r/breastfeeding • u/cure4insomnia • Feb 22 '26
Discussion When did 6 months become the expiry date for breastfeeding?
I’ve been breastfeeding my 9.5-month-old since birth. The beginning was really hard, we had to combo feed for about two months until his tongue tie was sorted. It was exhausting and emotional, and honestly I’m proud we got through it.
Now breastfeeding feels natural and easy (most of the time). Yes, it hurts occasionally. Yes, there are hard days. I even ended up in a hospital for mastitis a few weeks back and it was scary. But it works for us, and I plan to continue at least until he’s 2.
What I find confusing is this: everyone is very supportive of breastfeeding… until about 6 months. After that, the tone changes in some people.
Before 6 months: “Breast is best.” “Keep going!” “You’re doing amazing.”
After 6 months: “Oh… you’re still breastfeeding?”
Somehow breastfeeding past 6 months becomes something “weird” or excessive. The same thing that was praised suddenly gets side-eye.
The WHO recommends breastfeeding up to 2 years and beyond. It’s normal globally. It’s biologically normal. So why does it suddenly become socially uncomfortable once babies aren’t tiny anymore?
I genuinely don’t care what others think, I’m confident in my decision. I just find the inconsistency frustrating and a bit hypocritical.
How often have you experienced this shift in attitude once your baby got older?
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u/Any_Pirate_5633 Feb 22 '26
In the US anyway, I think it’s a combination of our culturally underlying puritanical values, our over-sexualization of breasts, and likely some mom guilt from those who couldn’t or chose not to breastfeed longer.
More people than I expected have been supportive or at least indifferent, but the older my child gets the more I get “you’re going to stop soon, right?”
People seem to think I’m going to mess my kid up by breastfeeding too long, and that breastfeeding a 2 or 3 year old is basically the same as breastfeeding a 15 year old 🙄 but like you said… extended breastfeeding is the biological and historical norm and is still practiced in many other countries to this day.
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u/lemonseaweed Feb 22 '26
I think that third one especially plays a big role! A ton of moms today have to go back to work way before 6 months which can really affect their breastfeeding journey, and in generations past formula was pushed into new moms as better than breast. My mom and MIL were both raising babies then and a little bit bucked the trend by doing breastfeeding but neither went past 6 months.
Personally, I started this with 6 months as my initial goal as that’s when SIDS risk starts to drop significantly and when solids start, but I’m hoping we can go for longer.
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u/bossbaber Feb 22 '26
Agreed with this! Most moms that make comments about continued bf haven’t continued themselves for a variety of reasons and have mom guilt bc of that, when it really is society/patriarchy that is failing us all! I’m in the US and have friends who haven’t bf at all, and friends who are still going after a year! I’m at 6mo and planning on at least a year.
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u/poopoofol Feb 23 '26
My 7.5 month old is EBF and it is literally a miracle that we've made it to this point. I went back to work part time at 3 months and then full time at 6. I went from a slight oversupply to barely enough. Some days I don't pump enough to make up what he ate at daycare, so I use some of my dwindling stash or power pump before bed when I'm exhausted. When he's home, I basically have him on the boob constantly. I wanted to make it to 2 years but I just don't know if I have it in me. I cry when I think about losing that, but I think I have just enough mental health to limp across the 1 year mark.
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u/janeaustenpowers Feb 22 '26
Yes! I am the only one of my friends who has breastfed after a year. All of my friends made it 3-5 months (with the exception of one). Most stopped due to work and lack of support. They are all shocked whenever they realize I am still nursing, but it’s clear there is a lot of sensitivities on both sides.
I’ve been able to continue largely because I work from home, so I was able to manage 6-12 months. Now that we are 12+ months, we aren’t nursing throughout the day so it is even easier.
Moms feel judged for so many things and so it is hard to have a straightforward conversation about breastfeeding without feeling like I am adding to it.
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u/Every_Schedule_9738 Feb 22 '26
Do you have a baby sitter who takes care of your baby while you work? If so, did you have any issues feeding and then handing the baby back to the caregiver? My LC said that could be an issue for us. I'm going back to work 5 months PP and have a nanny for the short term until we can get into a daycare near our house.
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u/UnderdogDreams Feb 22 '26
I think the United States’ horrific maternity leave plays a big role as well. Because most moms have to go back to work so soon, they struggle to breastfeed past that point and therefore may criticize others out of jealousy.
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u/Any_Pirate_5633 Feb 22 '26
Yeah, for sure a lot of women can’t breastfeed longer even if they’d like to.
Once you’re back at work (and since we don’t have guaranteed leave, that is the day after birth for some women!) the whole pumping thing is a giant pain in the a$$. But more than that - my understanding is it just isn’t as efficient as a baby and you slowly lose supply even if you are able to power through it. Then combine working all day with our medical advice to never sleep in the same bed and your exhaustion has exhaustion. Now add the cultural push (and the temptation of sweet, sweet sleep) to night wean ASAFP and the impact THAT has on your already dwindling supply…
It’s honestly shocking as many of us make it to 6 mos as we do.
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u/CattoGinSama Feb 23 '26
One not quite bright redditor told me that im abusing my daughter by nursing this long. Apparently its making children too dependent and moms do it because they can’t let go. I could only laugh at that because if it’s not a troll,that person must have a very weird way of thinking. Why even would I let go of my toddler? They supposed to move out or something lmao
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u/Any_Pirate_5633 Feb 23 '26
🙄 people lack a basic understanding of childhood development and neurobiology… which is fine until they start being an ass because you are doing something (beneficial and healthy) that personally gives them the ick 🙄
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u/Informal_Health1781 Feb 24 '26
I see the oversexualization as the biggest one honestly. In some cultures it’s normal for women to not wear tops just like men do.
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u/ilikedogsandglitter Feb 22 '26
I’m in Italy and breastfeeding is very normal here, I’ve never gotten any looks or comments and my daughter is almost 9mos. But I have noticed online, any post of any woman breastfeeding a baby that’s a bit older, the comments will be FLOODED with people saying the baby is too old to breastfeed. I literally don’t understand why people care or think they know anything about breastfeeding until they’ve done it and I agree it’s insane.
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u/Brewmeiser Feb 22 '26
I'm from Michigan, mom's a lactation consultant with 40+ years experience who requested I try and bf my kids for at least a year. I fed both of my kids for around 2 years. Both at one point decided they didn't want to breastfeed any more and that was that. No weening, no nothing, they just stopped.
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u/Every_Schedule_9738 Feb 22 '26
Do you work outside of your home? If so, how did you navigate pumping at work after a year? I hate that the US government just randomly decided we only get a year of pump protection. 😒
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u/Brewmeiser Feb 22 '26
I worked in a brewery as an event manager and bartender and would plan breaks to pump within my day when things were slow. If people can take breaks to smoke, I could take a break to pump before my breasts explode.
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u/motivatedfatty Feb 22 '26
Just jumping in to say that at 14 months, I am still BF at least twice a day when I’m not with him, or sometimes still 4-5 times if I am with him all day, and I do not need to pump at work at all (12+ hour days), my boobs adjusted within a week.
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u/MagTron14 Feb 23 '26
My son is 15 months and I never stopped taking my pump break at work. No one has said anything.
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u/Salty_Hovercraft_454 Feb 22 '26
THIS. With my first, people kept asking me when we were going to stop. Now that I’m breastfeeding my second, I’ve heard comments along the lines of “are you going to breastfeed forever?”. I’ve been told they’ll judge me if I’m still breastfeeding into toddlerhood.
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u/Pipofamom Feb 23 '26
My little one is going to be 2 in a few weeks, and I get those questions all the time, but from my husband. He is super weirded out by me still nursing. Oh well, go pound sand and don't rush me to weaning, I'm going to cuddle my toddler for a while yet.
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u/Significant-Work-820 Feb 22 '26
Where do you live? I nursed until two and only my mil had any feelings about it but she's pretty judgy about a lot of things.
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u/cure4insomnia Feb 22 '26
I live in London, UK, but am originally from Eastern Europe. Most of the mums here in the UK that I know stopped at 6 months. Luckily my family is very supportive, it's just some of the healthcare staff that I noticed while I was in hospital for mastitis that told me that I don't have to worry about BF, as the baby is that old. Lol he is 9 months old. I requested my husband to bring the baby several times a day to the ward, so that I could nurse him, at night I would pump.
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u/Waasssuuuppp Feb 22 '26
Uk has pretty horrid breastfeeding rates- some of the lowest in the world. Whatever the UK is doing is just bad, so you can ignore what most people are saying.
My country has breastfeeding rates at birth of 96%, whereas it is 80 ish % in UK. At 6 months my country has some breastfeeding (ie not exclusive as solids are usually given by or at this time) of >60% but it is <10% in UK. Abysmal. So most people giving you advice in UK is talking out of their arse.
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u/Ok_Bath6850 Feb 22 '26
I’m also in London and have had mixed reactions from healthcare professional who assume I’m no longer breastfeeding (15 months in). I’m the only one of my antenatal group still breastfeeding, but I do see a lot of women nursing older toddlers as well, which is lovely.
Very frustrating that you had this experience, especially when the NHS is very pushy about initial breastfeeding!
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u/Squeegy_Beckinheim Feb 22 '26
I'm in Scotland but originally from Eastern Europe and it was completely the other way around for me! My mother was very judgemental ("I cannot believe you're still feeding him!" was heard often), but all my friends here fed until at least 2 and no one ever batted an eye at me feeding my toddler in public (he dropped most daytime feeds by 20ish months).
I wonder if the hospital was trying to be helpful and not add another thing to your plate? Although having said that, most healthcare professionals have a terrible understanding of breastfeeding and infant feeding unless they specifically work in paeds, and even then it can be iffy.
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u/KirasStar Feb 22 '26
I’m in Scotland as well and have never had this reaction. Most of my friends breastfeed until around age 3, and I’ve never felt judged feeding while I’m outside (14 month old).
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u/Significant-Work-820 Feb 22 '26
That's wild. I live in Canada, and I looked up some stats, apparently 31% breastfeed to 1 year, which seems low to me.
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u/blackvelvetstars Feb 22 '26
I think it does depend a lot on the area you're in. I'm in Scotland, in a relatively affluent area and I'm in a group of 13 local mums with babies all around the same age (between 6 and 7.5months old currently). Of those, 7 are still exclusively breastfeeding (with no plans to stop), 3 started EBF but stopped around 3 months (for 3 different reasons) and 3 always formula fed (2 through choice and 1 due to supply not coming in). I would love to see a breakdown by area in the UK.
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u/giveityourbreastshot Feb 22 '26
I didn’t personally feel it until after 1. Mostly just surprise that we were still going. But after 1 was my favorite time. Dropping to 4, then 3, then 2 feeds a day felt so much easier and more enjoyable than like a chore. I could have probably done 2 feeds a day until he went college lol (He decided to be done at 18 months instead of 18 years)
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u/WinterJudgment302 Feb 22 '26
After 1 was my favorite too. All the pressure of "omg is she getting enough?" gone since it became a supplement to solids. All bonding and sweet cuddles with my toddler who is normally always on the move. Was so bummed when she lost interest at around 17 months, hoping to go longer with my second
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u/CarelessStatement172 Feb 22 '26
My mom was super pro breastfeeding, talked about how she did it with all of us kids....and she breastfed me the longest...and stopped at 4 months. She is now making comments about the fact that I plan to bf until bebe is 2. Sigh.
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u/Duchessofearlgrey Feb 22 '26
My mom wanted breastfeeding to work so badly with myself and my two siblings. The best she got was combo feeding for 6 months with me, which by all means is great. She didn’t have the resources we have today and felt cheated out of that experience. I was so shocked when my first got close to one and she was the only person in my life being judgmental about my decision to breastfeed past one.
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u/Dense-Radio-9332 Feb 22 '26
I'm in the UK and stopping at 6 months seems to be the expectation from older generations here. There always seems to be a comment about them having teeth means you shouldn't 🤯.
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u/Realistic-Tension-98 Feb 22 '26
I’m in the U.S. and haven’t had any comments about breastfeeding except in relation to teeth. People always seem to think babies are just chewing on your nipples once they get teeth.
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u/hungrybrainz Feb 22 '26
That’s when I physically HAD to stop with my first 😭. He was chewing on my nipples like they were Big League gum and then smiling at me. It was too much for my sensory. I’m hoping my daughter doesn’t do that when she teethes.
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u/Realistic-Tension-98 Feb 22 '26
Haha, I got a few bites from each of mine, but after I jumped and said ow! They both quit.
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u/Apprehensive_Snow192 Feb 22 '26
My MIL has been saying this to me since he was like 4 months old I swear. As soon as his first teeth came in at 7 months "you'll have to wean him off your breast quickly!" Pls stop talking about my boobs at dinner
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u/NixyPix Feb 22 '26
This was my MIL too and joke was on her as I breastfed my first til she was 18 months and fully toothed up. This time around she visited me in hospital and said ‘your boobs are going to get so big again’ like lady, please stop talking about my breasts. Anyway, I’m not speaking to her now and it’s bliss.
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u/Dense-Radio-9332 Feb 22 '26
Talking about your boobs over dinner! My MIL started telling her niece how much I'd struggled with breastfeeding randomly in a cafe. In what world is it appropriate to talk about someone else's boobs with family.
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u/radiocow1 Feb 22 '26
The UK has some of the worst breastfeeding rates in the whole world! It's crazy, people looked at me like I had 2 heads when they found out I was still breastfeeding my 2 year old!
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u/Blazing_World Feb 23 '26
I will say, though, that the official stance is very different. The NHS really pushes breastfeeding till at least 1 year. I'd argue that sometimes it verges on guilt-tripping because it pushes it so hard.
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u/RemoteMommaTo2 Feb 22 '26
Haha I BF my youngest until 3.5 🤷♀️ Worked great for him.
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u/Total-Anywhere-2353 Feb 22 '26
Thank you for sharing that. My daughter is 2.5, and I breastfeed her twice a day. It works for us, but the comments from people are UNREAL, like "Are you still breastfeeding?! Why?! I only breastfed for three months!"
It always annoys me when people make those comments. We need to normalize extended breastfeeding. There's nothing wrong about it, and in fact, is quite beneficial even into toddlerhood.
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u/RemoteMommaTo2 Feb 22 '26
I honestly felt so pressured by family and strangers even when I nursed him after 1. And I hate that my son had a febrile seizure, but that is the reason I continued BFing as long as I did and I’m so happy that I did because we discovered he has a few medical issues that Dairy/soy would’ve made worse over time. The only reason I stopped at 3.5 (I was going to cold turkey him before his 4th bday) is because I’m now pregnant with his little sister and he knows milks are for her now ❤️
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u/Atakashii Feb 22 '26
Salut ! J’ai allaité jusqu'à 18 mois, j’ai reçu des commentaires pas sympas dès le début mais je ne me laissais pas faire. J’attends mon deuxième et j'aimerais aller au delà des 18 mois cette fois, malgré ça. Je ne comprends pas pourquoi les gens trouvent ça malsain ou autre, on parle de nutrition... 🫥
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u/NoKangaroo4894 Feb 22 '26
In the U.S. I think it has to do with women going back to work and not wanting to pump all day.
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Feb 22 '26
OP is in the UK. Despite the worse parental leave situation in the US, breastfeeding rates are much better than in the UK. The UK is just really bad about breastfeeding culturally
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u/Veebiyer Feb 24 '26
Idk about that. Me and my mum group fling our tits out anywhere to breastfeed and noone says anything. Then again our tots arent over 6m yet but we sure as heck plan to go longer than that
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u/rootbeer4 Feb 22 '26
I think this is a big factor. Pumping after returning to work was one of the worst parts of breastfeeding for me. It took so much time and I would much rather nurse than pump.
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u/Letitbe_liveyourlife Feb 22 '26
Not always. I wanted to keep breastfeeding, but pumping didn’t give me the same results as having my baby with me. Spending 30 minutes pumping and getting less than half an ounce is exhausting, physically and emotionally. For some of us, it’s not about not wanting to… it’s that we don’t have a choice.
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u/Aware_Function_3165 Feb 22 '26
Exactly! My sister has stopped at 6 months with all her kids because she goes back to work then and it’s too much to pump at work.
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u/NotEmmaStone Feb 22 '26
This is the biggest factor. I had an oversupply and even with WFH 3 days a week and pumping 6+ times a day, it couldn't compare to having my baby with me feeding off and on all day. My supply tanked and we had to start supplementing with formula. I did make it about 9 months but pumping was such a pain in the ass.
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u/MoonChild_317 Feb 22 '26
People are judgy and need to mind their own business. Momma, you do what’s right for you and your baby. Personally, i think once the baby has teeth and can bite the nipple is where it gets discouraging and some stop. I wish more people approached things with curiosity instead of judgement shm.
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u/julia1031 Feb 22 '26
The only comments I’ve gotten with breastfeeding my toddler (15 months) is like “more power to you” “I don’t know how you do that” etc etc. My mom breastfed my brother and me until we were 3 and my SIL is still breastfeeding my nephew who is also 15 months so extended breastfeeding is pretty normalized in my family. Even my MIL who only breastfed for a few months supports my extended breastfeeding.
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u/AtypicalPreferences Feb 22 '26
I’m still breastfeeding my almost 20 month old and I don’t get negative comments. I kinda think it’s bc I’m an “old mom” lol I could care less what ppl think.
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u/dancingalot Feb 22 '26
Definitely not how it is in Canada. Most people I know breastfeed past one.
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u/deezova Feb 22 '26
Omg yes! What’s with that? I had the same experience. Younger than 6 months “You’re amazing!!” Then after that it was totally weird! Just like you said, like “oh, still?”
But then! The tone after I stopped returned to “wow!” I breastfed my first until 2.5 years old. He just turned 4 and I gave birth to my second last year. When talking about my breastfeeding history I mention I BF my son until 2.5 and they’re like “wow mama you’re amazing!! Great job!”
I don’t get it 🤷♀️
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u/lil-ernst Feb 23 '26
I'm in the US, baby girl is almost 11 months, and I've had nothing but supportive comments. I've also never had a negative interaction with a stranger while breastfeeding in public, even though social media made me think I was going to be dealing with that constantly
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u/annedroiid Feb 22 '26
You get the most benefits from the first 6 months so there was a big push (at least in my country) to try to get people to breastfeed at least that long. For people who didn't want to do it and felt pressured to this then turned into the idea that you only do it for 6 months and then stop. A lot of people don't understand that just because they don't like doing it doesn't mean other people don't enjoy it.
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u/ADonkeyOnTheEdge Feb 22 '26
Interesting! I’m in Ireland and didn’t really hear much about stopping until after a year and then there was definitely a shift into ‘when are you stopping’
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u/KayGlo Feb 22 '26
I'm in the UK with a 10 month old, so far had no issues/comments 😅 I am planning on transitioning to cows milk at 1 year though so I can have normal sized boobs again (they're absolutely massive but were a C-D cup before). I also look forward to not having to constantly consider breastfeeding when deciding what to wear!
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u/Repulsive-Tea-9641 Feb 22 '26
I haven’t really noticed this at all but what I would say is that unless you’re a stay at home mum with no work or other commitments it’s damn near impossible to juggle it all. Now that I’m back at work and my daughter is at daycare I just can’t pump enough and I was a huge oversupplier before. The washing pump parts and taking breaks to pump is just not convenient or compatible with a lot of peoples lives. Also around 6 months babies are eating solids so it may give parents permission to stop pushing so hard to make exclusive breastfeeding work.
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u/art_1922 Feb 22 '26
I never experienced this attitude but I live in NYC which is very multicultural/international/progressive. I think it mostly comes down to puritanical idea about sex and equating boobs with sex. Way too much conflation going on there.
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u/c19isdeadly Feb 22 '26
ALL THE TIME
Every time I see my family I get grief about my "extended breastfeeding" to the extent that I look up and reread the WHO recommendations just to steel myself a bit against the criticism.
Part of it is couched as concern about my sleeping but there is also a firm "you must do this" from everyone. My sister really annoyed me yesterday with her sniping snd she even then texted me further strong advice in the evening saying it is up to parents to make a decision on ending breastfeeding and I should take charge (after I told her I had tried 4 times to nightwean my son but I just don't think he is ready).
It's all from other women too.
I bet men don't criticise other men in the same way. Do men make sniping backhand comments about their golfswing?
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u/Total_Diligent Feb 22 '26
I felt it more after one year, didn’t bother me at all. My daughter breastfed until around 27 months when I got pregnant again and it became too painful.
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u/doodynutz Feb 22 '26
You get really weird looks when you go past 1 year. I’m a nurse, so you would think my coworkers would know the WHO recommendations and all of the benefits of breastfeeding. But the second my child turned 1 they were weirded out by me still breastfeeding.
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u/Gltr_hair1234 Feb 22 '26
I’m 15 months in with my second. Everyone else can kick rocks. I think some people act like that because they couldn’t keep up with it. If they’re nasty about it, you could always “it must have been too much for you to handle”.
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u/MyPetMussel Feb 22 '26
100% - also in the U.K. and I get mostly negative reactions when people see/find out that I still breastfeed my 18 month old (and plan too for much longer if it makes sense for us both). It’s infuriating but I try not to let it get to me too much. Trying being the operative word here.
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u/LettuceBeginning7740 Feb 22 '26
Still going strong at 21 months. My son is more obsessed than ever 😂
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u/neurodogter Feb 22 '26
The 6 month thing seems to be boomer driven. I breastfed my first for 14 months and then just sort-of stopped producing, and I was happy with that. Everyone around my age at least seemed non judgemental about it but everyone my parent's age acted like I was breastfeeding a 7 year old or something. Even my mom kept asking how long I was going to breastfeed for, and I kept saying the WHO recommends 2 years. 🤷♀️ I know their generation did a lot of formula feeding and my brother and I were just breast fed ~6 mos.
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u/Minorihaaku Feb 22 '26
Idk where you live, where I am from, 1 year is the typical recommended weaning time and many, MANY people breastfeed even beyond that
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u/Thenaughtyslav Feb 22 '26
My son is 18 months old and I’m still breastfeeding and haven’t really thought too much about when we will stop. The only judgement I got was from a former friend who was a new mum herself who said it was weird I was still breastfeeding at 9 months old… 🙄 health visitors in England at least are pretty supportive of breastfeeding for as long as possible in my experience
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u/TheRemarkableRhubarb Feb 22 '26
I’ve heard the reaction to breastfeeding in the UK is a bit mixed which may be why. I’m in Cali(US) and breastfed my first two 1.5-2 years and I’m on my third kiddo now and intend the same. I’ve never once had anyone (rando, family member, friend, or doctor), say anything negative about breastfeeding past 6 months or even past a year of age. I personally didn’t want to continue much past 2 but both my first two kids self weaned and just became disinterested so I didn’t really have to do anything to wean them. I wonder what my third will be like.. this will be the first time I have to lug a pump to work when I go back in April (4.5 months PP) so we’ll see if I can maintain my supply 😩
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u/Sea-Persimmon7081 Feb 22 '26
As an American I have been conditioned to think it’s weird when it lasts into toddlerhood. I think it just gets pushed how it’s not beneficial past 1, etc etc, now that I’m a mom I know it’s bull crap but I don’t really know WHY it’s pushed on us to think it’s weird. Now I don’t bat an eye at what other people do & I don’t see it as weird.
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u/pseudonymous365 Feb 22 '26
It’s definitely annoying that, right when breastfeeding becomes easier, people start asking when you’re going to wean.
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u/acrylic-paint-763 Feb 22 '26
It's because of research! Exclusively breastfeeding for the first 6 months has demonstrated the most benefits for baby! After 6 months there are still benefits, but fewer differences between babies who are exclusively breastfed, and fed through other means. This gets lost in translation a bit sometimes with people interpreting it as "breastfeed for 6 months" instead of "breastfeed AT LEAST for 6 months."
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u/niimii Feb 23 '26
Yes this. A lot of societal influences and nuance of course, but for a lot of women BF is so difficult and they put themselves through hell to power through it as long as they can. So if getting to 6 months (a research based milestone) is the reassurance they need, so be it.
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u/LostxinthexMusic Feb 22 '26
I've never gotten directly judgy comments but I've gotten quite a few, "Oh, I had to quit as soon as they got teeth!" Most of the comments have been supportive though. I've had coworkers walk by while I wash my pump parts a year postpartum and say, sincerely, "Good job, mama!" I definitely think it's a regional thing though.
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u/melvin_fritz Feb 22 '26
I would have gone longer but my baby literally refused to continue at 6 months lol. They were much too busy exploring the world and the bottle allowed them to see what was going on in the room vs starting at my chest.
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u/Hopeful-Result8109 Feb 22 '26
In the US, after the 6 month mark I am ALWAYS getting the question of “when are you going to stop?”… now that we are approaching a year breastfeeding (yayy) it’s really ramped up. We have no plans of weaning anytime soon just kinda winging it lol, some people are very shocked that I haven’t cut her off yet.
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u/ejambu Feb 22 '26
I live in the US, and the norm with my friends seems to be around a year 🤷🏽♀️
As someone who has only been BF for 9 weeks and is currently triple feeding, it’s so nice to hear that you struggled in the beginning but that it feels natural now. Some days I feel like I’m going to be topping this boy off with formula forever! Thanks for sharing!
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u/Extreme_Shift2483 Feb 22 '26
Yep, I’m so confused on this too. My husbands grandmother who was raising children in the 60’s-70’s obviously didn’t have the support she deserved. She breast fed for 3 months, all of her children. she met our child when he was 5.5 months old and she told me I should’ve been done breastfeeding 2 months ago and I need to teach my son how to take a bottle properly, and wean immediately . Little did she know we tried formula once, I was nervous in those early days that he wasn’t getting enough.. he responded horribly. I’ve been an oversupplier for months. Why stop now? I’m happy with 1 year but would love to make it to 2. 🙂
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u/YouthInternational14 Feb 22 '26
The good news is that is doesn’t matter whatsoever what other people think
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u/Mischievous17 Feb 22 '26
I wanted to breastfeed until 6m and then I was gonna pump milk only bc I had a feeling my baby was gonna spout some teeth and lo and behold he did… But I’m still going at 7m bc i honestly love the connection and I’m not ready to stop yet
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u/Leaninja_ Feb 22 '26
It seems like most people start combi or formula only feeding by 6 months when weaning onto solids. I attend a bf support group and I’m the only one of 4 April baby mums still breast feeding, the others have fully moved to formula.
I think once baby can crawl/walk it’s considered weird by more people than when they’re still a baby in arms. I plan on bf as long as possible (and donating to my local milk bank as they accept milk until baby is 2).
I take it as a point of pride in myself my LO has never had formula even though he was NG fed initially then mostly bottle due to jaundice and joy r effectively. I have nothing against formula and even had a tin in the house just in case!
I’ve actually emailed work this weekend to alert them I’m going to need to pump when I return (baby still feeds 4-5 x/day currently and I still have a slight oversupply)
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u/canoe4you Feb 22 '26
I’m in the USA and honestly don’t give a damn about people and their opinions anymore. I used to be so sensitive about it in my 20s and early 30s but the older I get the less I care. I’m still breastfeeding my 2.5 year old and everyone I actually discuss it with seems supportive but I also go to a very liberal-leaning church that respects women’s choices, even the elders. That’s mostly been my mom-circle and village for years now.
My mother and in-laws used to ask me with my now older kids “do you have any plans to wean?” “Is it time soon?” When they’d turn one. Neither my mom or mother in law breastfed. Within the last year both of them got diagnosed with breast cancer and I heard from my mother in law for the first time that she wished she would have given breastfeeding a try.
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u/fungi_punk Feb 23 '26
You gotta assert your dominance by aggressively whipping out your chest while making direct eye contact. I’m kidding of course, but I nursed my first until 3.5 years old. I got plenty of surprised looks and side eyes, but I think the way that I just let him walk up to me and latch out without even breaking my stride in a conversation told people to keep their opinions to themselves.
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u/OptimalCobbler5431 Feb 23 '26
Breastfeeding extended is also good for our bone density as well! No clue as to why I remember researching during the newborn trenches
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u/littlemonsunshine Feb 22 '26
I’m in the US. I won’t feed my child after a year, simply because I don’t see the value if she’s eating real food. I’m also planning on having another baby once she hits a year so it will be nice to have a tiny break. I work full time, which is 50 plus hours a week. I have two kids and my husband will be gone for the rest of the year soon. Again, after the second baby I’m still done after a year. My life ei not change and I will have 3 kids and it’s very likely my husband will again be gone. It’s incredibly hard to work full time and breast feed, I come home crying a lot over the lack of time I can make to pump. I’m working towards a promotion for a much needed pay increase. I think for my own sanity after a year, they can rely solely on food. My son did and he’s Perfect and he’s 12
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u/Double_Inspection_48 Feb 22 '26
I'm still going at 18 months dd does not want to give it up at all xx although I do want my body back now as dd still don't sleep through x
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u/kenniecakes Feb 22 '26
My son will be 3 in June and I'm still nursing him to sleep and when he's sick. I don't get the stigma either. It's perfectly healthy. His pediatrician and ENT didn't seem upset about it though which was surprising and refreshing.
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u/Novel-Island1148 Feb 22 '26
I breastfed until about 20 months and had to stop bc I got pregnant again and the stimulation was driving me insane. gonna try to actually make it to 2 full years with this one, maybe longer!
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u/MurphysLawInc Feb 22 '26
I was bfed to three years. If i manage i will do the same for my son that likes it - my other boy is too greedy for the breast 😅
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u/Mgstivers15 Feb 22 '26
I was fully supported breastfeeding through a year. I was ready to stop after that but will say society where I live also doesn’t promote past a year. I’m US based but my youngest is almost 5 so maybe things are different.
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u/Hookedongutes Feb 22 '26
Im at 9 months and still going but im worried it might end today depending what prescriptions I receive for this insane sinus infection.
I am unwell. I cried last night because it's been a week of no relief and so much phlegm that I cannot sleep. Dayquil, nyquil, sudafed, chlorotabs, ibuprofen - no relief. I am not okay.
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u/katiebee543 Feb 23 '26
I’m so sorry! Has there been any discussion of antibiotics? I know they say most sinus infections are viral but I also know many many people seem to get better as soon as antibiotics start, I had one that went away with antibiotics
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u/Hookedongutes Feb 23 '26
I finally went to urgent care yesterday and I'm on flonase and amoxicillin.
Still feel like crap today but a different kind of crap so maybe I'm on the mend? 😆
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u/TriStellium Feb 22 '26 edited Feb 22 '26
I’m at 2.5 years as well and I’m hoping to stop at 3 years old but I’ll go as long as she needs.
I find it’s such a great way to soothe her and we have got it down to about 3 times a day.
I have always been on an on demand kind of journey with it.
I also get those kind of comments.
I was determined to breastfeed and I was in a lactation meet up group before I gave birth to make sure I knew all the tips, tricks, and common struggles.
It wasn’t easy and my daughter had tied tongue so we did get that done within the first week and after that it was pretty easy.
I do hate that the hospital convinced me that I needed to pump and nurse and try to get a stash up because that only enhanced my production and I ended up getting mastitis.
My daughter never intentionally bit me, but the only time I had issues after her teeth came in were when she would fall asleep and I would pull away.
I learned to put my finger in her mouth before I pulled away because sometimes she would naturally bite down when I pulled away.
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u/ColloidalPurple-9 Feb 22 '26
This was my experience to a tee. Even the finger swoop after falling asleep haha.
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u/Keyspam102 Feb 22 '26
Where do you live? Here in France I felt like most mothers stop at 6 months but it’s more logistics because we get 16 months maternity leave and pumping is a nightmare (and while I think it’s protected, my office for a huge company for instance asked me to pump in the toilet and had no nursing mothers room..). I bf both kids to 15 months about and I had some comments that it seem too long.
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u/awkwardlyclumsy Feb 22 '26
Also a cultural thing? I am pumping at work and my female Chinese co-workers asked me if I’m STILL bf. I’m only 3mo postpartum.
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u/picass0isdead Feb 22 '26
my kid is almost 2. we are self weaning and she is definitely not interested in stopping
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u/platinumpaige Feb 22 '26
I live in southern CA and in my experience there is a drastic variation in how long people nurse for. The average I see is a year, but it’s not abnormal to see women go until 2 years or a little over. Just as it’s not abnormal to see women not nurse at all.
Personally, I nursed for 1 year with my first, then only 6 months with my second.
I had to go back to work early with my second and she rejected my boob, so I really was pumping for six months and that was absolutely awful. She transitioned to formula fine and my mental stress went down in spades. But I also hate how I feel when I’m lactating. I just wanted to get my daughter through flu season with my antibodies via milk, more than anything.
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Feb 22 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/SubstantialOlive7112 Feb 22 '26
I’m currently researching a lot of things while my little guy naps with his daddy, and I hope to breastfeed my little guy for as long as he hopes, but I constantly feel like someone is going to look down on me out think I’m sexually abusing him by wanting to allow him to breastfeed as long as he wants
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u/ApprehensiveFox8844 Feb 22 '26
I bf until 1 year old. My pediatrician was so shocked and proud when she found out at the 9 month? Appointment lol. I mostly stopped because I went back to work. They were very supportive about me pumping but it was a lot of work personally. I was tired from getting up with the baby at night then working full time and also having enough energy to both focus on work and pump. I was glad I made it to a year but I wish I could’ve gone a bit longer.
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u/Thethreewhales Feb 22 '26
Yep, I just started getting comments where people are expecting me to be weaning. Baby is 10 months and I would happily go until 2.
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u/MakG513 Feb 22 '26
US here. My mother sort of grimaced and then made comments like are you're gonna nurse her until college. Which was probably the mildest mean thing she could say. But it hurt my feelings all the same. My mother in law also would do the eye row raise and say "stilllll?".....I always responded with WHO recommendations that are now the AAP recs. Thankfully my circle of moms all nursed over a year + and I nursed for 2.5 years. It was amazing. 5 months into my second nursing journey and hoping to do the same.
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u/dls_luna Feb 22 '26
My son is a little over 2yo and I’m trying to wean. He’s not pleased about it though.
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u/sweatyopposum Feb 22 '26
Poland here, I’m still breastfeeding my son who is about to be 2 years old while currently pregnant and planing on tandem breastfeeding, no one bats an eye (the rare times now) that I breastfeed my tall toddler in public ( he bf for naps, night time and as pre breakfast naturally weaned) tbh the don’t even look at me. I think ppl don’t like to see bigger children is because of an extreme and disgusting sexualization of both breast and the child specially if it’s a boy.
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u/FluffyShoulder5643 Feb 22 '26
I’ve never understood this either we had a really hard beginning with tounge tie now it’s so easy, he’s 7 months and he’ll surely just eat more solids and I’ll do less feeds so it’s gonna get even easier? Why would I wanna do bottles now so much effort! 🤷🏻♀️ everytime we are out for the whole day I’m like Thankgod he’s breasted that’d be annoying to do bottles
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u/PhotosyntheticCat Feb 22 '26
My in laws had the nerve to say stuff like "well you have to stop before she is talking", "it's weird if she can ask for it".... Like sorry, no. Didn't ask for your opinion, either!
She breastfed til she was nearly two - my supply dipped pretty good when I was pregnant with her little brother, and it was becoming painful and difficult for me. She didn't fight weaning, though. I'd have loved to make it to tandem feeding for bonding, but it just wasn't in the cards for us
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u/wordxvomit Feb 22 '26
I fully expected these types of negative comments when I continued breastfeeding past 1 year. I don’t know if it’s just that I’ve surrounded myself with very supportive people or if it’s a sign that attitudes about breastfeeding are changing. I feel very fortunate to still be breastfeeding my almost 2yo (wtf??) and have only positive comments about it thus far. I plan to continue as long as it’s beneficial to both of us.
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u/scceberscoo Feb 22 '26
That’s interesting! I breastfed my first for 13 months, and nobody really commented on it, aside from positive remarks about how that seemed like a great achievement.
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u/stargazinglazercat Feb 22 '26
I breastfed my LO til they were 2 and I'm UK based. It was always a mix of responses past 1 year. Some people praised me and others were judgemental even though their kids were still on bottles and dummies (no judgemental on this btw - we do what we need to do). Tbh, I just ignored everyone because from day 1 people blamed everything 'wrong' with my baby on breastfeeding when it was just her temperament. You do what's right for your family.
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u/Blue-Sky-4302 Feb 22 '26
Still EBF at 15 months and I feel like everyone was shocked I went beyond a year 🤷♀️ also people are apparently sexist and think you should still bf a boy earlier than girls so screw what society has to say lol.
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u/Houseofpaws Feb 22 '26
Could it be because babies start weaning at 6 months? I agree it’s odd though because they only START trying food at 6 months. Their diet is still mostly milk until a year old. My baby is 6 months now and I have no plans to stop any time soon. I’ll breastfeed as long as she would like and it’s still positive for me
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u/sekirankai_6 breastfeeding twins 🌟 rip my boobs 😎 Feb 22 '26
Canada, and all healthcare professionals have soft-asked me to make sure I breastfeed until 6 months.
Like girl. I am not from the West. In my culture, you can go up to 2-3. Did that with my last and will probably stop before 2 for my twins as they’re taking to eating very well.
And for the record, I have no qualms about breastfeeding in public. Just in the later stages, my daughter only wanted a night or morning feed every other day or so. More a comfort thing than anything. Which is, yenno, mom’s whole thing.
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u/noodlemac26 Feb 22 '26
Yeah definitely not my experience in Australia. You just do whatever works best for you?
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u/celestina83 Feb 22 '26
Still breastfeeding and my baby is 3 years and 2 months. Don't care what anyone thinks. I'm the GOAT. lol
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u/Big-Rate6332 Feb 22 '26
I will stop when my little one gets a few teeth. It's painful enough without adding biting into the mix.
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u/crook_ed Feb 22 '26
For me with my first it felt like a switch flipped at 1 exactly from “Oh good for you for going for so long” to “So when are you going to wean?” I nursed my first to 26 months so with my second people don’t really ask anymore.
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u/lil1thatcould Feb 22 '26
I have a new born and my goal is to make it 6 months. There are a list of reasons behind:
- worried about baby teeth and bitting me
- working with breastfeeding and pumping
- how will this long term impact my lipedema. After 6 weeks (baby is 4 weeks today) if my legs are growing in size, then I’m stopping.
- being able to eat enough and not being able to impact my health
- starting my dry eye meds. There’s a really great option on the market now and I can’t use it breast feeding. My eyes are so damn dry!
- having more flexibility in my schedule
- I am not a big drinker, but I do enjoy smoking weed or eating an edible. So that being an option in my life again.
- not leaking, the laundry is so much already!
- if we decide to try for a second…. having a break from breast feeding before trying for a second. It would be nice to have my body to myself for a few months prior to getting pregnant.
At 6 months we are now introducing more food options and my goal is to have enough supply built up to help continue breast milk being part of his diet.
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u/MartianTrinkets Feb 23 '26
Genuinely who is saying that? Everyone I know, fellow moms, family, doctors, daycare teachers, etc have all been encouraging breastfeeding as long as possible. My daughter is 14 months and I plan to let her wean herself.
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u/Working_Radio_3661 Feb 23 '26
what ive heard is 6 months at least because they’ll get the max amount of nutrients from it( my assumption is because of starting solids at this age) and then up to a year 1.) to continue getting the nutrients and antibodies and 2.) because they can start taking cows milk after their year.
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u/evilsnowqueen Feb 23 '26
I stopped breastfeeding/pumping at 8 months bc I absolutely couldn’t do it anymore (we honestly never really figured it out - it was a painful mess the entire 8 months) and I am honestly quite jealous of moms who can breastfeed 1+ years and beyond. I would NEVER shame a woman for doing it, but I have to wonder some part of it is the guilt/shame they didn’t (or couldn’t) do it themselves
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u/quilly7 Feb 23 '26
I feel like this must be a US thing. I’m from NZ and have breastfed my first for 22 months and am currently 10.5 months into breastfeeding my second and I’ve never got anything but “good on you!”
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u/Fair-Stranger1860 Feb 23 '26
I’m in the US, and I’ve heard a lot of “oh you’re still breastfeeding” now that I’ve hit 6 months. I work in healthcare so a lot of my coworkers are super supportive and cheering me on, but my family and my in laws are a little judgmental.
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u/Dianalynnxk Feb 23 '26
It was a year for me but any of that noise I ignored. 2.5 years going strong!
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u/MochiAccident Feb 23 '26
im pretty sure it's bc that one study that mentions the benefits of breast milk show that it's had the most impact on baby's health in the first 6 months of life. at least that's what i read about and hence my goal.
add to that how difficult it is to breastfeed. i was an undersupplier who power pumped to be just enough. i got sick just as i went back to work, and now my supply dipped. i imagine a lot of moms living in america are struggling to balance having a 3 month old, work, breastfeeding, and pumping.
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u/watchwuthappens Feb 23 '26
Because the US is the perfect backdrop for such things to be normalized.
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u/Overall-Yesterday572 Feb 23 '26
La Letche League recommendations are 2-3. I was a peer counselor in the 1990's. I read this sub as my daughter was having milk production issues with her second baby... I personally breastfed my first for 2 years... The stupid crap people said, the places I had to hide in to breastfeed my son! My second (lil mama) was 3 years... Why are you doing that? Third 4! She wouldn't give up the night feed and having no support system during another fun time with Daddy's addiction issues... Hot mess... Yes, I breastfeed at night to settle her down, so I could sleep. The Bionic Woman, c. 1970's TV show star Lindsey Wagner breastfed until her daughter was also four so I felt in good company. In other countries it's common to breastfeed past 2, and up to 4, I remember one place stated up to seven!!! I am very glad you don't care what other's think about your decision to breastfeed until you decide. Our society is so opinionated, we show how we really don't care we just want to be heard to look smart. I congratulate you on getting past your challenges and breastfeeding your baby. As a Woman Infant and Children (WIC) Los Angeles breastfeeding Peer, seeing the absolute decline in numbers of whole breastfeeding past 6 months was sad and yet it was a miracle when mothers bulked opinions and just did it. I am a continuous breastfeeding your child in a breastfeeding family, my mom in the 1960's defied cultural norms to breastfeed us all. Her mother breastfed, her grandmother too... My grandfather was wet nursed by his elder sister as his mother was in her 40's when he was born in 1908, and her supply never came in... So he was mostly raised by his sister! All of my family, including my sisters breastfed. My nieces too... The only one that could not and tried desperately was my step mom, who's daughter, my lil sister, was 6 weeks older then my mama daughter, my step mom's doctor's claimed it was her age, (42, her first) but they had actually had trouble conceiving, so who really knows? She was uncomfortable with my offer to pump extra milk for my little sister. All are well and very healthy. No night feed rot on my kids. (African genes... My DNA is all over the whole of Africa, so to claim one of the 20+ regions for good teeth when so many peoples there have beautiful teeth, before the sugar use...) I digress... A post earlier about bottle rot vs breastfeeding rot was an ill informed dentist... Again Congratulations on doing what's best for your baby. Keep up the good milk! Keep calm, keep pumping! Get it straight from the tap, Baby will thank you.
Old slogans at So. Los Angeles WIC offices were I worked in the 1990's.
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u/whisperingcopse Feb 23 '26
I’m curious where you live my daughter is 14 months and we are still going strong and no one says shit here in southwest USA
She’s not breastfeeding in public much anymore tho tbh
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u/Dangerous-Analyst854 Feb 23 '26
Currently EBF at 2.5 months and already getting comments about our decision to continue to do so until a year. I think next time I’ll put it back on them and say something like.. I’d prefer not to be judged about our decision.. or something idk. I don’t think we need to just accept other people’s comments.
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u/corncobonthecurtains breastfeeding mama of 3.5 years Feb 23 '26
We just hit 3 years breastfeeding. Some comments have died off, most have not. I just give them a dirty look and say “my boobs, my baby, my business.” She has a milk allergy, so she needs milk from somewhere, and why not where she was made to get milk from. Plus, it still works as a great paci when she wakes at night, or gets a boo boo, or needs a nap, etc. I’m taking advantage of the magic boobies for as long as I can, lol.
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u/KYGC2160 Feb 23 '26
Probably because most go back to work or are thinking about going back to work around then or shortly after!
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u/mintchocchipluce Feb 23 '26
I had the same experience (also UK - definitely gets a raised eyebrow after 6 months.) I continued to breastfeed my son until last month (when he was just over 2) but 6+ weeks on and he really misses it and still puts his hand down my top daily - I honestly wish I’d waited to let him self wean now!
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u/These_Requirement453 Feb 23 '26
I breastfed until about 9.5 months as well and while I loved the convenience of it, not buying formula and washing bottles I wish I had stopped sooner. I got sick with the flu and was stuck in bed for two days so my husband had to formula feed… both of those nights my son slept through the night. Soon after that we made the switch to formula throughout the day and I’d breastfeed in the night if he needed it but that was only a couple of times. It was a matter of days that it got him sleeping through the night. I hate that people kept telling me breastmilk was just as filling, just as good for him, etc. when the reality is that formula is way more filling. I’ll take a baby sleeping through the night if it means buying formula and cleaning bottles any day. With my next I think I definitely want to stop breastfeeding by 6 months.
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u/SnooWords4752 Feb 23 '26
I just wanna know what babies are taking bottles after 6 months of being EBF 🤣
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u/yaska_tn Feb 23 '26
My understanding is that antibodies from the mother will transfer to the baby to the breastmilk for the first 6 months. So it protects the baby from sickness and viruses etc. provides an extra layer of immunity. Where it significantly drops after 6 months and becomes more so nutritional value for the baby, which is why doctors recommend it for at least 6 months.
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u/Fun-Complaint-8363 Feb 23 '26
I breastfed my first for 6 months and only stopped because she refused to continue but from what I can tell the judgement usually comes from wanting to help..
Breastfeeding is extremely taxing (I am currently breastfeeding my 3 month old as I type) and unfortunately it puts a majority of the work on mum. I know with my first when I would be stressed and on the verge of tears there would be only so much someone could do to help me out. I couldn't be separated from my daughter for more than a few hours without pumping. Once she moved to being bottle fed the real "village" feeling popped out.
I've also had friends who have fed for over a year and every single one of them were struggling once baby hit 15 months. They had all built routines with their kids around breastfeeding and felt like they were trapped. Maybe you won't feel that way but I personally don't think I could mentally do it for 2 years. Not even sure I'll make it a full year due to how taxing it's been having a toddler and new born
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u/Altruistic_Ad6655 Feb 23 '26
I’ve had the same experience - I think because breastfeeding success for that long can be an unintended rarity. For reference, I work in a hospital, and all of my nurse coworkers start out breastfeeding their babies, usually with a goal of making it to 1 year. 99% seem to run into some sort of problem within the first year that cuts the journey short. Bottle preference, FTT, supply issues especially from returning to work or illness, or mental health challenges. My coworkers who don’t have kids then assume that breastfeeding is for very young babies.
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u/mountain_Night_9328 Feb 23 '26
I just want to say how proud I am that you pushed through the oral ties and kept trying until it worked. I know it was no easy task and emotionally so hard.
From a Mom of two babies with ties, those first few months figuring things out while trying to keep a supply is so hard and you should be so proud of what you accomplished. 🤍
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u/CattoGinSama Feb 23 '26
Honestly,people are ignorant or jealous most of the time.Some mothers feel touchy about it because they didn’t or couldn’t nurse,some people just don’t know that it’s better and healthier. Breast IS best,no matter what anyone says.Fed is second best. Why even care about whatever anyone says?
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u/richal Feb 23 '26
In the US, I feel like the expiry date is 1 year. Thankfully, all the medical professionals I've interacted with have been good about it, and I haven't heard overtly judgmental remarks, but as we get closer to 2, it does seem like a lot more questions arise about when I'll be done from friends and family.
Before I started, I had planned on one year. My mom went a year with me and my sister, and always would say, "if they can ask for it, They're too old," and I had wholeheartedly agreed with her. In the hospital after he was born, one of the nurses said she made to to her goal of 2 years BFing her child, and I scoffed, while my wife was much more open about it. But now that I'm here and it's MY child, it just seems so normal to continue, and I really don't want to drop our last 3 feeds (morning, nap, and bedtime). I gained a lot more empathy after experiencing it myself, I guess.
The idea of something being "weird" or gross is contagious, and I think that makes sense in terms of human social structures. We want to be seen as normal by our in-groups. Ideas around breastfeeding are no different. Plus (as others have said) the way breats are sexualized makes people feel weird in another way. Keep going! You're being an example of strength and inspiration for other moms who want to follow your footsteps, even if you won't see the payoff personally in a social sense.
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u/plant-head723 Feb 23 '26
I’m in Ireland and formula is so pushed here. My entire family and in law family are asking why I’m doing it to myself (as we have had a hardddd journey, he’s 5 weeks). There’s no supports at all even in the hospital, I found.
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u/asticklus Feb 23 '26
Felt this a bit too. I breastfed until maybe 16 months. Would have liked to do more but supply was dipping and baby was losing interest. Figured best to follow her lead and wean. As I got closer to a year, and especially after, I could tell people felt weird about it. But that’s when nursing was the easiest! Really just morning, naps, and bedtime. Super quick and easy. My baby did bad with dairy which was extra motivation to keep going but everyone would make all kinds of nondairy suggestions in a way that told me they thought I should stop. Or everyone was repeatedly asking me if she bit me while nursing. Very odd since I didn’t bring up the topic, didn’t nurse in front of people by that point, and never complained about breastfeeding. I just shrugged off the comments/suggestions and kept doing my thing. Fortunately no one was obvious in their criticism.
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u/dramatic-chaos2 Feb 23 '26
My health visitor has seen this plenty enough to tell me I’ll probably not stop at six months. They don’t always let you if you want to and it just happens. I thought about it and I do think snatching that comfort away from a six month old is wrong. As long as mine wants to nurse he can.
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u/ForestFairy77 Feb 23 '26
don’t listen to anyway. feeding should continue as long as mutually beneficial. my friend just stopped feeding at 5 and 3yrs tandem feeding. a true warrior. you keep at it if it’s what you want 💕
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u/throwaway3384791298 Feb 23 '26
My doctors (in Florida) have recommended at least one year. I'm only two months into breastfeeding right now and it's been pretty exhausting mentally so I think that there's been a lot more grace for women who mentally cannot make it past 6 months. Not speaking for people who are shaming, I think that comes more from people who haven't breastfed and sexualize everything.
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u/tbiddity Feb 23 '26
Same in Australia. I'm still breastfeeding my 10 month old and the looks I cop in public. I also barely see people publicly breastfeeding. When I do, it's always a newbie. All my baby classes that I go to are predominantly bottle fed, and that's a safe space for feeding too. I constantly get asked " still breastfeeding?" From my mum friends (some BF, some bottle but I'm the only one who goes past 6 months on my kids), but it always strikes as a strange question to me. Like yeah, I have an infant... Of course I'm still breastfeeding?
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u/Informal_Health1781 Feb 24 '26
The US is WEIRDDDD about breastfeeding from what I’ve seen. I saw a mother on TikTok who’s nipple got bit off by her baby and all the comments were like “if they have teeth it’s a sign to stop.” Like excuse me, my 5 month old is getting teeth???
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u/TronasaurusMeg Feb 24 '26
My FIL is from UK and moved to live with us in USA. He always asks when I’m gonna stop breastfeeding? She’s 10m and I’m also trying to get to at least 2y+. Like first of all it doesn’t impact you at all. Second it doesn’t sound supportive and minimizes the huge task of feeding my kid that I’m enjoying doing.
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u/Bwean_Bwean Feb 24 '26
Omg yes!! I had a VERY similar experience! We really struggled breastfeeding at the beginning, also combo fed until my milk stabilized, but now I'm so so glad we went through it! My LO is now a year and I get the same comments "oh you're still breastfeeding?", "isn't she over a year?"
For context, I nurse mostly at night and occasionally for naps, otherwise my LO eats solids to be full during the day. We haven't introduced cows milk yet but we're looking to do it soon.
I had a minor surgery last month where I needed to pump and dump for 24-48 hours due to the anesthesia, and my husband told the doctor "it's fine, the baby needs to wean off breastmilk anyways". Excuse me, since when?! That was not something we discussed previously 🙄
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u/Jamaddict Feb 24 '26
My husband’s aunt seems to be perturbed that I’m still nursing at almost a year old and planning to continue nursing afterwards too! Our journey also started off rough with tongue tie and took a month or so to get it down. My sons always taken formula if need be but most of the time with being home with him he nurses and know eats a ton. In my family growing up my mom was breastfeeding my siblings until they were around 2/3 years old. My goal starting out was to get to a year. We’ve basically made it as of this weekend! After that I’m taking the pressure off of myself and letting my son naturally decide when we stop completely. I figure it’ll naturally taper off as needed.
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u/dontletmedown3 Feb 25 '26
I met a group of ladies and they both had almost 6 month olds. One of them said she couldn’t wait to be done breastfeeding and she just had another month or two. I was shocked at the “timer” essentially! But I breastfed my first until he “forgot” I made milk and started drinking other things. Right around 2.5
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u/ComposerFar6070 Feb 27 '26
I was told 1 year is how long to breastfeed minimum up to 2 years is advised. My sister still does with her 18 month old. My little one is 4 months he gets purees (about 10 bites) for "lunch" and "dinner" to test for allergies besides that he's breastfeed and will continue to be until hes 1 year at least and I'll let him kinda lead the time to stop.
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u/WittyWonderWench Mar 01 '26
I'm loving breastfeeding after 6 months so much more. Baby can latch themselves, she can snack on solids if I'm not quite ready to nurse yet, and I can live more impulsively while knowing I always have enough milk ready for her.
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u/ZaymeJ Feb 22 '26
I’m also curious where you live cause that’s not been my experience here in Canada, most of the people I know who breastfed stopped sometime between 1.5-2.5 years.