How long should I breast-feed my baby?

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding for at least a year, with the addition of “complimentary” solid food by six months.  Every situation is different.  Each baby is different.  The answer is until  both Mom and baby are ready to stop.  

Many women prefer to wean more slowly, even when their babies cooperate fully.  Breastfeeding provides closeness between mother and baby that’s hard to duplicate any other way and sometimes Mom may be reluctant to give up that special intimacy.  Some babies lose interest between nine and twelve months, as they learn to drink from a cup.  In fact, many breast fed babies never use a bottle, but wean directly to a cup.  

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding exclusively during the first 6 months of a baby's life, with additional nursing recommended for at least the baby's first year. Most mothers nurse during the first few days of a baby's life. Only two of every five mothers are still breastfeeding by the time the baby is 6 months old, and one of every five mothers is nursing when the baby turns 1 year old.

The American Academy of Pediatrics strongly supports breastfeeding as the optimal source of nutrition through the first year of your baby’s life.  They recommend breastfeeding exclusively for 4 to 6 months and then continuing to breastfeed with the addition of solid food until your baby’s first birthday.  After age one, you can continue nursing as long as you and your baby enjoy the experience.

You can exclusively feed your baby breast milk even if you plan on returning to work.  Breast milk can be pumped and served to your baby in a bottle.  Pumping and storing breast milk can also give others the opportunity to feed and bond with your baby.  A good time to begin pumping is around 3 to 4 weeks of age, once you have established a good breastfeeding routine and feel comfortable enough to add something else to your do-do list.  If you wait too long to introduce the bottle, your baby may no take to it, which can be distressing for your sitter or child care provider.  Once you introduce the bottle, it’s a good idea to have somebody feed your baby a bottle at least once every few days, even if you are still on maternity leave and home with your baby, so he remains familiar with drinking breast milk from a bottle.  Even if you choose not to go back to work, pumping gives you the flexibility of leaving the house to do errands or to treat yourself to a few hours of “me time!”  If you need help pumping or finding the right balance between nursing and bottle feeding, ask your pediatrician or a lactation consultant for help.

For optimal nutrition for your infant, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends exclusive breast feeding for the first six months to provide optimal nutrition and health protection, and breast feeding with complementary foods from six months until at least 12 months of age.