I just had my baby recently, and I decided to breastfeed. How long am I supposed to do this for?
2007-07-14 12:48:40 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Newborn & Baby
Also, If it occurs that I can only supply say, 4 months, is it still healthy and has good benefits to put my baby on fomula then?
2007-07-14 12:57:50 · update #1
You can continue as long as everything is going well for you and your baby. I stopped at one year because that is when it is OK to start your baby on whole milk. Some people breastfeed longer and some stop earlier and use formula until one year. It is really up to you.
Response to Additional Details: Absolutely! The longer you can keep up with it, the better for your baby. But, some is absolutely better than none at all. Best of luck to you. Once you get used to it, it's not that hard to keep going. You'll do fine.
2007-07-14 12:53:04 · answer #1 · answered by CLICK 2 $AVE! 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You can do it as long as you want- but it's best to do it past the first year. Once you get the hang of it, it is a lot easier. Also, the baby nurses less after the 6 month or so. In the early weeks you are always nursing and this is normal- the baby does slow down and you will get more time when you are not nursing.
You can introduce formula at 4 months old and the baby would have gotten a good dose of nutrients from you for the first 4 months. I hope you consider going longer. I had originally said 6 months only. Now I am on month 11 and still going and happy to do so!
Good job for you with the breastfeeding!
2007-07-14 13:02:11 · answer #2 · answered by NY_Attitude 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You should breastfeed for at least 6 months of the baby's life, but can continue to do so until 24 months or so. But if you want your child to get your immunity and nutrients, 6 months is what doctors recommend to be the least time.
ps...iv'e been breastfeeding the whole way through. My daughter will be 2 in September and I will let her wean on her own. Just enjoy the experience, nurse as much as possible to establish a good milk supply, and drink lots of water!! :)
2007-07-14 13:44:08 · answer #3 · answered by Grrrlnextdoor 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
For my daughter, we did it for 8 months. I believe the first year is ideal, but it's hard to do it for that long. If you can at least do 6 months, that would be great! It's great for your baby's immune system and it gives the a very very healthy start to life. Another benefit to breastfeeding, especially after you have the baby, is it helps your stomach contract back down smaller and helps you get rid of extra calories. I lost my "baby fat" pretty quickly, and I attribute that to the breast feeding. One last thing - people might tell you that you can't get pregnant while breastfeeding since you don't get your period. NOT TRUE! I know 2 people, even w/out periods, that got pregnant.
2007-07-14 12:59:26 · answer #4 · answered by roseybloom 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You should breastfeed for a year. There is no reason why your body wouldn't produce enough milk for your baby unless you weren't nursing enough, eating healthy enough or if you were supplementing with formula. Formula is a poor substitute for breast milk. In order to get the affects on life-long health and intelligence, as well as the prevention of allergies... it is advised that you exclusively breastfeed your baby for the first 6 months. No formula and no solid foods. And then continue to breastfeed while you gradually add solids over the second 6 months.
2007-07-14 13:04:49 · answer #5 · answered by Haulie 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Melisa gave a good bit of advice: don't set long term goals if bf'ing seems challenging. Just promise yourself that you can get to, say, after the 3 month growth spurt. Then once you've hit that, you can say you'll get to 6 months. Then when you hit that target, you'll be able to set a new one. It makes the early days - when it can be a little tougher - more do-able.
Once you get to 6 months, it becomes smooth sailing. Heck, it may be easy for you even before that! Nurse for as long as you can; it's the normal way for babies to eat and is the natural way to help mom and baby be their healthiest.
Good luck! You can do it!
2007-07-14 15:23:22 · answer #6 · answered by Evin 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It is completely up to you and your baby. Some babies will wean themselves. Some experts say 1 year, but with my son I was only able to for 10 weeks (He was born almost 3 months early and I pumped milk for his feeding tube). He will be 3 next month and he is completely healthy, with no delays. A baby breastfed for a few weeks is just as smart as a baby breastfed for a year. BTW...My son has never been sick other than an occasional cold either.
2007-07-14 12:55:26 · answer #7 · answered by Ryan's mom 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
As long as you want and feel comfortable doing. Try at least for 6 - 12 weeks if you can though because this is when you're baby needs it the most. Good luck!
2007-07-14 12:53:39 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's up to you pediatricians suggest at least six months. I do suggest not making long term goals like 6 months or a year set, short term goals like 3 monthd and when you reach that set a different goal this way you aren't stressed out about not keeping your goals. That's what I'm doing and it's been six months! Take it one day at a time and it becomes easier! Congrats!
2007-07-14 12:58:03 · answer #9 · answered by MELISA 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
As a mother who nursed 3 of her children...as long as you want to. My first I did for 11months, however, my next two were to demanding and I couldn't supply enough. So I did for 4 months and went to formula.
2007-07-14 12:54:42 · answer #10 · answered by shortcake 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋