How long did you plan on breastfeeding and where are you now?

[mtnmom9]

I planned on BF'ing for 6 months but had to stop at 6 weeks, due to low milk supply (had a really good team of lactation consultants who worked with me...which helped me emotionally)and my health. It was heartwrenching to stop. Had a good c-section, but as soon as was stitched up, everything went wrong and had to be in the hospital for 6 nights afterward. So, physically my body was so bombarded (also a high risk & rough pregnancy)that I wasn't able to heal and get my milk supply up so I had to choose. Had a BF'ing zealot jerk give me a hard time about stopping, but I was going "downhill fast" so my decision to stop helped me actually to be an even better mother to my baby, the mother that I've always dreamed of being. Hope that you're getting the support that you need:)

[smallestangel]

Wow! How times have changed. :)

Thanks to everyone who responded and continues to respond to this thread. Reading my post now, it seems like light-years have passed.

Jacob & I were able to overcome the difficulties we had in the beginning. We've been nursing seven months now and things are chugging along nicely with no end in sight.

It DOES get better. We just mastered the art of nursing lying down (I've been trying for awhile but could never quite get in the right position) so things are even easier now!


Amanda & Jacob :)

[HoneymoonBaby]

I wanted to BF 6 months minimum, 12 months maximum. I made it to 4 months. :(

[jbowman]

It's funny to read this post that I wrote many months ago! I am proud to say that I am still BF and closing in on my 12-month goal! I am so excited! I am more proud of BFing Ellie than I am my dissertation (which is saying a lot, LOL!).

[barbarhow]

Isn't it amazing how you can get into a groove with it. I miss it. This morning DS woke up entirely miserable and ended up throwing up a couple of times. I so wish I could have comforted him by nursing him. What a great thing that was. We made it 15 1/2 months. Pretty wonderful. Would love to go longer next time.
Barbara-mom to Jack 3/27/03, a Red Sox fan
expecting #2, a Yankee fan, around 5/9/05!

[nan]

No frowning faces! You brought a life into the world ... that is miraculous enough. Your responsibilty as a parent is to care for and love that child to pieces, and you do that however it works for you!!!

[SnuggleBuggles]

Just answering the OP...

I planned 1 year because that was the minimum AAP recommendation. We went to 19 months when ds self weaned.

I had a very hard time the first 6 weeks and took it one feeding at a time. I am very glad that I stuck through it because it got so, so much easier!

Beth

[kimbe]

Hang in there Amanda! You are doing awesome!

[kimbe]

awesome website!

[mudder17]

Well, the first goal was 1 year exclusively BF'd, then after doing some reading it was at least 6 months exclusively BF'd with solids starting some time after 6 months (if she showed all the signs of readiness). We hit the 6 month goal and started her on solids at around 6.5 months. So then my goal was 1 year with practice with solids and letting her wean on her own. We had a tricky moment when my supply dipped at around 8 months and I thought she was going to wean before a year, but I got myself a hospital pump and was able to get my supply back up and we made it to a year! Since then, my goal has been for her to self-wean, whenever that is. I'm hoping she'll continue nursing for 2 years, and then just wean on her own, but in any case, my goal is for her to wean on her own with no urging from me. We'll see how that goes when we hit the 2 year mark. I figure I'll just play it by ear. In some ways I've surpassed my original goals, but I've just adjusted my goals all along the way, and so in a way, I'm still working towards meeting my goals. :)

As for getting over the hump, these boards were invaluable, and the LC at my hospital was invaluable, and having those times when BF'ing was extremly handy (like when we were out and about and DD suddenly became starving, lol, and I didn't have any snacks with me) have also been very encouraging.

Whoops! Just noticed this is a very old thread! Amanda, how did you end up doing?

Eileen

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...ies/candle.gif for Leah

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbo...merald_18m.gif , 18 months & counting


http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/t/catca..._4_Kaya+is.png