Anonymous wrote:Six months. Would have gone longer but I was pushing 40 and wanted to try for #2 at the one-year mark. Was also unexcited about pumping at work.

To the poster who inquired about saggy boobs: Don't believe the hype that it is pregnancy rather than BFing that causes saggy boobs. Pregnancy probably doesn't help, but I think BFing is worse. We just live in the era of La Leche, and the political pressure against acknowledging that is too high to buck. I found that even six months of BFing and pumping with a hospital-grade pump made my once spectacular boobs look deflated and saggy, like those of a grandma. Even a mammographer commented on the dramatic change in eighteen months--I looked like a different person on the x-ray images. My mother had three kids but did not BF at all, and hers didn't start to sag until her late 60s.

Say WHAT? Did you complain about that????? That is brutal.

As for the breastfeeding vs. pregnancy.... I always kind of wondered if they just say that, but I think it's true about pregnancy. My mom never breastfed for a second, but her boobs looked ridiculously flat and saggy for as far back as I can remember. My grandmother's breasts are fairly perky still at like 80 something and she also never breastfed. My breasts are still perky in my early 40's and I nursed for years over the course of a few kids. I think a lot of this is personal. Pregnancy won't destroy everyone's breasts, but it will hurt some. It's possible that breastfeeding hurts them more, but there's no denying that for most women, the breast enlargement happens during pregnancy whether you breastfeed or not. I think it's also hormonal, as well, and not physical. Also, aging alone does a number on you. My SIL (whose breasts I have never seen in person so I cannot verify) has never been pregnant or breastfed, and she claims that her boobs started drooping in her 30's, drooped further at 40, and at mid forties are in a race for her belly button. like I said, I've never seen them and they look fine in bathing suits, so she might be lying?

Anyway, it seems pretty individual, but I just wouldn't take your one anecdote for evidence that "the man" (aka la leche league, et al) is really trying to trick you into breastfeeding your boobs into oblivion.

Four months and hated every second. BEST DAY EVER when I quit.

Want to add that I read somewhere that BFing is instinctive for the first six months, and after that it is a conditioned behavior for the child. I was amazed how quickly my DD stopped trying to BF when I weaned at six months. It was like she lost the instinct and we stopped before the conditioned behavior had really become ingrained.

Six months. Would have gone longer but I was pushing 40 and wanted to try for #2 at the one-year mark. Was also unexcited about pumping at work.

To the poster who inquired about saggy boobs: Don't believe the hype that it is pregnancy rather than BFing that causes saggy boobs. Pregnancy probably doesn't help, but I think BFing is worse. We just live in the era of La Leche, and the political pressure against acknowledging that is too high to buck. I found that even six months of BFing and pumping with a hospital-grade pump made my once spectacular boobs look deflated and saggy, like those of a grandma. Even a mammographer commented on the dramatic change in eighteen months--I looked like a different person on the x-ray images. My mother had three kids but did not BF at all, and hers didn't start to sag until her late 60s.

Anonymous wrote:First time soon to be mom here too. This is cosmetic, but do breastfeeding moms get deflated breasts after? Just wondering as I have a friend who calls her breasts, fun sag bags. She is ebf now and her daughter is now 2 (she is trying to wean now).

I bf'd for 8 months and yes, it was definitely the breastfeeding, not the pregnancy that caused my boobs to sag. They barely grew at all during pregnancy and then BAM, DDs. Now Im back to a B, but they are hilariously deflated. I don't mind or care really, (personally I think small boobs make people look more thin) but yeah, breastfeeding isn't doing you any favors in the breast volume dept.

EBF for 4.5 to 5 months for both DCs. Going back to work and pumping just totally stressed me out. I was never a huge producer and never could stockpile a stash. I wish I could've gone longer and probably would have if I didn't work ft.

8 months. 5 months EBF, then introduced food and slowly formula as I transitioned back to work. He didn't seem to care or notice which was nice. SUPER hard at the beginning (and I didn't even have actual feeding issues, its just exhausting) and at some point (3 months?) I stopped having a toe curling let down and it got enjoyable.

14 months...I went back to work when DS was four months, I pumped during the day at work, let him BF in the morning, right before bed and on weekends. He weaned himself on his own. I'm not one of those women who loved BFing, I thi l you could say I tolerated it although certain aspects were special - the closeness to my son. But the first few weeks were really tough, I had a hard recovery from an emergency CS and felt like my body had been through hell. But, once Te first few weeks passed, I got the knack of it and it definitely got easier, much much easier after we introduced solids at 4 months. I set small realistic goals
For myself in the beginning, I was initially just hoping to get to 6 months, but as each milestone passed I realized it wasn't going to be that much harder to get to one year. Good luck!! Be patient with yourself and if you are having difficulty definitely get a good lactation consultant. For what it is worth, my son has been very healthy, no ear infections, colds etc.

Anonymous wrote:Those who nursed 6 mths plus, did you get your monthly periods?

I nursed both mine until 16 months and did not get my perioid until after they weaned.

My goal was to nurse through the colostrum stage. Then when that was going well I figured I'd aim for 3 months. Then 6 months. Then a year. Now DS is 19 months and as long as it keeps working for both of us I'll keep it up. I work full time and never in a million years thought this would go past three months.

Roughly 10 months EBF and then another 4 after that in the mornings and at bedtime.

Anonymous wrote:Those who nursed 6 mths plus, did you get your monthly periods?

I breastfed for 12 months. I didn't get my periods until three months after I stopped breastfeeding completely.

To OP's questions, I breastfed and really liked it. Returned to work at 6 months and pumped at work in addition to nursings in the morning and at night. I had good supply and DD didn't have any issues with latching, so that helps. The first couple weeks were tough because my nipples were VERY sore, but that got better with time. Give it a shot and see if it works for you.

A year. DS self weaned but I was pregnant so I think that sort of helped.

DS self-weaned at 13 months. I pumped for 12 months.

I'm still BFing at 8 months, and my period came back 8 WEEKS after kiddo was born (I was EBF at the time). Needless to say, I'm still pissed. :\