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I breastfed all of mine. they self weened and it varied in length from 10 months-14mon. I did have to suppliment formula with all of them. I work in a hospital so I had lots of support for pumping at work. I would just go to the maternity ward and they put u in a room.
allgirls
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I choose to bf and I worked really hard at it in the beginning beacuse my baby had to stay in the nusery but I pumped and walked it down. They also gave her formula for her health I just wish they didn't give her as much as they did since it made it really hard for me the first few days home My dh had to bottle feed her while I still pumped (she wanted it fast like the bottle nipple provided) it took us 3 days working on it till she just took me and was done with the bottle. Then I had to go back to work at 8 weeks ( was plainning on staying home but dh lost his job) so I pumped until I was able to quit my job and be at home. I nursed her till she was 10 months and started to bite me and draw blood. Then I just went to nights and mornings when I was very full so that she would not get frustrated and bite me. I continued that till she was 13 months. I will bf again for the next one but try to a little longer. Also like someone else said my dh was glad that it wasn't one more cost for us at the time since he lost his job.
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I breastfed my son for 22 months. He was down to a bedtime nursing for quite a few months before that. We had a VERY hard start. It was so frustrating and PAINFUL for me that I cried every day for the first 2 months but I was determined. I did have the help of a lactation specialist and the support of my husband who never told me to just quit. If he had, I would. I am very proud that I got through that hard time and stuck to what I wanted for my son. He self weaned- eventually my supply just stopped because his once a day sessions had become so short so one night I gave him a cup of milk instead. After a couple of weeks, we switched that to water and then just to reading time without any drink. He has never had anything but 2 colds and has never been on any medication. He VERY rarely spit up or had any gas. I am so glad that it eventually worked out for us!
ps- if I had had to go back to work, I would not have been able to keep up with the exclusive breastfeeding... I was very fortunate to be able to be home so that I could do it.
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I nursed all of mine, but for different amounts of time. My first was nursed only 4 1/2 weeks. She was lactose intollerant, and I am a lactose vegetarian. She would latch on and after nursing a bit would pull her head back with my nipple clamped in her mouth still and just scream. Her dr. recommended I wean..and I was more than ready. She ended up on soy formula and even then could spit up in the baby swing without ever touching herself or the swing..just the floor two feet away! My net, I nursed for 10 months...and was 2 months pregnant again when I quit. The third was nursed for 15 months. The fourth was nursed for 18 months...and would have gone longer but was pregnant again!! The next was only for 8 months, as I was pregnant yet again and was high risk this time. Only the one who was nursed for 10 months and the one who was for 8 months took regular formula. I absolutely LOVED nursing the last five of them...and would do it again in a heartbeat. My biggest thing on those who don't nurse is that the colostrum is SO important to the babies...and your milk comes in REGARDLESS. I don't know why hospitals don't tell new moms that...just to give them more info and maybe if they try it, they will find it isn't as bad as some fear. Just my two cents! (And, if you choose not to nurse after that, I have NO problem with that as a personal choice!)
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When my son was born he was transported immediately to the NICU and stayed there for 3 days. I tried with the lactation consultant to BF him every 3 hours around the clock for the first 3 days, but he wanted nothing to do with my breasts. Finally, we gave him a bottle and he loved it. Same with the pacifier. I pumped for over 3 weeks and then we switched to formula. He didn't have an antibiotic until he was 3 1/2 years old.
With my daughter I was determined to BF! I prayed for a good nurser and boy did I get one. She was so aggressive that I just couldn't take the pain and bleeding anymore after 2 days of being almost contantly attached. I felt I couldn't recover from the birth properly and take care of my son while BF'ing. I don't have much help from my husband, even during the births of our kids. When I had the first one, when we got home from the hospital, he wouldn't let me sit down until we had everything put away! I just couldn't do everything. So I pumped for my daughter for 3 weeks, too. She's been sicker than my son was but he's in preschool and brings home every germ in the world!