When tO stop Bfing?

mummyruston · Apr 7th, 2012, 15:28 PM

Just a question really...

My LO is Only 12w old and I initially said 6m Bfing but I'm now thinking 12m.

But I'm thinking when I hit 12m will I want to carry on?

But I'm not sure I could carry on expressing at work and the other socially excluding elements that Bfing brings. I'm not a work yet and return

I want the best for my child and that's why I chOse to bf and have decided to bf for 12m.

How much milk will a 12m old to 2yr old need?

RaspberryK · Apr 7th, 2012, 15:32 PM

I think they're all different, I have a friend whose toddler feeds only last thing at night and only occasionally on the weekend in the morning/day time when she's at home.
After 1 milk stops being their main source of nutrition and will most likely having other drinks too so I am sure there's no reason you couldn't wean to just a morning and an evening feed. This is what I intend to do.
x

CandyDay · Apr 7th, 2012, 15:43 PM

not sure how much your LO will need after 1 year.....but it is really healthy for them and for you if you keep going past that point

Some good answers here for why to continue so if ppl question you you can have some good reasons to give them (not that you should ever have to justify yourself to others)
http://kellymom.com/ages/older-infant/ebf-benefits/

They will be eating solids at every meal by that point so it will depend on how much of that they are eating.

Several studies have measured breastmilk intake for babies between 12 and 24 months and found typical amounts to be 14-19 oz per day (400-550 mL per day). Studies looking at breastmilk intake between 24 and 36 months have found typical amounts to be 10-12 oz per day (300-360 mL per day).

http://kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/pumping/milkcalc/

Lownthwaite · Apr 7th, 2012, 16:24 PM

My initial goal was 6 months.

Then I realised that when she was 6 months I would have to switch to formula if I stopped

and didn't want to go to formula when we hard worked so hard to get where we were so we carried on till 12 months..........

.......12 months arrived and I didn't want to stop........we'll go to 18 months.....

.......LO is now 21 months and still BF

I stopped expressing at work when LO was about 13 months. She could have cows milk then and was BF less in the day so it was ok.

Now at 21 months she has self weaned to just a morning feed a day

The main thing is that you and your baby are happy.
Feed for as long as YOU and baby choose to. Don't let other peoples opinions influence your decisions.

mamawannabee · Apr 7th, 2012, 21:34 PM

Go as long as you want! Yes, it will be harder once you have to express, but you could also stop at that point and just do feeds when you are home. After 12 months they can get most of their nutrition from food, and any breast milk is great, as well as great for bonding if you still enjoy it. If you don't want to continue past 12 months, know that just making it that far is great! And if you want to keep going, then go for it mama.

mummyruston · Apr 9th, 2012, 02:50 AM

So if I wanted to just give my LO a night feed of bf from 12m to 2yrs would my body just adapt and allow one feed per day?

Lownthwaite · Apr 9th, 2012, 03:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mummyruston

So if I wanted to just give my LO a night feed of bf from 12m to 2yrs would my body just adapt and allow one feed per day?

Yes

my toddler has self weaned to just one feed a day and my body produces enough milk for that one feed - although there is milk there throughout the day too - if I attempt to express I still get milk.

DarlingGirl · Apr 10th, 2012, 06:06 AM

As previous posters have said, at 12 months your baby will be getting nutrition from lots of other sources in addition to breastmilk and you may find that once you return to work, you've weaned down to a morning and bedtime feed. That was the case for us. We then dropped the morning feed and then finally the bedtime one and she doesn't seem to miss it at all now. See how attached you both are to BFing at that point and you'll know what's best for you both.

Jchihuahua · Apr 10th, 2012, 06:32 AM

By the time my daughter stopped BFing (her choice, I wanted to carry on!) at almost 18 months she was only having one feed before bed.

TigerLady · Apr 10th, 2012, 09:37 AM

I worked full time with both my kids. I was able to stop expressing at work by 8-10 months of age for each of them. My DS was on just a bed time feed from 15 months until he naturally weaned at 31 months. My DD reverse cycles and doesn't BF at all from about 5 am until bedtime at 7 pm, she's 19 months.

Apr 7th, 2012, 15:28 PM	#1
mummyruston Mum (Mom) Chat Happy BnB Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 1,189	When tO stop Bfing? Just a question really... My LO is Only 12w old and I initially said 6m Bfing but I'm now thinking 12m. But I'm thinking when I hit 12m will I want to carry on? But I'm not sure I could carry on expressing at work and the other socially excluding elements that Bfing brings. I'm not a work yet and return I want the best for my child and that's why I chOse to bf and have decided to bf for 12m. How much milk will a 12m old to 2yr old need?

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Apr 7th, 2012, 15:32 PM	#2
RaspberryK Mum (Mom) BnB Addict Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Northamptonshire, England Posts: 4,629	I think they're all different, I have a friend whose toddler feeds only last thing at night and only occasionally on the weekend in the morning/day time when she's at home. After 1 milk stops being their main source of nutrition and will most likely having other drinks too so I am sure there's no reason you couldn't wean to just a morning and an evening feed. This is what I intend to do. x

Status: Offline

Apr 7th, 2012, 15:43 PM	#3
CandyDay Mum (Mom) Active BnB Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Ontario,Canada Posts: 567	not sure how much your LO will need after 1 year.....but it is really healthy for them and for you if you keep going past that point Some good answers here for why to continue so if ppl question you you can have some good reasons to give them (not that you should ever have to justify yourself to others) http://kellymom.com/ages/older-infant/ebf-benefits/ They will be eating solids at every meal by that point so it will depend on how much of that they are eating. Several studies have measured breastmilk intake for babies between 12 and 24 months and found typical amounts to be 14-19 oz per day (400-550 mL per day). Studies looking at breastmilk intake between 24 and 36 months have found typical amounts to be 10-12 oz per day (300-360 mL per day). http://kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/pumping/milkcalc/

Status: Offline

Apr 7th, 2012, 16:24 PM	#4
Lownthwaite Mum (Mom) BnB Addict Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: England Posts: 3,151	My initial goal was 6 months. Then I realised that when she was 6 months I would have to switch to formula if I stopped and didn't want to go to formula when we hard worked so hard to get where we were so we carried on till 12 months.......... .......12 months arrived and I didn't want to stop........we'll go to 18 months..... .......LO is now 21 months and still BF I stopped expressing at work when LO was about 13 months. She could have cows milk then and was BF less in the day so it was ok. Now at 21 months she has self weaned to just a morning feed a day The main thing is that you and your baby are happy. Feed for as long as YOU and baby choose to. Don't let other peoples opinions influence your decisions.

Status: Offline

Apr 7th, 2012, 21:34 PM	#5
mamawannabee Mum (Mom) Chat Happy BnB Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: United States Posts: 1,652	Go as long as you want! Yes, it will be harder once you have to express, but you could also stop at that point and just do feeds when you are home. After 12 months they can get most of their nutrition from food, and any breast milk is great, as well as great for bonding if you still enjoy it. If you don't want to continue past 12 months, know that just making it that far is great! And if you want to keep going, then go for it mama.

Status: Offline

Apr 9th, 2012, 02:50 AM	#6
mummyruston Mum (Mom) Chat Happy BnB Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 1,189	So if I wanted to just give my LO a night feed of bf from 12m to 2yrs would my body just adapt and allow one feed per day?

Status: Offline

Apr 10th, 2012, 06:06 AM	#8
DarlingGirl Mum (Mom) Active BnB Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: UK Posts: 122	As previous posters have said, at 12 months your baby will be getting nutrition from lots of other sources in addition to breastmilk and you may find that once you return to work, you've weaned down to a morning and bedtime feed. That was the case for us. We then dropped the morning feed and then finally the bedtime one and she doesn't seem to miss it at all now. See how attached you both are to BFing at that point and you'll know what's best for you both.

Status: Offline

Apr 10th, 2012, 06:32 AM	#9
Jchihuahua Mum (Mom) BnB Addict Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: W. Yorkshire Posts: 7,133	By the time my daughter stopped BFing (her choice, I wanted to carry on!) at almost 18 months she was only having one feed before bed.

Status: Online

Apr 10th, 2012, 09:37 AM	#10
TigerLady Mum (Mom) BnB Spammer Elite Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: In a Cave Posts: 24,275	I worked full time with both my kids. I was able to stop expressing at work by 8-10 months of age for each of them. My DS was on just a bed time feed from 15 months until he naturally weaned at 31 months. My DD reverse cycles and doesn't BF at all from about 5 am until bedtime at 7 pm, she's 19 months.

Status: Offline

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