How long do you plan to BF?

chickybuns

I was just curious to what other momma's plans were. I plan on at least 6 months, but would ultimately like to make it to a year. I also nurse and pump. It will be nice one day not to lug the pump with me to work everyday, but I would feel guilty quitting too early and not giving my little guy my milk. I am hoping to build up a stash so maybe I could quit at 10 or 11 months and have enough to make it a year. But right now I only have maybe 10 days worth, but who knows how he will do with solids in a few months...maybe eventually he will take less milk.

jls8209

I'm aiming for the whole year, but I have days where I don't enjoy breastfeeding and contemplate stopping sooner. I've started pumping a bit to build a stash because if I do stop before the year I'd like to give her at least some breast milk.... I'll see what happens when the time comes, though.

Pepper2185

I'm planning to make it to the 1 year mark.

Max is getting really efficient at eating, so feeding him isn't taking up much time. I'll also be on mat leave until then, so I don't have do do the whole pump at work thing (high five to you moms, that's commitment!).

I'm assuming he'll nurse less frequently as more solids are introduced as well. Breastfeeding is going well here, so I'm keeping the milk factory in business

Jillsie11

Trying to go the whole year again this time...last time I made it to 10 1/2 months, but I'd really like to go the whole year. I'm only nursing about 4x a day at this point (she eats a lot at her feedings ), and will most likely keep that up when she starts solids. I also have a good stash in the fridge...said today it looks like I have enough to feed a small baby army.

Mewlingstork

Our short term goal is 1 year, but I plan on baby led weaning. I'm not going to get too much into solids until closer to a year and I plan to let him nurse until he decides he's done. Like Max, he's become pretty efficient so it's not taking up too much time. There is no point at which breastmilk isn't good for a child, so I have no cut off in mind. Interested in seeing how my mom deals with it if he nurses until like 3 or something. I would be stoked to have so much snuggle time with my little guy. I'm also interested to see what he thinks of my milk when I hopefully get pregnant in the next few months, if not already.

mellynat

I pumped w my first son for the last 6 months-(he started biting me) weaned him off boobie milk around 1 yr old when he finally took cow milk. I was maybe 2-3 weeks shy of the 1 year mark w the 2nd daughter (breastfeed her exclusively pumping occasionally for outings.but she self weaned before turning one..
This third time around i'm hoping to go a little over the 1 year mark only because she's a winter baby so i'd like her to get the extra immunity from it so she doesn't get sick too often.
I have to say pumping exclusively like i did w mys first was sooo much harder and I hated it. I enjoyed breastfeeding 2nd baby exclusively. it was much much easier. if she hadn't self weaned I would of breastfeed a little longer.

LindsayLo79

We are currently a few days shy of 6 months! I originally thought of only doing it until 6months but I actually really enjoy it - things are going so well. Im not ready to break out the bottles so my goal is to hit a year!

JaclynnGail

I'm shooting for 8 months. I'm a school teacher and pumping at work right now, which SUCKS...I figure that, if I can make it until school is out in May, I can then stop as summer comes to a close and avoid pumping at work next school year. We'll see, though...right now, I can't imagine not giving it to him.

AureliaCotta

At least a year. After that, it'll depend on how long little man wants to continue, though I'm definitely stopping by age 2 this time. I did the baby-led weaning with the first child...who decided he was going well past 2.

shellebelle79

As long as my milk supply is in. I "dried up" when my 1st was 8 months old, and 6 months with my 2nd. Now my 3rd is almost 8 months and my milk is staying strong! So excited, I work midnights and pump at work, so expect the stress of haveing to do that and not being able to nurse as often my milk will eventually stop. But I hope it keeps up for a year or maybe when she is 15 months. We will see

juliehuestis

I am planning on a year or near it at least! I luckily get 1year off so haven't had to pump yet. With the other two kids I continued until 11 months and 13 months.

Jenny_Rose77

If you had asked me when I was pregnant, I would have said 3 months of breastfeeding, followed by 3 months of pumping (so he is used to the bottle), then formula. Then I had such a hard time breastfeeding (because I had to go back to the hospital after he was born, he got used to bottles), that when I finally got him back on the breast, I was like, "I just invested so much time in doing this...now I understand why women end up feeding kids until they're 5!!" So...new plan is probably until he is around 1 year. (Return for my investment in making it work!) Also, I HATE pumping. It's not so bad when I'm just doing it to produce a bottle or two for the babysitter if we're going out, but when I was doing it exclusively for the first 5 weeks of his life, I was pretty miserable. I have so much more respect now for the women I know who pumped exclusively long-term. I had no idea what they were really doing before.

BeckyJill7

My goals are in 3 month increments. I made it to the first 3 months- now aiming for 6 months. Ideally, I'd like to make it to a year. I can't see myself doing any sort of extended nursing though- more power to the women who do though! I think it's great- just not something I am interested in. (who knows though, only time will tell)

I do have quite a stash of milk in my deep freeze (at least a couple hundred ounces). I feed her first thing in the morning and pump the other side. Pump two or three times while at work, nurse as soon as I pick her up from daycare then nurse again after bathtime, and pump one more time before bed.

She drinks between 8-10 oz while at daycare and I'm able to supplement that with about 10-20 oz extra/day. Pumping is such a commitment and so time consuming. I know you know that but that would be the only reason I would consider stopping early. It's such a chore- set up, pump, break down, keep everything in a cooler/fridge, make sure I'm not totally nipping out before returning to work, making sure I'm freshly pumped before a workout, making sure I have all the parts (I'm really good at forgetting the storage lids at home), It's also not that comfortable for me. Sorry for the mini rant.

At the end of the day, I know this milk is the absolute best for my baby. I always knew it was important but didn't realize I'd feel so strongly about it until I had a kid.

dinomomma

We're doing child led weaning, I hope to tandem nurse after baby three, but we'll see! We're at almost 16 months and still nursing 12-18 times a day

RBXChas

I'm with BeckyJill. I'm 30 weeks pregnant right now but plan on taking it as it comes. I had major supply issues with my first and nursed him as much as I could as well as pumped. I was able to create a very small frozen stash. AF returned at 3 months postpartum, so I stopped frustrating myself with nursing/pumping (if I EP'd for a day, I'd get maybe 3 ounces). I woke up the next day with one really full boob and one normal boob, so I pumped one more time and got the most I'd ever gotten in one sitting. From there on out I "dried up" and had no issues with leaking, though I think I wore breast pads for a couple of days to be sure. I finished out my freezer stash (I'd alternate a breastmilk bottle with a formula bottle except at night, which was all formula), and then my son was completely formula-fed. We started introducing solids at four months anyway, for whatever that's worth.

This time I'd like to use little to no formula (I will consider it at night because they sleep longer with it), and the first time around I didn't mind pumping that much. My son will be in preschool, so it will be me and baby alone for the daytime, which should help. I have nothing against formula-feeding, but it was so expensive!

I'd like to hit the ground running, if possible, by getting started right away and avoiding the missteps I took in the hospital last time, then I'm taking it one month at a time, or even one week at a time, if I have to.

chickybuns

I'm enjoying nursing now, but have to use the shield, which is a pain in the booty!!. He latched once without it and it hurt soo bad. I need to try it again but I'm scared. I pretty much pumped for the first 12 weeks due to lip tie and he is rough. It is better now that he is bigger, but I'm so worried about when he gets teeth. I don't enjoy pumping but I've become used to it. It does take so much time. Now I usually give him a bottle in the morning to get his vitamin D and I usually need to pump before he gets up. I also give him a bottle at night so I know he is full around 7 and then he nurses before bed.

servilia

I have one year mat leave so I plan to BF the whole time. Thank goodness the horrendous pain of the first few weeks are gone! I was calling my LO the little torture machine lol

RBXChas

I'm enjoying nursing now, but have to use the shield, which is a pain in the booty!!. He latched once without it and it hurt soo bad. I need to try it again but I'm scared. I pretty much pumped for the first 12 weeks due to lip tie and he is rough. It is better now that he is bigger, but I'm so worried about when he gets teeth. I don't enjoy pumping but I've become used to it. It does take so much time. Now I usually give him a bottle in the morning to get his vitamin D and I usually need to pump before he gets up. I also give him a bottle at night so I know he is full around 7 and then he nurses before bed.

I always did a bottle in the AM and pumped because that was always my best pump of the day - a big deal when I was getting so little, and I sort of used it as a gauge for how much I might produce that day.

I was fortunate to have my dad and BIL (both pediatricians) making me feel less guilty about using formula. My dad said that at least we knew he was getting enough iron. He's been big on making sure my son gets enough iron as opposed to other nutrients that he's most likely getting plenty of, like calcium.

kerrbear79

My goals are in 3 month increments. I made it to the first 3 months- now aiming for 6 months. Ideally, I'd like to make it to a year. I can't see myself doing any sort of extended nursing though- more power to the women who do though! I think it's great- just not something I am interested in. (who knows though, only time will tell)

She drinks between 8-10 oz while at daycare and I'm able to supplement that with about 10-20 oz extra/day. Pumping is such a commitment and so time consuming. I know you know that but that would be the only reason I would consider stopping early. It's such a chore- set up, pump, break down, keep everything in a cooler/fridge, make sure I'm not totally nipping out before returning to work, making sure I'm freshly pumped before a workout, making sure I have all the parts (I'm really good at forgetting the storage lids at home), It's also not that comfortable for me. Sorry for the mini rant.

At the end of the day, I know this milk is the absolute best for my baby. I always knew it was important but didn't realize I'd feel so strongly about it until I had a kid.

DITTO to all of that!! If I was a stay at home mom and didn't have to pump then it would be a lot different. If I can make it to 6 months I will be thrilled!

stellcorb

Going for a year with this one and 9 months in. I've been pumping at work since she was 12 weeks and hope to stop and use up my frozen storage as soon as the weather warms up and just breastfeed before and after work and on weekends. I had to start supplimenting my son w/ formula at about 9 mos as I didn't build up as much of a frozen stash and he ate more that my daughter.... but I still nursed him outside of that until he weaned himself around 15 months. I'm hoping to be completely done at 12 months this time though... as much as I appreciate the cuddle time, I'm ready to have my body be all my own!

chickybuns

That's a good point that some of you made about having some point to stop pumping at work. Although sometimes I'm gone aroudn 12 hours so I don't know if I could go that long. But maybe at some point I could just pump once while I'm gone, nurse when I'm with him, and use what I have frozen when I am not with him. We will see how I feel and how much frozen I have a 6 months. I'm pretty sure I will make it to a year as long as there are no major issues. I feel like I have worked so hard to give him milk, I don't want to quit too soon!