The reason you stopped breastfeeding?

With my first I stopped at 2 weeks as it was so incredibly painful and it was lockdown so there was no support available. I switched to exclusively pumping instead and did that for 14 months.

With my youngest I fed directly until he was just over 2.5 years old - it was a rough journey with him having CMPA. I stopped because it felt right, he wasn't all that fussed about it by the end and I wanted my bodily autonomy back.

There's no right or wrong reason to stop feeding. Whatever feels right is totally fine!

I couldn't get either of them to latch and I had ppd both times but it was much worse with my second. It was better for my mental health to stop. I pumped for a bit after.

I wanted to start taking GLP-1 to loose weight, so I could prepare for baby # 2.

I stopped @16mnths because he started only doing it for comfort, but biting too at night. I wanted to stop completely at night, so we started there, then weaned completely. I was also starting to get overstimulated by it and them. He didn’t even fight me on it, never asked or had a fit about it.

DMER which shocked me because i was so sure i was going to breastfeed

With my first, i stopped at 3 weeks as I was a first time mum during covid and there just wasn't any support and I was struggling.
With my second, he was premature and was in nicu tube fed so I pumped and he struggled even with bottles to begin with and when we tried he just wouldn't latch to me so I exclusively pumped for 18 months
With my third, were currently 6 weeks into breastfeeding and plan to continue as long as possible

I’ve attempted it twice now. The first time I stopped after 2 weeks due to pain. Didn’t matter how often baby fed I was engorged and in so much pain. Turns out I have a huge supply! I also had PPD and DMER so this did not help and led me to hate breastfeeding tbh.

Second time I’ve stopped again but she was in NICU / tube fed for ages so didn’t get off to a great start. Her latch is terrible and it’s just not worked from day dot.

i stopped bf at 3weeks due to my son constantly choking no matter what position we were in. i tried pumping first then bf, wasn’t helpful. tried the nipple shields, wasn’t helpful. i continued to pump until he was 1yo then said SAYONARAAAAA. was so happy to be done pumping 😂

I managed all my 3 girls to 6 months. But at just after 6 months my twin a had expressed milk in a bottle, then started refusing boob, I was not gonna pump for one twin so switched her gradually to formula. Twin B I ebf until 14 months but I was ready to stop. With my oldest I was pregnant with the twins and wanted a break for a few months, she was 11 months when I slowly weaned her off.

I was very much influenced by my health visitor to introduce formula which I'm now pretty angry about, I carried on combi feeding but around 9 months we stopped altogether. It kind of just naturally happened. I think I would have been ready to stop by a year though, but that's only for myself and no reflection on anyone who chooses to go longer

Stopped at 13 months as I’m pregnant with my second and don’t want to tandem feed

I had to start a medication for heart failure and it transmit through breast milk.

I stopped at 6 months because I needed a break from being on call 24-7. I found breast feeding very hard. I was hanging out for a weekend alone, not being touched/needed.

At 6 months, I returned to work so breastfeeding became unfeasible.

My partner took long term parental leave and wanted to be self sufficient in supporting our baby whilst I was at work.

I wanted to wear clothes that I felt were more me and that I felt physically secure in (I have big breasts and a lot of breast feeding attire is either uncomfortable or left me feeling under supported).

I wanted to start returning to fitness and I found that trying to do that with full breasts was extremely uncomfortable.

I have many reasons for stopping at 6 months 😂😂

I would say though, at no point was I too embarrassed to breastfeed in public. I absolutely see nothing wrong with it and very much support and congratulate women who BF!

I stopped breastfeeding at one month pp because my daughter had a shallow and horribly painful latch and we couldn't correct it no matter how many times we tried. I switched to pumping after that but could never get my supply up so we switched to formula. Currently pregnant with our second due in October and planning to try breastfeeding again. Hopefully we have better luck this time around 🤞🏻

My goal was two years, I wish I hadn’t felt any shame about nursing in public after that stage but some of my family are ignorant and I’m too sensitive. My girl still nurses most days at bedtime for comfort but I think it’s becoming a dry nurse as my supply has almost depleted

My breast milk always gives out around 5/6 months I try but it just goes out

I saw multiple lactation consultants, had tongue tie released, feed on demand, pumped at night, made myself cry over, tried every tea or internet cure and I just never made enough. To top it off, I hated it with a passion. I did it for both as long as I could but it’s the only part of motherhood I dreaded and whilst I can’t wait for baby 3, I already know I will hate it again. I felt trapped, overtouched, over sensitive. The day I stopped both times was like a new me and motherhood was immediately nicer.

I technically stopped directly breastfeeding at 9 weeks. It was beyond painful. I pumped instead with the idea of getting to 6 months. Started back up directly breastfeeding around 4 months with 1 feed and the rest of the time pumping. Did that till about 18 months then she randomly latched at night. I got to 6 months and didnt feel ready to stop. Here I am at 2 years slowly weaning from pumping with no plans to stop her latching.

I dont think id of continued so long without pumping though

With my first - awful latch despite trying everything we could think of (feeding support groups, tongue tie division, helplines, lactation consultant, paediatric osteopath, midwife and health visitor) which made it not only incredibly painful but meant she wasn’t actually getting enough milk. She was losing weight and we were stuck on triple feeds which are impossible to maintain. Switched to exclusively pumping.

With my second - she had a good latch and no pain, but just wasn’t gaining weight or drinking enough. Persevered for weeks and sought advice from so many people - everyone said her latch was fine and just keep going. But she just kept dropping and dropping percentiles, and weighted feeds showed she was only getting 1oz at every feed, when she should’ve been getting at least 4oz. Tried everything to get her to drink more but it wouldn’t work.

She bit me. Twice. At 9 months old.

Many moms in the US have to go back to work when their baby is super young, and I know that is a big factor. Pumping at work can be a whole *thing*, and understandably a lot of people don’t want to deal with that.

My daughter self weaned at almost 2.5. She basically got a cold and couldn't latch anymore then didn't really ask again.

Was down to one feed a day for a long time before that though.

This is personal opinion but I think a lot of people seem to think once they start having food/solids it's a good opportunity to have everything coming from external places so swap to formula too.

In the US, a lot of women go back at 6 or 12 weeks. I’m sure that massively effects breastfeeding because pumping is so annoying

I stopped at 6 months both time because they got their first tooth and that HURT. Did find it embarrassing in public tho 🥴 I would try and have a bottle prepared for if we were out but that wasn't always possible 😂 I have some fun stories with it tho 😂 like the elderly couple that helped me hide on the bus because my first baby was only about a month old and it was my first time and I was alone and nervous about it. Or the 16/17 year old who winked at me (I was 20 when I had my first) while I had her on the boob and my hair was a mess because I still hadn't gotten the hang of hiding myself so I would just put a muslin over both of our heads and occasionally pop my head out to make sure I wasn't going to miss our stop on the bus/train.

Stopped at 3.5 years when me and my daughter where ready

With my 1st I stopped when he was 10,5mo. I was 5,5 months pregnant and my body was telling me to stop, my nipples were extra sensitive. I endured extra pain during a month and one day I just couldn’t anymore. I didn’t have much milk too I think, it was quite smooth my son was trying the next day but then he was happy with the bottle.

My 2nd will be one year in 2weeks and I plan stopping breastfeeding in the next days : my body is tired, I’m eating well but I did pregnancy- breastfeeding - breastfeeding + pregnancy - breastfeeding . Also my 2nd is eating a lot, and at 1y milk isn’t the core food intake anymore. And I feel like stopping before 1,5y is easier because they forget very quickly