Is anyone planning to stop bf after a year? How will you do it?

[Itsychik]

Is there anyone who is planning to stop breast feeding after 1 year?

How are you planning to do that? Will you drop feeds, replace with something else (snacks? cow's milk?)? What if your LO doesn't want to stop?

My goal was to ebf for a year (after a low supply and 8 months of struggle with my DS, I was sure this wouldn't be possible) but after a lot of hard work we're just a couple weeks away from our goal I couldn't be more thrilled!

However... I don't think I'm ready to stop. But I also think DD is really only breast feeding as much as she is (4 - 5 times in a 24-hour period) because it's a part of our routine and I'm offering (when I'm not around, she will skip most of those feeds with no problem) and DH thinks it would be "easier" if DD wasn't dependent on my for bedtime (i.e. no bedtime feed) so he could bring her to bed on occasion as well. And I'm wondering if it wouldn't be better to start weaning her off some of the feeds while she's still young enough to accept the change (although there's no way we'd wean her off night time feeds without a struggle). My supply is really low so she's only getting a relatively small amount anyway...But really, I just don't know what I want to do.

So wondering what others are doing/planning?? Anyone in a similar position?

 

[ButterCup17]

My ds turns one Saturday and I was planning to stop then too. Now he only really nurses in the owning. I offer after both naps and before bed, he does nurse those times too but only very quickly. So I guess I'm going to start doing cows milk after the naps, and keep morning and night for a few days/ weeks, then drip the bedtime, then a few days/weeks later drop the morning. That's my plan at least, we will see how it goes...

 

[ButterCup17]

* morning, not owning...dumb phone!

 

[shinona]

I found that the number of feeds reduced naturally and eventually both of mine self-weaned. They just wouldn't latch one morning, no upset or anything, we were just done.
I seem to remember others doing a don't offer, don't refuse thing but not sure if that would work for a one year old x

 

[Ganton]

My DS2 is 1 in a couple of weeks and I'm also torn. I've had a few problems along the way and really struggled to keep going with the breastfeeding around 7 months, so I'm so pleased that we're nearly at a year, but it seems easy at the moment so why stop. I'm pretty sure his remaining night feed(s) just out of habit though, so I wonder if weaning him with help to cut out the night wakings. I also want to stop before he gets much older and is more aware that I'm no longer feeding him and I know he'd quite happily take a bottle at the moment. I do love it though. I'm soooo confused.

At the moment, I'm thinking that I may try to keep going until about 14 months, then start by replacing the bedtime feed with a cup, then try to cut out the night feed, then replace the morning feed a couple of weeks later. That would probably get us to about 15 months which I'd be so happy with. I'll still be sad when we're all done though

 

[bcos21]

I planned to stop at a year and now we are at 15 months lol I figure oh well! We are going to keep going and I guess stop when it feels right. Its such a source of comfort for him, so now I'm not really pushing to stop. Do what feels right

 

[Fiona100912]

My LOturned 1 on Tuesday and I've decided it's time to stop. I'm really struggling because I'm not convinced he is ready but he keeps biting (sometimes intentionally sometimes because he is half asleep) and it's starting to get painful. When he indicates he wants to nurse I offer cows milk and he isn't very happy about it. I'm tempted to give in and just continue with the bedtime feed. My head tells me that at a year old he doesn't need it for nutrition (he is a big boy and loves his food) but my heart is telling me I should let him continue until he is ready to stop.

 

[hollowmac]

Not wanting to offend anyone because it is your decision but I don't see the reasoning behind breastfeeding your child after a year old. Let them eat real food. A little over a year is okay too but when women bf for 2 or more years just doesn't make sense to me.

 

[noon_child]

Not wanting to offend anyone because it is your decision but I don't see the reasoning behind breastfeeding your child after a year old. Let them eat real food. A little over a year is okay too but when women bf for 2 or more years just doesn't make sense to me.

I'm not offended, just wanting to let you know the reasons behind it. My LO breastfed till 27months old. During that time she at lots of "real food". She was on 3 meals of family food by 8months ish and never had a problem with her appetite, but we still breastfed.

Medically speaking - there is breast cancer in my family and the longer I breastfed for the more protected I was against this type of cancer (and ovarian). Additionally there are spikes in antibodies at various times in the second year (giving a similar effect to colostrum). No-one really knows why but it seems to coincide with walking and talking. In the toddler years there is increased exposure to stomach bugs, often leading to dehydration. When a child isn't breastfeeding often this dehydration is worse as children refuse drinks, whereas children rarely refuse breastfeeding when ill as it is a comfort and an ideal rehydration solution. My LO never suffered with dehydration during any of her stomach viruses and kept breastmilk down where everything else was being thrown back up.

From a parenting point of view, when my LO turned one I realised how much of a baby one-year-old really is. My LO wasn't walking or talking yet and it seemed strange to stop breastfeeding based on an arbitrary date and switch to cows milk (made by a cows breasts to breastfeed a baby cow!) rather than keep using mine. She started nursery 3 days a week and on those days, breastfeeding her as soon as I went to collect her was such a lovely relaxing way to say hello. I got a chance to transition from worker back to Mum, and we both got to say I love you and I missed you. I also don't know how we would have got through teething without it. None of the painkillers seemed to do much for how miserable she was but a quick breastfeed and she'd be sorted.

I wouldn't judge anyone for wanting to give up at a year, but there are many advantages to continuing.

 

[Foxy37]

My lo is 15 months and she isnt ready to give up qand if it continues until she is 2 then so be it . She dont drink any other milk and she eats well yet loves her bf . Her well being is down to a great imune system that im sure bf has created x

 

[Itsychik]

Not wanting to offend anyone because it is your decision but I don't see the reasoning behind breastfeeding your child after a year old. Let them eat real food. A little over a year is okay too but when women bf for 2 or more years just doesn't make sense to me.

Before I had children/started breastfeeding, I always thought babies should be breastfed from 6 months - 1 year (and saw absolutely no point in breast feeding beyond a year). When I started breast feeding my first baby, I quickly realized what a special bond that was and how much I enjoyed it, and as he approached 6 months I could hardly imagine why anyone would want to stop (sadly, I had a low supply throughout the entire experience so we had to supplement and eventually stop at 8 months). With my second baby I was desperate to be able to ebf, and it's been a struggle a lot of the time but we've ebf'd successfully and the past year has flown by! And now that she's almost a year old (1 more week!) I'm struggling between the social stigma of extended bf'ing and the needs of my DD (which really, is kind of ridiculous when you think about it. Because shouldn't your child's needs always come ahead of what someone else thinks about it?)

As mentioned by a previous reviewer, the benefits of breast milk don't "stop" once your baby reaches the "magical age" of 1. The vitamins, antibodies, and unique blend of nutrition made specially for your baby are still present. Cow's milk certainly isn't healthier for your baby than breast milk, so if both mother and baby want to continue, why wouldn't you? And generally, after a year old, just like parents who give their babies cow's milk, breast milk is meant to supplement along side meals, not replace them. My DD has been on 3 meals a day plus 1 - 2 snacks (fruit, biscuits, etc) for the past several months. She's down to about 3 milk feeds during the day (morning, afternoon, and bedtime) plus whenever she wakes at night. It's a source of both nutrition and comfort for her, and also part of her routine.

My supply has really dropped though and I'm not able to pump enough while at work to cover the 1 feed she misses when at daycare, so I've been running through my freezer stash which is almost gone. So I'm just trying to weigh the benefits vs the huge amount of time I'm spending at work trying to pump (and I'm only guaranteed that break time to pump till DD is 1). And if I stop pumping, I'm not sure my supply will be able to adjust to just a morning and evening feed without dropping off even more, so I'm trying to plan in advance what I will do and how I will feel about it. And figure out how to make the transition easiest for my DD as possible. But I'm not sure I'm even ready to make that stop, as I don't think either of us (me/DD) are ready to stop. But that's why I posted