When is the Right Time to Stop Breastfeeding?

by Nicole Serafin, age 41 years, Tintenbar, NSW, Australia

A challenge faced by many women no doubt, not just myself.

There is so much pressure out there on women to not only breastfeed but also how long they should breastfeed for. This is compounded by the conflicting articles and information, often making women feel guilty if they stop feeding too early or even the other way around, feeling criticised if they breastfeed for too long.

So what is the right amount of time to feed for?

Learning to Love Myself Through My Breasts – Breastfeeding and Trusting Stillness Within

by Luz Helena Hincapie, 35 years, BA Architect, Colombia, South America

As with any other subject in this world, Breastfeeding comes with its own set of ideals and beliefs.

The obsession to do the best thing for our children above everything else, including the mother, seems to be normal and accepted. Ideas on breastfeeding have a great impact on women, as it did on me. Women can feel good about themselves if they produce enough milk and choose to breastfeed for a LONG time, or sad with a secret sense of failure if they don’t.

Learning to Love Myself Through My Breasts – Trusting I Knew What to do When Breastfeeding

by Luz Helena Hincapie, 35 years, BA Architect, Colombia, South America

What was I REALLY feeling about Breastfeeding? 

After all that I had been through with breastfeeding so far (See my previous blog: Learning to Love Myself Through My Breasts – My Experience with Breastfeeding), I realized I felt negative and burdened, but I could not deny I also loved it as I was learning so much from the process. In my mind I stubbornly decided not to stop until the baby was 1 year old at least: no matter what, I was determined not to complain that much and keep it all to myself. I saw everything as black or white, with no other possibilities in between. I had a pesky feeling all along, like a sense of failure because I thought breastfeeding and motherhood didn’t seem to come as natural to me as to other women.

Learning to Love Myself Through My Breasts – My Experience with Breastfeeding

by Luz Helena Hincapie, 35 years, BA Architect, Colombia, South America

During the process of rediscovering and learning to love myself and understand more about me through my breasts, something which I didn’t plan at a very conscious level occurred and it beautifully, but challengingly disrupted the process altogether…

I fell pregnant.

New Mother: To Breastfeed or Not to Breastfeed?

by Nicole Serafin, Tintenbar, Australia

I recently gave birth to my second child. I also have a 5 year old daughter whom I breastfed and then progressed onto solids when she was ready. Our son is also breastfed but has a much bigger appetite than our daughter and I decided to include some formula feeds. Formula never entered into the equation with our daughter, but with our son it has been a completely different experience. Of course, breastfeeding is pushed by many midwives and a lot of mothers, but some women are not as lucky and for one reason or another are unable to, or choose not to, breastfeed.

I have felt the inadequacy that some women face from this – it is huge, and so wrong and unnecessary.

I did not think that I had an issue with formula or not breastfeeding. I had been lucky with both of our children and was able to breastfeed them both without any problems, so I never had to consider any other options. When it came time to give our son formula in place of one of his feeds, I could feel myself begin to question if what I was doing was the right thing, if I should really do it, or should I just keep feeding every 2 hours and wait until he began to wean himself?