What are some reason mums have stopped breastfeeding?

Sarah - posted on 05/15/2012

i fed my boys til about 4 years old
they weaned them selves really but i did cut back only feding when i needed letting down as well as giving them the nutriants

Ebony - posted on 11/10/2011

I stopped when my daughter was about 6-7 months, because it became a challenge to pump at work and have energy to pump at home in the evenings, while at the same time working full-time, taking care of the home, and becoming adjusted to my new role as a mother.

Anna - posted on 11/09/2011

Don't stop or cut back unless your baby is getting too old and demanding. I was not blessed with an abundance of breast milk so the first month my sons PED said I need to supplement with formula but that gave him Colics and he cried alot so I quite the formula and left everything in the Lords hands. God knows how much milk your little one needs and for sure your baby wont over eat. Babies just don't. If you love the feeling of it DO IT. I ended up nursing my son till 18 months and I stopped because he was just getting to demanding and now it's been nearly 6 months still he stopped and he still grabs at my boobs and today when we were shopping and I was passing the bra section and he saw an ad with half naked models and said "mama! Boobies!" BOYS! he is not even 2 yet! I was mortified! I have never even taught him that word. Anyways that's besides the point. Don't give this feeling up! Don't listen to yOur dr. You are babys mama, you know best! Enjoy it while you can. It will end way to soon as it is. I miss it so much! I just haven't had any luck with conceiving baby number 2 yet.

Anna - posted on 11/09/2011

Don't stop or cut back unless your baby is getting too old and demanding. I was not blessed with an abundance of breast milk so the first month my sons PED said I need to supplement with formula but that gave him Colics and he cried alot so I quite the formula and left everything in the Lords hands. God knows how much milk your little one needs and for sure your baby wont over eat. Babies just don't. If you love the feeling of it DO IT. I ended up nursing my son till 18 months and I stopped because he was just getting to demanding and now it's been nearly 6 months still he stopped and he still grabs at my boobs and today when we were shopping and I was passing the bra section and he saw an ad with half naked models and said "mama! Boobies!" BOYS! he is not even 2 yet! I was mortified! I have never even taught him that word. Anyways that's besides the point. Don't give this feeling up! Don't listen to yOur dr. You are babys mama, you know best! Enjoy it while you can. It will end way to soon as it is. I miss it so much! I just haven't had any luck with conceiving baby number 2 yet.

Laura Zoey - posted on 11/07/2011

I haven't heard of lactation causing deficiencies normally! Though maybe if you don't take vitamins? I'll likely be lactating 8-10 years total, so i try to always remember my vitamin!

Rian - posted on 11/07/2011

I breastfed my son till he was 16 months because I was pregnant again and wanted to get my milk ready for the new baby. My 2nd just turned 2 and I cut her off the day after her birthday. She was only getting it once a day and really enjoyed it but I felt 2 was a good age and I really needed to start allowing my body to keep its nutrients. Since getting prenant with my son my nails have been shot and I know there are other parts of me not running right because of it.

Jennifer - posted on 11/05/2011

Lack of support is a biggy! When your husband, family members, friends, and doctors are saying "stop" or don't care or help you at all it's very intimidating to stop BFing. With my son it was like that. I had no support from my husband, all my friends told me horror stories, WIC was no help at all! I gave up after a month of trying to get it right. But with my #2 things were the opposite. I made my husband get some insight on BFing, I had friends that all did it, and the nurse at the hospital and WIC clinic were very helpful this time. You're doctor needs to give a better reason. "run down" BLEH! I've never heard of that. He needs to give a much better reason like you're horribly sick or facing a crisis if you don't quit BFing. In fact I don't know a single doctor that would say such a thing. Most are for it since it helps keep away PPD, breast cancer, heals you faster, you lose your baby weight and then some, plus is a half hazard birth control. Get a better explaination because "it will run you down" is just nuts!

Aniesha - posted on 11/05/2011

My son fed so constantly that I was completely exhausted, so after 6 weeks of solid breastfeeding I introduced formula as well. At first it was only like half a bottle a day, but it gave me the rest I needed, & I think I fed for longer becoz of it, coz when he was teething he'd make my nipples bleed, so I could have a few more hrs rest and give him formula. Then at 17 months he actually weaned himself! I felt quite rejected, lol, I wasn't ready to stop! I'd recommend trying Spirulina if you're feeling tired, that really got my energy levels back up, although I only discovered it about a year after stopping feeding.

Brooke - posted on 10/31/2011

I stopped because my milk ran out..

Christi - posted on 10/30/2011

I nursed my babys longer then I ever thought I would but with My youngest he is 15 months and he decided he just no longer wanted it. My 2nd son is 3yrs 1 month and I had to ween him becuase Im now expecting a new baby and as a high risk my dr. felt this could trigger early labor. he Still ask for nini's when he sees me change or if he comes in the bathroom when Im showering. I just tell him your a big boy now and you don't need them any more Now we need to save mommys milk and let it get ready for the new baby. He seems to be ok with it and goes about his buisness.

Kel80 - posted on 10/28/2011

Are you taking a multi vitamin ??? My doctor recommended for me to take one every day (elevit or similar)... I would be upset if i gave up as well. You will probably continue to be run down whether or not you are breast feeding and unfortunately i think doctors are too quick to tell women to switch to formula...you would think they should be better educated than to suggest formula !!!

Laura Zoey - posted on 10/27/2011

Gassy and crying from breastmilk is almost always indicating a sensitivity to dairy. So if your next baby is similar to your first, before tring formula you can eliminate any dairy from your diet and after two weeks of no diary you will be able t see if it was that causing the baby's problems.
Good luck ttc!

Brianna - posted on 10/26/2011

thats weird that ur doctor said that.. if u love breastfeeding then all the power to you to keep on doing it :) with my daughter i couldnt keep up with my milk supply and my daughter would get sooo gasy from breastmilk and end up crying for hours on end. so i breastfed for 5 weeks and then did both breast and formula for acouple weeks then switched to just formula. Im trying to concieve right now and im really looking forward to giving breastfeeding another try with the next baby.

Andrea - posted on 10/25/2011

I stopped breastfeeding my twins when they got to one and I just couldn't keep up with nursing and my older son and graduate school. It is such a personal thing and you shouldn't feel forced to stop if you and your baby aren't ready.

HopefulinNY - posted on 10/21/2011

I am currently BF'ing and pumping for 3+ month old twins and did it in the past for my now 3 year old for just over 12 months. I know I got run down at times when I was not eating enough and getting enough rest. I am kind of at that point now, as it's busy with the newborn twins and a 3 year old. I was just saying to my husband that I have to up my food intake for starters...and make sure I get enough water. Also important to nap when you can. Good luck.

Jeannette - posted on 10/14/2011

I stopped at 13.5 months and that was earlier then I thought I would stop. I don't know that I have an exact reason, though. My husband thought it was weird to breastfeed over a year, even after I showed him the research. So I think that was part of the reason, but honestly, thinking back to that day, I can't recall why I decided to stop. I did feel bad about it and sometimes still do. But he weaned in a day and never asked for it, so maybe it was the right time. Before I stopped, he still wanted to be breastfed every two hours from the time he woke up (7:30 AM) to the time he went to bed (7:30 PM.) His ped. told me to cut back at his 12 month check up because he was "under weight." I did not cut back, because for the fact that he was only up 10 hours a day, he ate 3 meals and 2 snacks and was definitely healthy.

♥♪Megan♫♥ - posted on 10/12/2011

It's ok Michelle, I'm just sensitive because I've had some negative comments about my being raised on formula because of being adopted from this forum.

Michelle - posted on 10/12/2011

Meggy i can appreciate all that you are saying, i was simply being helpful to Melissa with her question on breastfeeding. Not aiming to question anyone's love for their children. Melissa one other thing, watch out for those growth spurts. Also boredom and teething, i was mistaking some of his reactions to them with hunger and nursing him so often that i was more run down than was necessary :) Now that I have figured that out, i'm feeling much perkier!!

♥♪Megan♫♥ - posted on 10/11/2011

LOL nicely said Laurelai. I breast fed both my girls with love. My 7 month old is still going strong on that (along with some baby food) I couldn't breast feed my older girl for very long, but we're close because I was mom and dad to her for nearly 7 years :) I'm close with my mom because she loved me enough to treat me like her own daughter though.

Laura Zoey - posted on 10/11/2011

Breastmilk is the best health gift you can give, yes, love is the best gift all around. Breastmilk with no love is no gift at all

♥♪Megan♫♥ - posted on 10/11/2011

But Michelle, love is also the best gift a parent can give. I just get a bit miffed at that. I know that it's not personal, but I wasn't breastfed. I'm adopted and I believe the best gift I got as a baby was a stable loving home. So kudos to all moms :)

Michelle - posted on 10/11/2011

i'm bf'ing my preemie who is 7mons gestational 4 months corrected. I swear it is one of the reasons hes had very few complications from being born at 27wks. I am SHOCKED that a doctor would suggest you stop breastfeeding because it might run you down. Of course it will at times, generally babies run you down whether you bf or not lol mom's have been nursing for thousands of years, formula and bottles are fairly recent inventions as compared to thousands of years. i say keep on bf'ing until YOU and/or BABY says otherwise. Breastfeeding is the best gift you can give your little ones, major kudos to all the bf'ing mom's!

Ella - posted on 10/10/2011

Hi! I have 3 kids one of my daughters is 3 years old and i stopped breastfeeding about 5 months ago when i had my son. i thought that my daughter was getting a little too old for it and it would be very hard to breastfeed 2 kids so now i am only breastfeeding my 5 month old son. My oldest daughter is 5 years old and i stopped when she was about 3 too.

♥♪Megan♫♥ - posted on 10/03/2011

My husband lets me have the bed when I have to breastfeed at night. He also lets me take naps and does housework :) I'm a spoiled brat but I admit it.

Kathy - posted on 10/03/2011

Nobody ever told me to stop housework because it's making me run down!

♥♪Megan♫♥ - posted on 10/03/2011

I agree with Laura, my OBGYN gave me a med for my UTI with my first pregnancy. Everyone on my birth team back in Rochester was extremely knowledgable about breastfeeding and supportive. The support was great because since I'm adopted I have no breast feeding support from my mom. She told me maybe I should quit when my 6 month old started gumming my nipple.

I did stop breast feeding my first daughter early because she wasn't gaining any weight (she was 6lbs 8oz at birth and may have been 7lbs 10oz by 3 months) I couldn't do that to my daughter. Plus there were other things going on in my life. I stopped with my second for a day because I had to have surgery and the local anethstetic would mess with the breast milk. Ooh boy was that baby angry at me. :)

I believe that we as moms should become more informed when we take medications and also try to help our doctors as well. That way everyone can get better educated.

Laura Zoey - posted on 10/03/2011

Leighann, antibiotics for uti's are safe to take while nursing, your dr probably just wasn't informed, most drs have NO idea what's safe whole breastfeeding so rather then look like humans and say idk let me look it up, he wrongly told you it was unsafe and ended your sons nursing time for no good reason.
Makes me SO mad that ignorant doctors are cutting short breastfeeding for no good reason!
I personally had two uti's in the past 2.5 years I have been breastfeeding. As well as antibiotics for mastitis twice.
Perfectly safe.

♥♪Megan♫♥ - posted on 10/02/2011

Melissa, I still think that if you want to keep breast feeding but make sure you don't get tired at the same time you should consider pumping some milk into bottles. That way your DH or another member of your family can help out with your baby. It also gives other members a chance to bond with the baby during feedings.

Donna - posted on 10/02/2011

my daughter is 2 and is still going. she eats and drinks real stuff but i think weve gone this ling bc its comforting, and i think sometimes shes actually hungry, which is when she gets off then latches back on. i stopped pumping at 10 or 11 months. i do work so she only feeds when im home

Leighann - posted on 10/01/2011

I got a UTI so i had to quit cause the medicine i was prescribed would harm my son so i had to stop. i loved it too tho and i was sad but it was for my own well being

Somer - posted on 09/30/2011

I agree with all of the ladies on here that mentioned diet and taking time for yourself when possible. Yes, you are the mother to a baby, you are going to be, at least to some degree, "run down". It just comes with the territory. Make sure you drink lots and lots of water and eat healthy, well-balanced meals, get as much sleep as you can, and once in awhile take a long, warm soak in the tub, or whatever other relaxation technique you prefer. I nursed for just over two years, and my son is the happiest, healthiest little guy I know. He hasn't had so much as a cold, and he is now 27 mos. He is smart, well-adjusted, has a great appetite and eats incredibly well. He loves so many healthy foods, including everything from asparagus to broccoli. The reasons we stopped were 1. I was starting school, and he was starting daycare, we could have pumped, but 2. Personal choice, I just felt it was time. I gave him an incredible start that, unfortunately, many children do not get. And 3. I had to start medication that I could not have been on while nursing. I could have postponed the medication as well, but as I said, I felt it was our time. It was an incredible two years, and I would encourage EVERY mother to do the same. Best of luck to you and the little one. :)

♥♪Megan♫♥ - posted on 09/29/2011

Anna, that's a good point. When I have to make a bottle on a car trip (I live in British Columbia, home of winding mountain roads) I think 'damn if only I could take off my boob and give it to my baby instead. However my daughter (both my daughters) are very smart and Lilli knows when she has to have a bottle and when she can have me

Nicole - posted on 09/28/2011

I nursed my daughter for 14 months and had to call it quits because that's ALL she wanted to do ALL the time and I was getting so burned out by having to be her human pacifier day and night she didn't want to go to sleep without nursing even then I couldn't move her and was lucky if I got her latched off without her waking up.... I also felt that it was starting to hold her back from development because she only wouldn't a nurse all day instand of playing and learning... it was a very hard choice for me to whing her bc I had planned to nursing the first 2 yrs but things have gotten so much better since I did and she will finially go/stay with someone beside mommy without screaming and crying the whole time

Anna - posted on 09/27/2011

You run down because you have a new baby and, as long as you're eating a healthy balanced diet, it has absolutely nothing to do with breastfeeding. Rather, if you were bottle feeding, you'd probably be much more run down since you'd have to worry about mixing the formula, warming the bottle, sterilizing the bottle, etc. Not only that, breastfeeding is the all in one package for fixing all sorts of problems, including soothing your baby, teething pain, nursing to sleep. Honestly, my life would be much harder if I weren't still breastfeeding. Don't let anyone tell you when you should wean your baby. You and your baby should be the only ones making that decision.

Bernadette - posted on 09/26/2011

I stopped when my daughter suddenly stopped asking for it at 17 months. I was also two months pregnant by then, so that may have been what caused her to stop. We were cutting back by then anyway, and she was only having one feed a night. When she stopped waking for them, that was it. My son is now five and a half months and going strong. If you are run down, consider what you are eating and are you taking enough supplements to compensate for what the baby is taking from you? While pregnant, people take iron supplements, pregnancy vitamins, etc, because the growing baby drains a lot of the nutrients we are getting from food. A lot of people stop taking them after the baby is born, but the baby is still taking your nutrients through the breast milk so you may still need to supplement if your dietary intake isn't sufficient. The baby WILL get what it needs from you; you are the one that will be left lacking if you aren't getting enough vitamins/iron.

Lois - posted on 09/24/2011

I stopped when she was 1 y/o. DD kind of weened herself though.

Amber - posted on 09/21/2011

I absolutely hated breast feeding but I tried it anyways. My daughter had a lot of trouble latching on right and fed better from one side to the other which actually ended up causing me an infection so I stopped

Brittany - posted on 09/20/2011

I stopped when my daughter was 13 months. I found out I was pregnant and because I have a hard time staying pregnant I knew that the hormone fluxuations with breastfeeding would only make things worse. Despite that effort and hormone meds I still miscarried.

I think that if being run down means that you can't function enough to do daily tasks, then cutting back or stopping might be a good idea. Otherwise go with your gut and continue. I firmly believe in letting instinct rule when it comes to these things. Your body knows better of what it can and can't do than any doctor.

Kelly - posted on 09/16/2011

I stopped breastfeeding when my daughter was 14 months, it was her choice, she was less interested around 12 months and then weaned herself. I didn't feel run down while I was breastfeeding her but once she had stopped I did notice I wasn't as tired anymore. I miss feeding her but I'm glad it was her choice to stop and that I didn't have to make her. If you are comfortable and happy to still feed your baby then I would say you should continue. Breastfeeding does use a lot of our energy as the bubs are taking the nutrients but as long as you are getting enough rest and eating well you should be fine. I had everyone telling me to stop breastfeeding when my daughter was as young as 2 weeks old and I am so glad I didn't listen. Good luck :)

Melissa - posted on 09/15/2011

hi my daughter is 18 months old and is still breastfeeding i cant get her off it if i tried lol! i work 4 full afternnons and she only relly has it at nyt and wen im not working she wil ask for boobie and tug on my top! but mostly just through the night! dont stop if your LO is ok and you dont want to yet just try to have more relaxation time if its and extra hour in bed a nap or a nice long hot bath!! hope this helps! x

Ebony - posted on 09/12/2011

I stopped when my daughter was about 8-9 months old, because I was working full-time and couldn't seem to find the time to pump at work, remain productive, stay energized, AND find time for myself. It was just more convenient to give her a bottle instead of pumping.

Lisa - posted on 09/11/2011

Your doctor has no idea what he is saying. Your baby's diet should be mostly breastmilk until he/she is one. After that, you can use whole milk or switch to goats milk (smaller protiens, closer to human milk), or almond/rice milk. Doctors really aren't nutritionists. Do what feels right to you.

Kim - posted on 09/09/2011

Nicole - just because you do not breastfeed doesn't mean that your baby will get sick all of the time. Obviously it is the best option for your child, but some of us were not privileged to be able to do it for long even though we wanted to. Plus kids get sick sometimes - such is life.

Nicole - posted on 09/09/2011

Get a new doctor and keep breastfeeding. Imagine how run down you'd feel if you were up all night with a baby who keeps getting sick because he's formula fed and not getting your immunities anymore. :( What a boneheaded doctor... *sigh* This is why I want to be a lactation consultant!

Janice - posted on 09/07/2011

I breastfed on demand till about 10 mo. which is when I very slowly began taking away feeds. We stopped completely when my daughter was 17 mo. and she was only breastfeeding before bed. I would have continued the night feed up to age 2 but she was a terrible biter and I couldn't deal with it anymore. I was lucky that I was a SAHM except school and breastfeeding went well so I didn't have any thing stopping me from continuing. Breastfeeding alone wont make you run down so really if you are feeling that exhausted your dr. should be having you tested for anemia or another issue.

Amanda - posted on 09/07/2011

Kim you breastfed through 6 months I am in awe of you nursing that long with everything you were going through. I can't believe anyone would judge you, you made it 6 months which is way longer than some women go, be proud of yourself.

♥♪Megan♫♥ - posted on 09/07/2011

Kim, I only fed my older daughter for 3 months and she's taller than every kid in her class (I had her in pre-k so she's in w/ other 6 year olds even though she's almost 7) as well as kids her own age. I wasn't breastfed because I'm adopted and I wasn't sick either.

Thanks for your story

Kim - posted on 09/07/2011

3 weeks before I found out I had my daughter the doctors thought that I might of had breast cancer - don't worry I didn't! But the day after she was born the went in for a lumpectomy, and the next day that area hemorrhaged so I had to go back into surgery to take the stuff out so I could still breastfeed. The day after that I had to get a blood transfusion because throughout the birth and surgeries I had lost so much blood. 2 1/2 months later the doctor said that I was not healing properly because she was getting all the nutrients I needed to heal. Also because I was breastfeeding the hormones that made the lump grow in the first place regrew the lump again and I had to go back into surgery to take it out when she was 6 months old. I decided that in order to be a good mom I needed to take care of myself so I could take care of my little angel.

PS - I was 22 at the time - hormones just do not agree with me

Obviously you are not in the same situation I am in. But I just wanted to put my story out there to show people that sometimes there are acceptable reasons to stop breast feeding. When others would ask me how long I breastfeed for they would give me horrible looks like I was the worst mom ever, until I told them the reason. Just because I couldn't breastfeed that long does not mean I don't love my daughter and I don't have a special intimate relationship with my daughter and also doesn't mean she isn't healthy - she is 100% for height and 70% for weight and is rarely sick.

I know I am on a little rant right now I just really want people out there to see my story and understand that there are people out there who do need to stop early, not because they want to but because it is what they need to do. Please don't judge us too harshly.

Heather - posted on 09/06/2011

When my oldest daughter was 2 1/2 years old, and I was about 1 month pregnant with my second, she told me it didn't taste good anymore! Must have been the pregnancy hormones? Not sure, but she was still interested in breastfeeding, just stopped because of the taste difference.

Amanda - posted on 09/03/2011

I am still breast feeding my 17 month old son and might stop when he turns 2.... Maybe not lol depends on him...... I agree with everyone else and am glad you chose to see a new doctor my guess is you are anemic and that maybe why you are run down, but kuddos for not letting someone talk you into stopping before you and baby were ready...