How Long Do I Need to Breastfeed?

Hi J.,
What you have done is great- and if you can go longer I would. The physical health benefits have been outlined for a while, and just recently a new study points to VERY strong psychological benefits. If you are interested, I will look for the link, but the basic lowdown was that children who were breastfed had a 36% (HUGE!) less chance of ending up with a behovioral issue (I'm assuming this includes ADD, etc.) Interestingly, the correlation was very direct- the longer the breastfeeding, the less and less likely a parent could report having had a behavioral/sociological issue as the child developed. My husband found the article and actually thanked me- for there were times I struggled against everyone (including my doctor to make it to 11 months.) So- you need to weigh the pros and cons and do what is right for you, but maybe this will give you another thing to weigh on the pro side!
All the best,
S.

i believe that they incourage you to do it for atleast four months but really its all your choice to continue to breast feed or not. dont be pressured to continue if you dont want to :). a good formula is good start supreme its very gentle and its the onl one my daughter could take after i stopped breast feeding her at 2 months. good luck!

You should switch when you want. I had to stop at 6 months because my daughter demanded more food than I could produce, so that made my decision. No worries about the health of the baby .... some women are unable to go even 6 months, so kudos to you for meeting your goal. Now work on weaning the little one - maybe swap out a bottle or 2 a day at first.
Good luck!

All mom's have given you great advice. As a mother of two litters (two teenagers 16 months apart and two pre-schoolers 13 months apart) I can tell you that I was much older and wiser with the second litter and breastfed them much longer. My oldest pre-schooler I breastfed for 7 months and with my youngest I went a little longer, until he bit me!

I loved the bonding time and that outweighed the difficulty of having to pump when I had to (for work related reasons). If I could go back in time to 16 years ago, I would breastfeed my two first daughters just as long or longer.

My sister is an LC and they advocate for breastfeeding as long as possible, as long as it is healthy for both mom and baby. Healthy can also mean psychologically. If continuing to breastfeed is becoming such a great burden or hardship on you, then stop. Your child can sense your feelings and they aren't healthy for baby either.

Be proud of yourself for all that you do for and give to your baby.

if you feel like you're done, then switch to formula. i forget at what month "experts" say baby will have received the best nutrients from mama's milk.

your baby may not want to go "cold turkey". i transitioned my son by giving him 3/4 breastmilk & 1/4 formula; then gradually gave more formula than breastmilk til he was strictly on formula.

good luck!

rah

They say one year is optimal, but of course it's not for nothing if you stop now! Ped docs say that any breastfeeding is valuable to a baby, no matter how long you do - it is the healthiest choice for your baby. I do know that they get those all-important antibodies from your breast milk until 9 mos old, that's when most breast-fed babies get their first cold. My son is 11 mos old and breastfed still (I'm going for a year, but it's hard!) but he hasn't gotten sick yet, even though he gets passed around at church like the collection plate (everyone loves him, it's nice). I think there's stuff in breastmilk for their brains too, but I would google that if you want to know more. My son has 7 teeth now and that's what's hard, but most of the time he's pretty careful. Also, he plays and fidgets a lot during breastfeeding, switching boobs constantly, pinching me and such. But go for it - you'll never get this time back, it's going to be over before you know it so I would encourage you to do whatever makes sense for your baby and just put up with any discomfort for now, it's not for much longer (he's going to be 18 and in college in the blink of an eye!)

As long as you can-it's the best for baby!!!!!

Coming from a Mom who breastfed #1 until 25mos and #2 until just over 3 years of age, I say - YOU do what is best for YOU. You've already given your child a wonderful gift! I say kuddos to a Mom who gives it a week. Sure the longer the better - but for who? If you kept going just because and became resentful because of it then nobody would benefit. So your question of how long do I need to breastfeed can really only be answered by you.

Best wishes whatever you decide,
M.

Hi J.,

Our Children are very close in age, I have a 4 year old daughter and a 5 month old. I was going through the same things as you, so I did this. I dropped all the mid day feeding, and supplmented the bottle, but I still nurse at her morning feeding (7amish) and her evening feeding (6:45pmish). I do not pump at all during the day, I only feed at those times. Which I think is doing her good, especially with bowel movements, and antibodies during the winter season. But 6 months is great. Either way you will make the right choice.

Hi J.,

All health research and opinions aside, here's some food for thought.

Cow's milk is evolutionarily designed to best nourish baby cows until they can graze on their own.

Goat's milk is evolutionarily designed to best nourish baby goats until they can graze on their own.

Soybeans don't lactate and don't have babies.

Human milk is evolutionarily designed to best nourish baby humans until they can eat solids on their own.

Formula was made for a reason. It has all the nutrients your little guy needs. I say, go for it! :)

You know, I tried so hard to breastfeed for longer, but I only made it five months. I work full-time and my baby was huge and hungry! I felt so guilty for quitting, but why should I have to feel guilty? She is a year now and been on formula for seven months. She is healthy and happy and is never sick and has no allergies. You have to do the best you can. If you stop now, it won't have been for nothing! Even one day of breastfeeding is good! You have done a great job and you deserve your boobs back. Go for it!

My pediatrician said that anything was better than nothing - even just a week is better than not doing it at all. If you feel you've done your time, then you have every right to stop now without being judged! There are only so many sacrifices we can make for our children - our sanity counts for something too! lol

I would recommend nursing as long as it is enjoyable for you and the baby. It is REALLY healthy for the baby till well past a year. Their immune system is only 60% developed at 12m. Your milk will help them SO much. Your milk is made for your child; not in a factory like formula. I would say avoid preservatives and chemicals, sugar, salt... as long as possible. Go look at the Le Leche League site or their book The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding. THe benefits are endless. My son has never been sick and he's 23m. Not to mention their good dispostion from the bonding, helps in the toddler years to have that foundation.

Do what YOU want. 6 months is great! What anybody says DOESN"T matter.

you should be fine! they only say that you need to breast feed for the first 6 months

J.:

Congrats on 6 months! That is twice as much as the national average! And your baby will thank you for it later in life. I intend to go about 6 months myself, or as long as it works out.

Do what is best for you and baby. If it is too difficult, time consuming, inconvenient, painful, or just not enjoyable anymore, then stop. You have done so much good for your baby by nursing for 6 months. Only you can decide what is best, and what works for you and your family.

Any amount of breastfeeding is good, and you have given so much already. Don't feel guilty about wanting, or even needing, to stop. What you have done so far will benefit your baby in wonderful ways, and he will be a healthier and happier baby for it later in life. Don't let anyone tell you what you should do, or guilt you into going longer than what you feel comfortable with.

Congrats on 2 beautiful children. And best wishes for the future! =)

Good Morning, personally I think six months is long enough. I pumped for my first Son for six months and he received all the benefits of my breastmilk, he has never had an ear infection and is super smart.
You have done a wonderful job, if you feel it is right for you to stop then you should. =)

You've done well, mommy, it's OK to stop now if it is not working for you. However, keep in mind that it is just the start of flu season... Just food for thought. You have given your son a good start with your milk and I don't think that you should feel like you are letting him down if you go to formula. He'll be fine and you can start to "get your body back!"

J.,

I understand how you feel...breastfeeding can be amazing but, exhausting too...and, I see you have a toddler to so I can only imagine.

With my son, I had to wean him before a year because I got sick and needed meds that he couldn't have. We made it to about 7-8 months, and I switched to formula at around 9 months. While, they say at least a year is best for sure, I would give it at least another couple of months! I think there was a reason we did 9 months, but I can't really remember...if you can stick it out, I would keep it up!

Best of luck.

Stop when you are ready. Your son will be fine and you should congratulate yourself for breastfeeding him.

J.,
if you resent breastfeeding, stop.
Just be aware that nutritionally, your breastmilk is the only thing that is perfect for your baby. Also, your milk changes when your child gets older to contain different antibodies, so that might be worth it. Perhaps you can reduce nursing to one session before bedtime as a compromise.

Hi J.,

You have already gone longer than you expected to, -congratulations on that! I am so proud of you for sticking it out (it is really hard from 2-4 months of age).

I agree with everybody else, that if you are starting to resent it, then stop.

If you are "only" tired of it, -think about this;
At 6 months, your baby is probably going through a growth spurt......and yes, nursing more.
Breastmilk is the perfect food, -it changes according to time of day, how often you baby nurses, how hot or cold the weather is, and has the right nutrients.
If formula feeding, you will have to mix when your baby gets hungry, wash bottles and niples aso.
Soon, you will start your baby on solids, and the need to nurse decreases.
Your baby will start getting mobile and more curious about the world, and thus the need to nurse decreases.

And why does it have to be either or? Could you maybe exchange 1 or 2 feedings for a bottle if need be?

About myself, I nursed my son for 2 years and my daughter is 2 and still nursing (only a little bit). I do not know how long you nursed your 4 year old for, -but it gets less time consuming and more about snugling :-)

Best of luck with your decision!