How long have you breastfed?

I tried to do the traditional breastfeeding but my son had a lot of trouble latching so we went for the Exclusive Pumping route. I still consider that method to be breastfeeding but that's a different topic. I EPed for 9 months until my supply got so low it wasn't worth it to continue. I would have liked to have done it for at least a year.

If I had been able to breastfeed traditionally, I probably would have gone to about 18 months. When it becomes just for comfort and they can flourish on table food and cow's milk, that's when I think it's time to stop. However, I am a big supporter of breastfeeding in general if only because of the struggles I faced. I will do my best to support any mother who wants to breastfeed for as long as possible, whatever age that might personally mean to them and the child. Despite the negative stereotypes, its not like the child is going to go to college still attached to the breast. To each to their own, I say.

Let's also not forget about how much money breastfeeding saves parents in the long run so there's always that positive aspect to consider.

 

I breastfed both of my children. My eldest had trouble latching. He was born in a hospital and was roomed in late (after 8 hours from time of delivery) I thought I wouldn't be able to breastfeed him. It was too painful for me at first. With much determination I endured the pain. He got hungry and eventually sucked well. He was self-weaned after a year. That was the time I was pregnant with my 2nd son.

My second son breastfed for 3 1/2 years. He didn't want to feed from a bottle, even rejected pumped breastmilk. I had to wean him because he was already growing teeth and it was too painful to breastfeed..

 

I breastfed my kids until they were 2.5 years old, as I was planning for the next pregnancy, then I weaned them off. I am thinking if I didn't wean them, how long they would continue to be breastfed. I am currently breastfeeding my third child, and my second is 5 years old now, sometimes she still wants to drink the breast milk when she sees the younger brother does so, and I just let her be. I think it's fine to breastfeed the baby or kid as long as both mom and kid feel comfortable.

 

For a month and a half. My baby was hospitalized a day after she was born and the doctor did not allow to breastfeed her. So, it took some time and she's not satisfied with my milk because it's too little. She always cries and a light sleeper. Tried to pump out the milk yet there's so little. So, I decided to bottlefeed her. That's the only time she's content and sleep peacefully coz she feels not hungry no more. Only then she gained weight.

 

I wonder why the doctor didn't allow breastfeeding. My eldest was hospitalized for his first few days too, and I am glad the doctor recommended us to continue breastfeed the baby as we visited him daily and I also expressed my milk and handed a bottle to the nurse, though it's very little. I can understand the frustration you had and as long as it made the baby comfortable and grow healthy, that's good to go.

 

My baby actually had a convulsion that's their reason why we're not allowed to breastfeed the baby. My baby does not gain weight and all they did was put some antibiotics. I am positive that my baby got sick because of the filthiness of the ward. It's just not my baby who got sick with the same illness and bacteria.

 

Breastfeeding a child up till 3 or 4 years is definitely a no-no! This is just too much at a stretch and there is no scientific data or evidence to suggest that it will benefit the child in any way. WHO recommends breastfeeding only till age 2 (which I doubt even most women are able to do). The most popular route for most mothers is exclusive breastfeeding for six months, after which the baby is gradually introduced to semi-solids.

 

So the doctor did have the good reason for not allowing you to breastfeed your baby, but it is really their fault to not make the ward clean. Anyway, it is good as long as the baby is now healthy, gaining weight and also sleeping peacefully, whether to breastfeed or not, that still comes next.

 

I personally wouldn't because I don't think they need it until toddler age and it's nice to get your body back again and for your child to be more independent by using a cup.

I fed my first child for 10 months and weaned him straight on to a cup as he hated the rubber of bottle teats. My second child I fed for 8 months but she weaned herself and lost interest in the breast by this age. It was nice to be able to go out and leave them with other people knowing they would be happy to take their milk from a cup.

It's a personal thing though and I don't think there are any rights or wrongs. It's whatever suits mother and baby and no one else's business how long they decide to feed.

 

I have been excited to breastfeed her right after the operation. That little bundle of joy learning how to suck is just so amazing and a pure blessing. I still want to breastfeed her, it's just that my milk has stopped already. Too bad.

 

How old is your baby now? I am not sure, but I have heard that some moms can still resume breastfeeding the baby even after a few months not feeding. There are still ways to boost the breast milk, perhaps you can check it out if those methods help. I have a friend who decided to stop breastfeeding the baby, but after a few months, she wanted to breastfeed again and she told me it still worked. She just let the baby latch on. Perhaps you can still try and see if your baby likes it.

 

Unfortunately since I used to work my baby got used to her bottle and wouldn't breast feed longer than six months. She enjoyed the bottle milk flow more than my breasts milk flow. I was so sad as I felt she wouldn't get the necessary nutrients she would get form my milk but I wasn't going to force her either. She is 3 now and I think if she still wanted to be breast fed I still would be breast feeding her.

 

So I just let my baby latched even without getting any? Funny thing is that she rejects milk from me. hahaha. But of course, as a mom, I wanted to give her nutritious milk and natural. I'm gonna try that again My baby is now 5 months old.

 

If your baby is 5 months old, perhaps you can still try if you want. When my friend asked me for opinions (about breastfeeding again after a few months), I searched online and found some successful stories. Maybe you can find out how they did that. I always read that there are some food that can boost the breast milk production. I have also heard from some friends, their baby refused to latch on at all, and they just expressed the milk and bottled feed their baby until the baby is more than one or two years old. Maybe you can try both - let your baby latched and also express milk and see if these two help to produce milk gradually. I used to express milk every 2-3 hours in order to get more milk supply, it did help though it was quite tiring.

 

I tried the organic ones, yet it didn't help much. I even use a breast pump and I can't even fill a full mini bottle. That's maybe why my little one didn't gain weight right after hospitalization.

 

At the beginning, it might be really little milk supply. I remember it took me more than half an hour to get less than 1 ounce of milk, and it always took me several times to fill up a very small bottle when my first child was young. The second and third was easier for me. From my experience, using the breast pump didn't really help to express much milk, hence I gave up using breast pump (both manual and electric), and used hand to express instead. A lactation consultant taught me to do so, as it's also helping to massage and generate more milk supply. Perhaps you can check out how to use hand to express the milk online. Since your little one is already drinking formula milk and will be taking solid food soon, so you don't have the pressure to produce more breast milk, but you can just try to supply as much as you can. Stress, not enough sleep and not enough fluid will affect the milk supply too. I also found out as long as I drank a lot of water, especially warm water, it did help.

 

I also observed that whenever I drink a lot of water, the milk supply is more than usual. Yet, since I have small boobs, it's still not enough for the baby. I also gave up breast pump because I was hurting. Even with pressing with hands, I feel pain. My tolerance for pain is too minimal. I am thankful then I was not in normal delivery process because I don't know how long I can last to endure the pain especially during labor and pushing the baby out.