Breastfeeding 6 months plus

[Mango]

Hi ladies, my lil one is 5months at the moment and I was wondering if any ladies on board have/are breastfeeding past 6months.

Just looking for some support and to share ideas on expressing etc.

Right now I am expressing 6oz in each go, meaning my lil one drinks 6oz at the breast as well per feed...but I am trying to build up my supply to do 8oz to that I can increase my stored milk supply.

How is it going for you this late in the game?

 

[ANGYPANGY]

I haven't breastfeed for over 2 yrs but i did both my boys until they were a yr. I also plan to with this one. I think as long as you keep drinking your milk should be fine. I think it got easier after 6 mths since you can introduce other thing into baby's diet.

 

[Ragirl]

I bf my first for 14 months. My milk supply did drop around 10-ish months, even though he was still exclusively bfing. I called several consultants to see what might be going on and what I could do to increase it, but was not successful in increasing it much. Luckily I had a ton already stored and could just pull from that to make up any I was short. Part of the problem may have been that I returned to work when he was 6 months and so had to rely on pumping during the days. But until that 10-month mark, I made a ton of milk. I always nursed my son until he was done and then would pump off both to build up my supply (even though I didn't always get much after he was done...but every oz counts!)

 

[Mango]

Thanks ladies! I'm trying to go for the 1 year mark as well. I return to work full time in one month, when my li one will be 6 months so Ill be doing the same as you Ragirl, pumping during the day.

Right now I am only missing one feeding during which I pump. I also pump just after she has fed early in the morning as my milk supply is highest then and I can store whatever I get from that time.

Breastfeeding has definitely gotten easier over the last few months, just hope my supply last. I need to up my water intake seriously!

 

[mickey]

I still breastfeed and want to do so until she decides by her own to stop!

can't express though, therefore we are quite attached to each other!

atm she gets pureed solids for breakfast, lunch, dinner + water and breast when she asks for it

 

[Mango]

Hey Mickey! When you feed solids, do you breastfeed immediately after or only when she nudges your breast to feed?

Also, ladies, did the introduction of solids make it harder for you to maintain your supply?

I'll be returning to work full time in one month, when my lil one is 6months, similar to you Ragirl. I am really hoping that by pumping 3 times during the work day I'll be able to keep my supply up. I so don't want to leave her but my leave will be coming to an end soon boohoo

 

[mickey]

when we started weaning her, I gave her the breast firstly.

nowadays she gets the breast after the solids, but often she won't finish the solids and asks for the booby.

so, in fact with every solid meal she still has a milkfeed

dependant on the age of LO you can start to drop milk feeds if LO is not asking for the breast (check with doc, HV or similar).

hope this helps

 

[Lyns]

I'm still breastfeeding at 16 months.....to be honest its a doddle now. I don't feed her as much during the day....unless she's poorly or teething, but all my evening, night-time and first thing in a morning feeds are bf's.

After 6 1/2 months, my daughter went onto solids too, and her need for milk during the day went down quite a lot. I was also happy for her to have very watered down juice at that point, from a cup, but made sure she still got 3 or 4 feeds from me to keep her milk intake up.

She shows no inclination of wanting to stop, so I'm Ok with it for now.....I personally believe in letting nature take it's course and letting her self wean. She never gets a feed pushed on her.....she just 'roots' for it and gets it.

I'm trying for number 2 at the moment and will happily tandem feed if thats the way things turn out, but in reality a lot of toddlers do self wean if mum is pregnant.

Good luck!

 

[Mango]

Thanks Mickey! Hopefully I can drop a feed when I start working full time, perhaps drop the lunch feed and give her solids. This would put a lot less pressure on me to express for all of those missed feedings...thanks girls, puts things in perspective for me.

Lyns, why did you choose a cup versus putting it in a bottle? Were you trying to introduce her to cups and get away from bottles?

 

[Lyns]

She just took to a cup better and seeing as we'd ultimately use cups instead of bottles, then it seemed a good plan.

In fact if you'd like a smile....this is her sharing her daddies PINT glass of orange and soda when she was just 8 months old when we went out for dinner one night!

 

[Ragirl]

I wouldn't worry too much about your supply...like I said, I was pumping from 6 weeks to 10 months before my supply started to drop. I think a couple of things helped with that though- I invested in a great pump (Medela dual), I pumped every 2 hours during the day, and when I was home- he was nursing. On weekends I really tried (even if he wasn't the most interested) to have him nurse even for a little bit every 2 hours to encourage my supply. Even when my milk did start to drop, I was still pumping enough (a days supply) most days, it was just somedays were short (where as before, I was pumping way more than he needed every day). We also did not introduce a significant amount of solids until he was a year- we would give him tastes and send one small container of baby food to school for him to munch on during the day, but he was pretty much exclusively breastfed until that 10 months mark when I couldn't get my supply back up. Glad to hear your employer is supportive of pumping!

 

[mickey]

Juleika gets water together with her solids, so she can get used to the idea there is sth else than the booby to satisfy thirst.

I read they still should get four full milk feeds until they are 8 month old, than you have an estimate.

good luck with pumping and weaning

ps: I will also let nature take it's course, if she stops she stops...if not, not...
but of course, it's much easier if you don't have to go to work!

 

[Deise]

Wow, big round of applause for all of you "long term" BFing mommies!!!! I dont think I can do it past 4 months..

 

[mickey]

I found with breastfeeding I experienced a turning point, where I started to feel like I, myself do not want to stop

do u guys experienced this as well?

 

[Ragirl]

Oh my gosh, yes!!! When my son weaned himself at 14 months, I just cried. I tried and tried to convince him otherwise, but he was done. Hoping this one might want to hang on a little longer.

 

[Mango]

I am feeling the exact same way. Early on I told myself I would stop at 3 months but now I want to go until my lil girl is 18 months. It no longer feels like a chore and feels more like a nice quiet bonding moment each time. Especially when she comes off for a second to glance up at me and smile.

Mickey and Lyns I'm aiming for the same thing, just let my LO wean herself naturally.

Ragirl, come to think of it, I never asked permission for pumping breaks hehe. They give two 15min breaks here for smokers so it would be very cheeky for anyone to suggest that I couldn't have a pumping break. They'd see my other side come out lol

Have a great weekend ladies, I can't wait to sleep in!

 

[Mango]

Gotta revive this post! How is everyone doing? I started working full time again and am pumping during the missed feeds. I was worried about keeping up but so far things are going ok and my supply is hanging in there. I started taking Fenugreek again to help maintain my supply and it seems to have given me a boost whoo hoo

Hope everyone is having a good week!

 

[mickey]

hi Mango,

great everyhting runs smoothly

Juleika is still a little booby monster and as it looks like her gums might be sore atm, solids are always a bit of hit and miss.

but with the booby around she is happy

doesn't look like she want to give it up soon

 

[Mango]

Aww too cute, she still luvs to snuggle with mommy huh? So I am guessing he is teething, can you see any teeth about to come through?

Let us know how breastfeeding goes while she's teething. I think that will be my next scary goal to conquer

 

[Always&4ever]

Even though Jasmine is bottle and breast fed, Im planning on breastfeeding until she is 12months old, but will see how it goes