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Post by stevensmummy on Feb 25, 2008 19:40:05 GMT
My youngest is 8m now and I had been told by my family that he shouldnt be still gettin fed from the breast thro the day. I was thinking this was poss the case and I should be weaning him as such. But after talking with a freind she said its early enough and if he wants it and I'm happy to do it then I should be carrying on. She also said that if he wants thro the night then I should be letting him. Theres so much conflicting advice I'm confused! So do I stop and just feed at night? do I give him a bottle instead? (thats been suggested by my family) Do I let him have thro the day and at night? What did you guys do? I'm thinking maybe I'm being cruel to stop him this early? What do you think? Any advice much appreciated! Sarah xxx
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Post by gizmoracer on Feb 25, 2008 19:54:03 GMT
Hi Sarah
Personally I had a lot of problems breastfeeding which definatly contributed to my PNI. I managed 3 weeks with Jason and 8 weeks with Jodie. I was planning of weaning them both off the breast and onto a beaker (not bottle) between 4-6 months but that was personal preferance. There is nothing wrong or harmful in continuing to breastfeed for as long as you both want to. Remember on the continant it is quite common for toddlers and older to still be on the breast, over here it is often frowned upon. I think to be honest Mum knows best and I would go with whatever you feel is right for you. If in doubt why not have a chat with your Health visitor.
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gilly
Senior Member
Posts: 163
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Post by gilly on Feb 25, 2008 21:43:56 GMT
hi sarah
i breast fed my LO until he was just over 8 months and i knew it was the right time to stop i was finding that when we were out he was to busy looking around and he was not feeding well so i slowly added one bottle into the day and for the next few months i added another and so on. it felt totally the right thing to do for both of us in the last few weeks he was only having an early morning breast and the rest were bottles.
i totally think it is your choice as to how long you breast feed for there is nothing wrong with never giving your LO a bottle but breast feed them until they are totally weaned and then you stop as if you would stop a bottle they can be toddlers by this time.
the reason why i strongly feel that you must make the choice is because it is not for any one else to know how you are feeling. breast feeding my LO helped me enormously during the first months of PNI and i did have a blip when i finally did stop. i also think that if you are not going back to work there is absolutely no reason to stop if you are not ready.
please do what is right for you and your LO i think that it is a bit strange when people still do it when LO can talk but you are a long way off that.
IT IS YOUR CHOICE NO ONE ELSES.
hope this has helped am here if you want to chat again gxxx
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Post by stevensmummy on Feb 26, 2008 14:30:43 GMT
Thanks girls.
I did try to talk with my Hv once Giz but they are very much a case of they dont need to be fed thro the night when they are 6m anf from then on they were constantly asking about it. I kind of decided that what they dont know doesnt harm them. Stuart has been gettin solids for sometime now, I introduced them at 3m as he was a hungry baby. That was normal about 10yrs ago. They didnt like it one bit and said exclusive bottle/breast till 6m. I thought to hell with that, hes hungry! So I kind of stopped telling them too much.
Cheers Gilly that has helped alot. I never had this probs with my first as he didnt and still doesnt like milk. It made him very sick. So Its all new to me this.
I'm not keen at all on giving him a bottle. My family seem so set on it and keep saying god why you still giving him that. It makes me feel like its a bad thing. I dont really want to start a bottle, I'll start a bottle then not get him off it. I fin the breast is a comfort for him too. With all the hassle of the op and the probs hes had its been a god send to be honest. I also feel comfortable enough giving it and he seems to still want. Infact he wants all the time lol.
You say you introduced a daytime bottle instead of the breastfeed when you weaned. When did you stop the daytime feeds? Today and yest were the first time for about 4 wks I have given him a daytime feed and he seemed alot more settled. My HV said he doesnt need it during the day. I had just been giving him water.
I dont feel so bad about carrying on now. How did you know it was time to stop?
Sarah xx
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Post by winegirl on Feb 26, 2008 15:25:40 GMT
Hi Sarah
Of course you shouldnt feel bad about carrying on!! What you are doing is wonderful!! I only managed breastfeeding for 2 weeks, it just wasnt for me, but I would have loved to have had that closeness with my LO for longer!
I think only you will know when it is time to stop, quite frankly if you are both still happy doing it then carry on! You will decide when its time, no-one else xx
WG x
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gilly
Senior Member
Posts: 163
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Post by gilly on Feb 26, 2008 22:32:08 GMT
hi hun
i gave my LO what i called an early morning feed cause it made others not ask questions but by early i mean between 3 and 6!!! so i was really still night feeding till he was about a year. LO is now 17 months and for all that i made the choice to give him bottles he still has a mid afternoon one and i have no intentions of stopping any time soon so if i was still breastfeeding he would get it then too. i think they still need that feed for quite a while myLO also gets his bedtime bottle. it can be usful to get him to have his nap as it really settles him as you say.
i am trying to think of any thing else that worked for me but to be honest it was a very black time for me and my PNI that memories are a bit vague. as WG said you are doing a fantastic thing and Lo is still so small i knew in my heart when i was ready to stop and i didnt let any one badger me into it if you let them do that you may start to feel guilty about stopping then you will get down again.
be strong and go with your gut instinct it does not sound to me that you are at all ready please let me know how you are getting on.
Lots of Love Gxx
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gilly
Senior Member
Posts: 163
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Post by gilly on Feb 27, 2008 19:37:17 GMT
Hi it is me again
i was just putting LO to bed and i was thinking of you and i suddenly thought babies who are either boob or bottle fed still need around 800 mls of milk a day over and above any dairy products you may give them and that should go on till they are at least a year obviously you cant tell how much your LO is getting but it is suggested that to get that amount you must feed at least 3 times a day (got that info from annabel caramel book)
how many feeds are you giving at the mo? i also remember my LO slept through a number of nights and i realised that he did not need a feed at night thats when i stopped but i was terrible cause i started to use a dummy. he still wakes during the night (at 17mnths) but i give him that instead.
there are no right or wrong answers go with your instinct and you will make the right choice for you hope this helps speak soon
love Gxxx
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Post by winegirl on Feb 27, 2008 20:04:08 GMT
My LO had at least 3 milk feeds a day until she was one, then not long after we dropped it to 2, and now she is 22 months and i still give her a bottle in the morning and at night. She likes it and it is good for her so why wouldnt I?
Might think about knocking the morning one on the head soon though or giving it to her out of a cup? x
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Post by stevensmummy on Feb 28, 2008 10:13:05 GMT
Hi Girls,
Cheers for the replies and yep, we are both still comfortable enough doing it so I'm not going to stop. Like you say its good for him so why should I stop. No-one needs to know. If they ask I will just say I am and if they have a problem with it thats their problem not mine.
Feeding in public doesnt bother me it never has and I am happy enough to do it almost anywhere, with the exception of my grandads. There were a few people, mainly men, that I was esither related to or close fiends with that were embarrased of it. But they seem to have gotten used to the idea now. My OHs cousin, just says 'oh god theres that tit again, lol'.
I had been stopping the daytime feeds until about a week, slsightly longer, ago as he was really unsettled and constipated. i gave him am, about 4-6 then at betime up to 3 times off and on. but lately hes been getting about 3 daytime feeds on top of that. What do you think?
xx
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Post by winegirl on Feb 28, 2008 10:55:32 GMT
The thing i found with breastfeeding is you can never see how much they are getting. So when i used t give my LO 3 feeds a day at that age i knew that she was getting 8oz at a time. Your LO is obviously just having what he wants when he needs it, so if you are happy doing it seems ok to me!!
WG xx
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Post by Scarlet on Feb 28, 2008 13:49:48 GMT
Sarah I breastfed my eldest (now 10) until he was 1 year old. The nurse then told me it was time to stop as he was getting all the nutrients he needed from food, so I put him on the bottle from 1 year. I bought vitamin enriched milk in a bottle for babies 1+ . If I were you, I would continue for a couple more months until you feel it's time to give up. My friend breastfed hers until he was 3, so no wories if you're comfortable hun ;D You'll find that his drinking should dwindle anyway when he starts eating well..
Hugz
xxxx
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Post by stevensmummy on Feb 28, 2008 17:15:43 GMT
Oh my god, 3!!! Can you imagine a 3yr old attached to your tit lol. And a full set of teeth by then too. 2 teeth are bad enough never mind a whole mouth full.
I feel alot better about it now. I kind of think well its my choice and as you say its good for him and if we're both getting on ok then why should I stop? if other ppl find it a prob then they can leave the room!
thanx girls, you helped lots
xxxx
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gilly
Senior Member
Posts: 163
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Post by gilly on Feb 28, 2008 19:55:01 GMT
Well done!!
i am so pleased you have made your choice and you sound much happier about the way you are feeling.
good luck and all the best with whatever you do in the future.
lots of love Gxxx
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Post by winegirl on Feb 28, 2008 20:03:18 GMT
Im not really one for the three year old thing either, i know everyone is different and its all personal choice, but my personal choice is if they can verbally ask for it then its not for me!
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Post by stevensmummy on Mar 1, 2008 16:48:51 GMT
Good point WG, I cant imagine my eldest going mummy, I want me boobie now lol
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