First Time Mom and Breastfeeding - How Long Did You Do IT?

FitMamaLove
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I did it for about 20 months..
Anonymous
5-6 month with both kids. Was happy doing it but also happy when we went to formula.
Anonymous
First baby- 15 mths, 2nd baby- 10 mths, 3rd baby- 8 mths. I tried to nurse each as long as they were interested. The first was easy. Each subsequent child got harder for me as far as supply was concerned. I was also a sah mom with the first. I do think not having to pump made it easier for me as I had low supply issues with all.
Anonymous
Roughly 4 months with some formula supplementation. Had medically needed breast reconstructive surgery years ago and, to my dismay, my milk quantity was greatly affected. Tried a hospital grade pump, fenugreek, lactation consultants...all with little improvement. Finally read a b
Anonymous
(whoops!) Finally read a book about defining your own breast feeding success after such surgeries and it gave me to confidence to make peace with the fact that I was doing the best I could to feed my child. Breast milk. Formula. It's all okay if your child is thriving.
Anonymous
Still going at 3. Planned for through 2 due to some of DC's health problems and are tapering off now.
Anonymous
2.5 years.
Anonymous
2 yrs with #1, 18 mo with #2, 2yrs with #3
Anonymous
8 weeks
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:8 weeks


Finally! Thank you for your honesty, I know there are people who don't pump for 2 years, but barely any have posted here which is really disheartening for me, I HATE breast feeding, but am trying to hang on for at least the duration of my maternity leave.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:8 weeks


Finally! Thank you for your honesty, I know there are people who don't pump for 2 years, but barely any have posted here which is really disheartening for me, I HATE breast feeding, but am trying to hang on for at least the duration of my maternity leave.


The reason that it seems like people either quit after 6-8 weeks or seem to make it a year or two is that it generally gets WAY easier after 3 months or so. Once you and the babu really have it figured out, it may seem easier than mixing and warming a bottle. My goal was 12 weeks, and I'm still at it at 5 months. Didn't expect it, and now I'm thinking I could end up going a lot longer than I planned. Went back to work at 4 months, and for me, at least, pumping is kind of a nice break in the day, and nursing in the morning (and especially overnight) seems easier than formula.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:8 weeks


Finally! Thank you for your honesty, I know there are people who don't pump for 2 years, but barely any have posted here which is really disheartening for me, I HATE breast feeding, but am trying to hang on for at least the duration of my maternity leave.


The reason that it seems like people either quit after 6-8 weeks or seem to make it a year or two is that it generally gets WAY easier after 3 months or so. Once you and the babu really have it figured out, it may seem easier than mixing and warming a bottle. My goal was 12 weeks, and I'm still at it at 5 months. Didn't expect it, and now I'm thinking I could end up going a lot longer than I planned. Went back to work at 4 months, and for me, at least, pumping is kind of a nice break in the day, and nursing in the morning (and especially overnight) seems easier than formula.


That's how it was for me, too. It's hard to imagine that it will get that much easier when you're in the hardest part though (the first 2 months are so tough for some of us!) Good luck with whatever you do. Any breastfeeding you can do will have benefits!
Anonymous
I've just started the weaning process at 9 months. I never supplemented with formula until now, but I really wish I had. I was killing myself with nursing and pumping, trying to get her as much as I could without resorting to the dreaded formula. We've had a few problems along the way: nursing strike at 3 months which lasted a miserable week, absolute refusal to nurse under a cover in public which was necessary for me because of my massive breasts, thrush, and then another surprising nursing strike, which convinced me that weaning was the way to go. I've still been able to nurse before bed and in the morning because DD only seems to refuse during the day when she's too distracted by the world, and I hope I can do that for a while. I have a pretty good freezer stash, which I hope will get me through to 12 months with some formula thrown in.

As far as deflated breasts, I'm praying mine will deflate a bit! I went from a 32E pre-pregnancy to now a 34I. I just can't lug these things around anymore! I also lost barely any weight while nursing but have found that it's coming off more easily as I start to wean. I got my period back at 5 months, which was rather annoying.
Anonymous
7.5 months before we were totally weaned. I didn't have a period the whole time and wanted to get pg again at 9 months. I was hoping to only wean enough to get my period back but my hormones would not cooperate until we were fully weaned.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:8 weeks


Finally! Thank you for your honesty, I know there are people who don't pump for 2 years, but barely any have posted here which is really disheartening for me, I HATE breast feeding, but am trying to hang on for at least the duration of my maternity leave.


The reason that it seems like people either quit after 6-8 weeks or seem to make it a year or two is that it generally gets WAY easier after 3 months or so. Once you and the babu really have it figured out, it may seem easier than mixing and warming a bottle. My goal was 12 weeks, and I'm still at it at 5 months. Didn't expect it, and now I'm thinking I could end up going a lot longer than I planned. Went back to work at 4 months, and for me, at least, pumping is kind of a nice break in the day, and nursing in the morning (and especially overnight) seems easier than formula.


That's how it was for me, too. It's hard to imagine that it will get that much easier when you're in the hardest part though (the first 2 months are so tough for some of us!) Good luck with whatever you do. Any breastfeeding you can do will have benefits!


Yes, exactly. NP here. I've been nursing DD for a little more than 2 years. At 3 weeks, I was ready to throw in the towel, but I really wanted to make it to the end of my FMLA. Well, at 16 weeks, when I went back, breastfeeding was going so well I couldn't imagine changing to formula. It only got easier and easier. Sometime around 6 months, it became really nice bonding and almost no work.

I haven't gotten my period back yet (about 25 months).

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