how long to breastfeed for?

[kirstyw14]

when should i give up breastfeeding ? my little girl is 11 weeks old and is a very hungry baby - but we have breastfeeding down to a t.  Im just wondering how long do i breastfeed for when she starts on solids?
Not to sound to selfish but i would like to have a nice glass of wine - maybe even two - lets go crazy ha ha

[PaulsMom]

Many health organizations recommend breast feeding for 2 yrs.  but it's really a personal decision on how long you want to bf for.  I know that some moms will have a glass of wine with dinner.  Here's some info..

http://kellymom.com/bf/can-i-breastfeed/lifestyle/alcohol/

I think it's up to you if you want to have a glass of wine and bf, or you can pump before hand and bottle feed your Lo.

[Shiv52]

I BF my DD1 until 18 months and 24 months with DD2. That being said once on solids and we were on 4 feeds I was able to have a drink.  I used to time it that I'd have a glass of wine at the end of a feed and be fine for the next feed. From what I've read a glass of wine when nursing is totally fine.

[*Ali*]

As others have said it is down to personal preference as to how long you BF for but the WHO (world health organisation) recommend BFing exclusively (no formula or solids) for 6 months and then to continue BFing alongside solids until "2yo and beyond".

You will need to use formula in place of breast milk if you stop BFing before about 12mo (recommendations vary slightly in some countries) as milk (breast milk or formula) is the main source of nutrition until that point. After then your LO can get all the nutrients she requires from a balanced diet of solid food. The antibodies are only available from breast milk though.

I BFed DS1 until 26mo and am still BFing DS2 now at 17mo. I have enjoyed many a glass of alcohol. As Shiv says it is often about timing. I normally partake in the evenings after the LOs' BTs knowing I wouldn't be feeding again until the next morning.

HTH

[Fiver]

Completely agree with the previous posters.  Some say the best time to have a glass of wine is when you're actually feeding as it doesn't have the time to get through to your milk at that feed and will most likely have passed through by the time the next one comes around

That said, I've been feeding my DD for the last 25m and haven't missed out on the odd glass of wine/cider here and there

[eva026]

I think I went out for my first beer with the girls when DD was 12 weeks old. BF'd for BT and went out. DH gave her a bottle of EBM for her DF and when I got home I could BF her NF by 3am. We have a breathalyser at home so I could check my alch level. After 1 beer with food I can BF 1h later as I have 0, but I like to wait an extra hour just in case.

Take a look at the attachment at the bottom of this page for a guide how many units of alch you can drink and how long you have to wait:

https://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/bf-info/safe-when-breastfeeding/alcohol-and-breastfeeding

DD would BF for 1.5h at a time, for the first 2 months (the NF took 1h) so it was a killer, it felt like I was chained to the couch BF all day!! But believe me it's worth it to hang in there because the time suddenly gets shorter and after solids it's only 4x a day so it becomes  much easier than bottle feeding. While my formula feeding friends have to worry about sterilising, bringing bottles, formula and finding warm water somewhere, I can just bring my boob and DD is set;) The night times are much, much easier too since it has taken much longer for DD to STTN than I thought it would. I stumble into DD's room, feed her half asleep (the feeds take 5min now) and am back in bed before I have fully woken up. With formula you have to wake properly to measure amounts, warm water etc, all while your LO is screaming for food in the crib.
If you need a break you can always express milk and have your partner do a feed by bottle. We chose to have DH give the DF by bottle so he was more involved and I got a bit more sleep or a night out every 2 weeks:)

[kirstyw14]

my god for almost two years some of u say .. ill never have a night out again ha ha ha ..
ill also be returning to work - not for a while but  i dont think expressing that much is possible - my DD eats sometimes every TWO hours.. im trying to extend this but i dont want her to be starving.
I thought about trying the EASY method but dont really know where to start?!

[*Ali*]

Kirsty, your LO is still tiny. Her feeding will settle down over the next few months and she will likely have only 5 feeds a day (plus NFs probably) soon and then only 4. By 12mo many LOs are only having 2 or 3 feeds a day and no longer feeding at night unless mama wants to.

As we say, BFing does not mean you cannot have a night out, you just need to balance the timing and organise a bottle. If you didn't want to pump to you could use a bottle of formula when you need to and continue breast feeding at other times. Many LOs have formula in the day and just BF in the morning and evening when mama is back at work in the day. There are lots of options depending on what you want.

You don't have to BF for the full two years if you don't want to. The WHO can only say what is best for baby, it is up to each mama to weigh that up against their own personal needs and those of their family. If going out drinking is important to you then you can make it happen. I try to think of it as 2yrs being a relatively short period of time in the grand scheme of things. I'll have plenty of time for other things when my babies are older. If you do want to stay with the BFing for now it may help to set short terms goals like getting to 6mo and then if you wish to continue set another goal a few months later and so on. If you start out with 2yrs in your head as an insurmountable length of time you may be setting yourself up to fail, yk?

How old will your LO be when you return to work? Does she take a bottle now?

Here is a link with some great info on starting EASY. Starting EASY - all you need to know and more! you can always post on the EASY board if you need advice on a specific routine.

[kirstyw14]

thanks for the link to EASY
I'm not sure when ill go back to work  maybe when she is 9 months. i know shes still tiny - its purely advive - believe me im not trying to get rid of her! 
no she does not have any formula at all - i was determined to breast feed only. very proud of myself for doing so - and even having the confidence to breastfeed in public and in front of my family.

At the moment she only really naps when i take her out in her pram - today for example ur lucky if she slept for half an hour its really awful rain/snow and wind today so have obviously stayed in ! so she is exhausted!

as for drinking - im not saying i want to go out boozing it up - i could not leave her yet!! not for a long time!! but i will maybe try and stock up on my freezer supply of breast milk. I really dont want to give her formula if i can help it!
 thanks for all ur advice

[*Ali*]

If you want to sick with breast milk that is great. I just mentioned the formula to highlight the point that it wouldn't have to be all or nothing.

At 9mo mine were both on 4 feeds a day so plenty of time for grabbing some me time between boobs!

[kirstyw14]

yeh i suppose i have a few things to think about  - good to get your input thank you very much

[Claudiamummy]

Hi there, just wanted to offer my story.

Dd was bf (no formula) and one I recovered from the life stripping tiredness I started to go out a bit
As pp, the feeds dropped right down I took bf one day at a time (nearly quitting more than once!!) but we hung in for 19 months.... (And only stopping because I got ill again with the sickness bug and HAD to take something)
So when I was going to drink I would feed her at night, and the go out have a few wines knowing it wouldn't matter as it would the next night before we bf again (the great thing about extending bf is that it is often just one feed)

I now right now you are probably wanting more YOU time, easy can help with that, but your lo is SO tiny right now, if you can try to join/attend  groups with lots of other mums, sometimes a cuppa, a shoulder and a chocolate something are better than wine!!!

No one here would EVER judge you or Tell you what to do in ANY way. This is a safe haven

Check out the easy board and the suggested ways of introducing it, it might give you the break you need

On a final note, I never thought I would bf as long as I did, and when I knew it was over I cried.... Even though I could remember the endless feeds, worrying about everything I consumed etc, that was OUR time, I raised her, I saw off the critics and people who were "disgusted" by it, and I still remember her holding me as I fed her and stroked her hair...... Trust me nothing compares when you look back.

Well done for everything you are doing, bf is an amazing thing, you should be SO proud!!!!

Xxx

[becj86]

I went back to work when DS was 9 months. I was lucky that his daycare was close to my office, so they rang me when he'd woken from a nap and I'd go and BF him there. Now he's still feeding at 21 months - didn't think that'd happen when I started out... I just have never seen a need to stop him from BFing for long enough to carry it through. I have been cranky and wanted to stop at times, just never for long enough to actually stop him BFing for good.

[Kirsten~]

Hi Kirsty, the other ladies have offered you some great guidance and advice for when you can sneak in a drink and other advise. For going back to work, I went back to work when my DD was 9 weeks old, and we just stopped BFing 2 days ago, and she's nearly 10 months old. My DD also nursed very frequently when she was little like your LO. When I went back to work she was nursing every 3 hours, so it made it tough to pump 3 times a day, but she quickly moved to every 4 hours, and then I pumped twice a day for months and months and months! It seems like a big pain, but I was surprised at how quickly the pumping just settled into my routine at work.
Just saying, it's up to you (and your work situation), but you don't have to give up BFing when you go back to work if you want to keep going.

Basically, you can keep BFing as long as you want, but it does get easier. And if you need a break because you feel like your BFing around the clock, see if your DH or someone can give her a bottle. We did that on a couple of occasions so I could get some sleep. It ended up being fine since BFIng was well-established. Good luck!!!