Random BF poll.

[vmars]

DS weaned a week ago around 13 months. I would have gone longer but would want to be done by spring.

[waterchurch]

I weaned when DS was 22 months because I was pregnant and it hurt. I would have been okay with going longer otherwise, but probably I would have wanted to be done well before his third birthday.

[water*drop]

DD weaned at 32ish months. I was ready for her to be done, but I wasn't to the point of wanting to actively wean her yet, so IDK. I didn't set out to nurse that long. My goals shifted for a while, and then I stopped setting goals and figured I'd follow her lead until either she stopped or it wasn't working for me anymore. She stopped before I got to that point.

I don't know how long I'll nurse DS. I'm trying not to have expectations about it because who knows what he'll be like. I will say that I enjoyed nursing DD much more once she turned one, and sometime between 18 months and 2, it really wasn't a big deal anymore - I didn't stress over whether I was eating enough to maintain a supply, I didn't worry about leaving her overnight, I didn't hesitate to say no if I didn't want to nurse at the moment, etc. It really became a nursing relationship for us at that point instead of me feeling like a slave to a tiny dictator. I just found nursing an older toddler to be totally different than nursing a baby or even a younger toddler.

[water*drop]

Feb 3, 2015 15:29:59 GMT -5 simpsongal said:

J just turned 1 and he's not showing signs that he's over nursing. I think he's gotten more attached to nursing since he's gotten old enough to appreciate it - KWIM?

I'd like to continue for several more months. I might stop if it looks like it's complicating TTC.

While we're on the subject, did anyone else end up w/an unfortunately unbalanced, established supply? I look like Dolly Parton on the right side and Keira Knightly on the left.

I did, but they came pretty close to evening out after I stopped pumping (12 months) even though I continued to nurse for another 1.5 years (OMG, it sounds like a long time when I say it that way), so there's hope that they'll start to even out before you wean if you want to keep nursing.

[cinco]

I wanted to be done at 2. I wasn't, lol. I dried up on a 4 day trip/marathon at 2 years 4m. DD had no interest once the milk was gone.

[loskadoodle]

Feb 3, 2015 15:29:59 GMT -5 simpsongal said:

J just turned 1 and he's not showing signs that he's over nursing. I think he's gotten more attached to nursing since he's gotten old enough to appreciate it - KWIM?

I'd like to continue for several more months. I might stop if it looks like it's complicating TTC.

While we're on the subject, did anyone else end up w/an unfortunately unbalanced, established supply? I look like Dolly Parton on the right side and Keira Knightly on the left.

Yes, DS pretty much refuses to eat on the small side except for when he first wakes up (which is between 3-5 right now), and even then its like 5 mins and then he wants to chug.  It sucks but not much i can really do because i refuse to pump the slow side every feeding.

[hetty]

I'm thinking if like to be done by 2 but really I'm just planning at this point to go until it doesn't work for one of us anymore.

[karinothing]

We weaned at 28 months. So till then at least?

[whitemerlot]

I would have said 2 1/2, but my dd is going to be 3 in May, so that ship has sailed. My first I weaned at 28 months because I had dd coming in 6 weeks. I'm feeling like 3 is my upper limit.

[loskadoodle]

DS1 I started supplementing at 5 months and was done completely by 7 or 8. DS2 will be 6 months next week and hasn't had any formula but does have solids. Some days I want to be done, but I know I will miss it. I'm hoping to make it a year but am open to anything at this point.

[kershnic]

What the hell internet. It deleted my response.

Long story short, prefer to go on their time line. No plans to force anything before 2 years, but hopefully they'll naturally drop some.

[cherry1111]

I was ready to be done around 16 months and pushed for it because DH and I were leaving DS for a long weekend and I didn't want to bring a pump. If we hadn't been going on that trip I may have gone a little longer, but probably not much past 18 months.

[djc315]

We weaned at 18 months. It felt like the right time, and it was super easy on us both.

I would be open to probably around 2 years, but who knows!

[h]

I nursed DS1 for 24 months, and DS2 for 28 months. DS2 is almost 22 months and still nursing. I plan to nurse him for another few months, but would like to be done by 2.5.

[simpsongal]

Also, I should probably know this by now, but what do folks generally mean by "get your body back"? Is that figurative like the time it takes to nurse? Or more literal re: the hormones and adverse effect on your body? Little of both?

I guess what I'm really asking is, if I wean, will my pooch go away?

[jenn248]

We weaned at 10 months. I didn't plan on nursing past the first year.

[jenn248]

Feb 3, 2015 16:04:19 GMT -5 simpsongal said:

I guess what I'm really asking is, if I wean, will my pooch go away?

My boobs went away (and ended up smaller and uglier than before I was pregnant), but my pooch did not  

[Deleted]

I wasn't super interested in going past 2, but would have if my kids weren't ready or whatever.

I weaned at 15 months, 22 months and 22 months.

[suburbanzookeeper]

I nursed DD until just shy of 28 months. DS is still going strong at 22 months, my goal was to make it through cold & flu season and go from there. We're down to 2-3x a day.

I am a bit selfishly excited to wean and hopefully magically drop the same 10lbs that I did when DD weaned.

[Velar Fricative]

Feb 3, 2015 16:04:19 GMT -5 simpsongal said:

Also, I should probably know this by now, but what do folks generally mean by "get your body back"? Is that figurative like the time it takes to nurse? Or more literal re: the hormones and adverse effect on your body? Little of both?

I guess what I'm really asking is, if I wean, will my pooch go away?

I magically thought I would magically drop my stubborn weight upon weaning since I wasn't one the lucky ones who just loses weight effortlessly through breastfeeding buuuuuuut nope. Pooch is still here, likely forever. /sad trombone

But beyond that, while I enjoyed breastfeeding more than I expected, I still found it kinda draining because DD nursed often until I weaned her. I have to wonder if my low-ish supply was the reason for that but I think I would have enjoyed it even more if I had a decent supply that enabled her to space out her nursing sessions. I found it very freeing once she was on bottles full-time not only because anyone else could feed her but because she could feed herself by that point! We could just put her down and she'd hold the bottle herself. Amazing! lol

[redpenmama]

I could definitely go to 2; I wouldn't want to go to 3 or anything close. So, I guess somewhere between 2-2.5 would probably be my limit.

I have 2 in my head with DS, but we'll see if we make it that long. I weaned DD at 18 months so we could start TTC. I don't think we will want to TTC at any point this year, so I will probably see how long he wants to nurse between now and his 2nd birthday and let him take the lead.

[everafter07]

I would have loved to have made it to a year (low supply/DD preferred bottle after a while). I don't think I'd have gone much beyond that.

[ladygrey]

My goal was 1 year and DD self-weaned at 13 months. I was really pleased with our BFing journey and couldn't have asked for a smoother weaning experience.

[lmb5109]

DD weaned right after she turned 1, I wasn't ready to be done so I pumped for another month to try and get her through the flu season. If we have another, I'd like to nurse till 2.

[bugandbibs]

Ugh, here goes... I'm such an outlier about nursing that I feel awkward.

DD2 is super, duper into nursing. She will be 4 in April and that is her official cut off date. She nurses once a day when she wakes up and I enjoy our snuggles. It's starting to wear on me, but I feel strongly about self weaning. Honestly, it's only a problem because I am nursing DS too and sometimes they want to nurse at the same time. She occasionally skips a day, but never more than 2 days in a row unless I am gone.

DS turned 1 this week, and he is still going strong. My plan is to let him self wean too.

My actual goal is to breastfeed until they are at least 2 years old per the WHO guidelines.

[winecheery]

I hated breastfeeding.  My initial goal was 3 months, and I made it to 6 months EBF.  Then I combo fed/weaned for another month, and had a small stash as well.  So DD got breast milk for 7.5 months technically.

I was never going to do a year.  I was really proud of myself for going as long as I did, and if bfeeding #2 goes as smoothly overall, I will be able to go 6 months EBF again.  I DO believe in the benefits, and think that it is an important thing I can do for my child.  But I love my boobs small, and I love wearing regular shirts and bras way, way too much to go past that.  I would have been miserable.

[estrellita]

Actual nursing, maybe a couple months just because of work and not wanting to be tied down all the time. Pumping, maybe a year. I haven't done either yet of course so I may change my mind, but that's my general plan at the moment!

[thebreakfastclub]

The plan was 4 weeks. It started at 6 months and steadily went down as my due date approached.

The reality was never. It immediately was 100% not for me.

[anna7602]

I wanted to let Dd self-wean, but she could have kept going seemingly forever. By 25 months, I felt done and actively weaned her. It was miserable for both of us.

I would love t if DS self-weaned before the point that I felt done. I don't have a cut-off in my head, but I also do t have any specific goal of making it to a certain age. I'm pretty happy we've been able to make it work for six months given all the issues we've had.

[heygrey]

I've always thought that 2 would be my hard cut off. sometimes I think about weaning him sooner in hopes that he'll sleep better. but I'm probably in wishful thinking territory with that though.

I don't think I'd be sad if he initiated this summer (15-18 months).