well. But sometimes baby decides. My daughter is eating solids, drinking milk (dr. said okay....so no slams, please!!), and basically eating like a hog. For the past month I think the breast feeding has been just a comfort for her....not so much any real source of sustinance.

I say....Congratulations on breastfeeding your child through infancy. Your child is ready to not breastfeed....and so are you. You've done your job. A year is a guideline....your baby is obviously ready to move on from this stage. Take your time in weaning....make sure both you and your little one are happy with the decision.

Good Luck!!!

Answer 2

you sound like youre doing a fine job.
i stopped when my husband said "Dont you think its about time to stop nursing that baby?"
nine months. cold turkey. the baby was fine.

Answer 3

It is recommended to go to a year. I personally never really breastfed. I didn't have the support I needed after an emergency C-section. It would have been easier with family around when my husband was working. It was very uncomfortable and frustrating for me and my daughter. I ended up pumping for 2 mos. Once I went back to work, things got even harder and forced me to stop.
My daughter is now 8mos old and 16.5 lbs. She has hardly been sick, just the sniffles I brought home from the office once.
I'm pregnant again and hope to be able to do better this time. I'm in the process of making a career change and moving back home near my husband's and my families. Hopefully this will help.
Once the baby is ready to stop, then you can force him to breastfeed. I guess you could, but It won't be as enjoyable.
I would also suggest somehow mixing the breastmilk and formula. Not necessarily pumping, but maybe cut the time in half and supplement the feeding with formula.
Good luck.

Answer 4

I was watching dr. phil once and this lady breast fed her kids until they were 11 years old. She had other kids in between there which made her supply continue and took some kind of pill which increased milk production, but that is just insane!! You could start wiening now by pumping milk and mixing 1/2 breast milk and 1/2 formula in a bottle for the baby never just switch right to formula. By one year the baby will be drinking milk any ways which is much easier and not to mention much less expensive!! Good luck!

Answer 5

I nursed my son till 13 months. I stopped then because he was so big at that point that he no longer seemed like a baby to me. With my daughter it was 13-14 months. Eventually they got to the point where milk was a small part of their diet, not the biggest one. I had no desire to breastfeed until 2. I just waited until it seemed like my child and I were both ready. I wanted to last till 12 months, but after that it was a month by month basis. My eldest had to go formula at 4 months because I dried up. I hated that the choice was taken from me. So as long as you are ok with the choice, then its a good choice. Don't let other people tell you otherwise.

Answer 6

If you're both ready, then don't feel bad. I breastfed my daughter for a full year. My first son decided at 3 months to stop. It was too hard, and required too much work on his part. With my second son, I was forced to stop at 7 months. Cold turkey, with a full supply. Not fun for me. He was completely fine. You've already given him a great start. Now, enjoy the freedom of a bottle baby.

Answer 7

I breast fed my two youngest until they were 2. My last one is 3 and still wants to feed. I have to keep reminding her that I don't have milk in my boobies anymore. She asks me if I need to go to the store and buy some more. If your son is not getting the amount of milk he needs and is losing interest and you are too, then maybe you should start to ween him. He has got antibodies from your milk so a few months won't hurt. Listen to your body and your son they will let you kow when the time is right. I stopped nursing my daughter because she kept biting a drawing blood. She wasn't ready to stop, but boy was I. If she sees my breasts now she will say" I just love your boobs". I ask her why and she says " because that gave me milk and I love milk". She is such a sweet girl and I love her to death, but she is stuck with cows milk . Good Luck with the weening.

Answer 8

With my 3rd and 4th child, I nursed until they were ready to stop. #3 was an early walker and weaned herself at 11 months. She wouldn't sit still long enough to focus on nursing and she was eating most everything we ate plus drinking from a cup. She didn't need the breast for comfort as she was a thumb-sucker. #4 weaned herself at 14 months. She, too was eating and drinking from the table and she had her pacifier and stuffed kitty for comfort. Because your son is probably eating solids well by now, your milk supply will decrease since he doesn't need as much. If both of you are ready to stop, then feel confident in that decision and don't feel any guilt over it. You have given him an excellent start in life by breast feeding for this long.

Answer 9

I breastfed my daughter until she was one year old. I had planned to go longer, but I realized at that point that she wasn't really nursing anymore. She didn't ask for breastfeeding anymore, but she would come to the breast when offered. She would go through the motions but didn't drink anything. She treated it more as a snuggle time. So I simply quit offering her the breast, and she didn't ask for it. Once in a while she wanted to look, for a few months afterward; she seemed to regard the breast as a friend.
A friend of mine who had a daughter the same age, went several months longer, and the mom wanted to stop but didn't want to force it. By this time the girls were talking a little, and I told her baby how my baby didn't want to nurse anymore. This was a surprise to her, and my daughter, who already had a sense of humor, announced "I wanta nurse." But apparently she didn't know how anymore, and the other girl laughed at my daughter's attempt.

Answer 10

ok.....i bresatfeed my daughter for 22 months.......and i am currently feeding my son now for 7 months....if you want to go the full year you might try to do less of the formula.....if your supply is down, then more you feed the more milk you will have....the less you use it the less milk you will have.....if your son has lost interest in it then it might be time to stop.....or if he takes the bottle better you might want to pump and put it in the bottle......that might help you get to the year marker....with my daughter the last part of hers was just at night...maybe you can try to breastfeeding and naps and bedtime....