How Long to Breastfeed/Pump?
Giving your babies breast milk by nursing, pumping or a combination for any amount of time – whether it is for a few days, several months, a year or even longer – provides benefits both to your babies and for you. To understand some of the benefits, read If You Nurse Just One Day.
The first one or two months are the most challenging as you are establishing a routine with nursing and/or pumping with two or more newborns added to your family. Some parents start with a specific goal in mind – such as nursing for the first 3 months or 6 months or year. During those first couple of months, you may question whether you are going to meet your goal or if you should switch to formula for one or both babies. Definitely seek help from a lactation consultant if you are having issues with your milk supply or if you are experiencing pain from nursing or pumping. You may find it helps to just take breastfeeding a day at a time.
Once you figure out how to breastfeed your multiples and it gets easier, you might wonder how long to breastfeed your multiples or when you should wean them. If you look at recommendations from the experts, you will find the following:
- The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends “breastfeeding continue for at least 12 months, and thereafter for as long as mutually desired.”
- The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends “infants should receive complementary foods with continued breastfeeding up to 2 years of age or beyond.”
Weaning
When you decide that you want to fully or partially wean, slowly drop nursing/pumping sessions and replace those sessions with bottles of formula or milk over a couple of weeks or months. Babies under a year old should be given formula and babies over a year old can be weaned using bottles or cups of whole milk. Start by using bottles for nursing sessions that your babies are least attached to. Often the bedtime session is the last nursing session to be dropped.
If your babies are older, the weaning process naturally begins as babies eat more solids during the day and drop some nursing sessions on their own. The Kellymom website has an extensive list of information on weaning.
Want to Extend Your Breastfeeding Goals?
Some mothers decide to extend their original breastfeeding goals. If you are nursing your babies as they approach their first birthday, you may consider breastfeeding beyond the first year.
- To learn about the benefits of breastfeeding toddlers, read the Extended Breastfeeding Fact Sheet on the Kellymom website.
- More information and resources about nursing beyond the first year can be found at this La Leche League website link.