how long should i breastfeed?

Question

hi, i'm 28 weeks pregnant with my 2nd child. with my first child, i was very young(19 yrs) and chose not to breastfeed. i am very interested in trying it this time, but i don't want to do it for 6 mos. i was thinking about 6-8 weeks. is it even worth doing it if im only going to do it for a few weeks? i'm absolutely clueless on the subject. any information would be helpful. thanks!

Answer 1

I know i am a male but i have three children. the oldest two were not breastfed and it was more difficult for them as far as like one of them was totally allergic to formula and the other had digestive problems. my wife chose to breastfeed our third one and he is in much better health than the others were at his age. she breastfed until he was about 18 months or so, but it varies from baby to baby. Even if you chose to do so for only a little while the child will greatly benefit from it. Also it created an even closer bond between my wife and son that is closer than the other two boys. good luck with this.

Answer 2

Even one day is better than nothing.

The first six to eight weeks is the most important, and for some women the most difficult. Some babies take right to the breast (mine did), while others have difficulty latching on correctly, which can cause sore or even cracked and bleeding nipples. I'm not telling you this to scare you, but if you don't know ahead of time what to expect, you might quit for the wrong reasons.

It's VERY important to set up your support network right now, even if you only plan to breastfeed for six to eight weeks. You do no want to spending that six to eight weeks in pain, do you? I highly recommend contacting La Leche League and going to a meeting or two to get to know a few moms. They are very friendly and knowledgeable, and best of all, FREE! This way, when you have your baby you'll already have a few people you know and are comfortable with who you can call to help you if and when you encounter a problem. Remember, breastfeeding should NOT hurt, so if you feel any pain at all, seek help immediately to resolve the problem. Many women expect it to hurt, so when they have a problem, they think this is "normal breastfeeding" and it only gets worse until they just decide that breastfeeding is too painful and they give up. How sad!!

It's up to you how long to do it, but the longer the better. I started out not intending to do it for very long, but I ended up nursing as long as possible with my first (until my milk dried up due to my second pregnancy -- first child was 11 months old), and I'm still breastfeeding my second child at 13 month old. The more I learned about it, the more I wanted to do it for as long as possible.

It's a good idea to do your research right now, so that you know what to expect when you breastfeed your baby. I listed a few websites to get you started, if you're interested. I have found that Kellymom is a fantastic resource for breastfeeding mothers.

Good luck, and feel free to email me if you have any breastfeeding questions or need any help!

Answer 3

It is definitely worth doing. I don't think that deciding ahead of time is a good idea, though. The first week, more or less, before your milk really comes in is the most important. The colestrum (sp?) is how your baby gets antibodies that will really help its immune system development. You should really just see how it goes. I planned on breastfeeding for 6 months, but I started working full time and then her first tooth came at 4 months. One yank on my nipple with that razor and I was done. So I say don't give yourself a timeline- just go with it.

Oh, I should also add that my husband's mom didn't breastfeed and all of her children have digestive problems. Coincidence? I don't know.

Answer 4

The first 6 weeks is the best, of course longer is better up to about a year, but the first 6 weeks are the most important. It has the best milk and baby builds it immune system up during that time. Try it for a few weeks, it's not horrible to give your baby formula as long as you try breast feeding, just don't give up really easily, the first 2 weeks are difficult, but then it gets really easy and you and your child will bold! Good Luck!

Answer 5

Thank you for asking this question. I came on here to ask the very same one. I have a 6 week old daughter and have exclusively breastfed her up until this point. Lately I have noticed that she seems to be hungry ALL the time and doesn't appear to be getting enough nutrients from me. I think it has something to do with my diet, as I do not have a good appetite and I sometimes don't eat as often or as much as I should. So I am thinking about weaning her onto a bottle.
But as for my advice to you, I had my first child at 17 and stopped breastfeeding him when he was about 8 weeks old, as my doctor told me that my milk wasn't enough for him. He went onto formula and thrived. Try and breastfeed as long as you can, but don't give yourself a hard time if you don't do it for long. I find that while it is a lovely bonding time to have with your child, it is all so very time consuming and restricting at the same time.

Answer 6

You can breastfeed for as long as you want. Its hard for women to do it now days now that they are working so I find it totally acceptable to quit breastfeeding whenever you want to. Any breastfeeding is better than none whether it be 3 weeks or 3 months. Many mothers use 6 months as their goal based on the fact that breastfeeding helps protect an infant from infection. An infants immune system is not fully mature before 6 months of life, and the antibodies a baby gets from his mother during pregnancy tend to disappear over the first 6 months of life.

Answer 7

The longer you breastfeed the better it is for both you and your baby. There is new medical evidence that extended breastfeeding actually lowers the mother's cancer rate for some cancers.

Having said that, any amount of time breast feeding is better than none. The baby gets antibodies (that fight illness) and an increased immune system even if you only nurse a short time.

And from experience, not having to deal with bottles and formula and sterilizing and refrigeration is a blessing!

Congrats on your upcoming arrival!

Answer 8

It is reconmended to breastfeed exculsivly for the first 6 months and continue to do so while introducing solid foods. IT IS DEFINATLY WORTH DOING SO FOR 6-8 WEEKS!!! Any amount is better than none. Your baby gets antibodies from you which help prevent her from getting sick. They say that breastfeeding for 13 weeks will give your baby protection from gastroenteritis and chest infections for up to a year. YOu won't have to worry about getting formula the right temperature either, your milk is always just right. Also it helps you to lose weight quicker. Good luck to you in whatever you choose.

Answer 9

i believe doing it for at least the first 3 months gives the best health benefits. I nursed my first for 1 month (could not latch on right and hurt like hell) and my second for 2 months (i took a weekend away with the hubby and when i came back he was attatched to a bottle and formula). But in just that short time i noticed that my boys were a lot fatter, healthier, and smarter than other babies their age, so no matter how long you do it, it'll definitely benefit your baby.

don't worry about nursing in public, after a couple of weeks you'll get the hang of how to cover with a blankie in public and what to wear, i even mastered the art of nursing while standing and walking around so i can multi-task

and if you go back to work there are also laws in place that your work place provide a private room (that's not a bathroom) to pump milk as you need to.

Answer 10

Any amount of time you breastfeed is better than none. Do you know about all the benefits of breastfeeding? For you: lose baby weight faster, you won't get your period back for a while, lowers your risk of breast cancer, etc.... for baby: gets antibodies from mom so protection from infections (cold, flus, ear infections) and protection from allergies, more protection from SIDS, better for digestive system than formula (little tummies can't handle formula as well as breast milk), etc, etc. The list is HUGE for the benefits for both mom and baby.

Doctors recommend breastfeeding for a full 1 year after the birth. If you only want to do 6 weeks, wonderful, that is better than not at all. And you may find you love it, and you want to do it for a year. Personally, I did it cuz it was best for my baby, but I ended up loving it, and then having to stop at 8 months - then I bottle fed. I will say this - it is hard for the first 4-5 weeks, but its totally worth it for the benefits to both baby and mother, and after that initial rough patch, is is sooo much easier than bottle feeding. Let's see...lift your shirt at 3 am, or have to walk to the kitchen, warm up water, measure and mix formula, then go in and feed the baby. Then washing and sterilizing 10-12 bottles a day? I dont think so. Besides that, packing bottles and formula for a trip to the store sucks. Breastfeeding babies - you just grab them and go. SOOOO much easier.

Please do your research though - I know of lots of mom who didnt breastfeed cuz they thought it was wierd, and then regreted it later. Check out the local lactation consultant at your hospital, talk to your friends, talk to your doctor, do some internet research, maybe even call La Leche League (they are really hard core, just be aware). Its really the best thing you can do for your baby, and no one else can give him/her that.