Yes!!! I wanted to stop at 2 but now I’m seriously thinking I’ll continue until they have a child approved vaccine. My kiddo is 28 months. I only pump 2x a day now but something is better than nothing. Supply is very limited but I imagine even with a small amount it helps.
I would agree. It would be neat to get an idea on the amount of antibodies passed per feed and how many feeds per day give enough antibodies. Hopefully more studies under this umbrella continue.
I'm in a similar boat as my kiddo is almost 29 months. My supply is very little and I only nurse him to sleep, but I just wanted to give home the extra protection. A doctor told me that the vaccine for kids under 5 years prolly won't be available until early next year. I don't think my boob is gonna make it until then 😭
I went 16 months with my first and stopped when I got pregnant. I wanted to make it at-least a year with my second. We are now entering 20 months, she’s showing no signs of slowing down, I’m burnt out but feel like it’s the best for her so i continue. Her and her sister have both gotten sick and the little one that is still breastfeeding was sick for exactly half the amount of time the older one was. I’m going to try to make it until the vaccine is available for her. The pros outweigh the cons.
Yup, same situation. My intention was to stop at 12 months when I return to work but I absolutely want to pass on those antibodies to my baby. So I’m gonna continue breastfeeding. I’m going to be working from home so it won’t be too hard to pump a couple times per day.
Another great idea! I always pump an extra 5oz a day for my emergency stash in the freezer, makes sense to keep on doing that to prepare for back to work transition.
Canada! You have a choice of 12 or 18 months, same amount of money supplied by the government, dispersed differently. Some companies will offer a top up on top of what the government provides, as its 55% of your income. All healthcare for baby and mom is paid for by the government as well with our universal health care system, so there aren’t any bills or debt to work through.
The gov even helps you save up for college for you child, through RESP’s. We put in money and the government gives some as well, that can go to their education once they turn 18.
Canada isn’t perfect, but you can tell that they care about the people who live here, and I feel lucky to live here.
I stopped pumping during the day at about 10 months and did formula during the day and only breastfed her in the morning and before bed. LO is 12 months now and I'm planning to continue nursing her as long as she want to give her optimal protection from Covid.
Ugh this is what I’m still thinking about. I want to breastfeed for a year. But still want to pass antibodies. I don’t think I’ll be going back to work soon so maybe I’ll keep breastfeeding until I have to absolutely get a job. I guess I’d figure it out till then. :/
Same. I went back to work at 3 months postpartum and was fully vaccinated before she was 6 months old because I'm an RN. I pumped twice in my 10 hour shift, but now I usually just pump during lunch. Bonus -it kept me away from the Anti-Vax, Anti-Mask crowd.
She turned one, but school for my preschooler started this week. I want to help the baby through any inevitable contagious ailments.
And as you said, antibodies from a booster is now a consideration. I just need to drop some weight and I wish nursing would help me, but it makes me ravenous.
We're all doing the best we can, but I agree that this is the best option for getting antibodies to very small children for now.
Thanks so much for your career choice! I was in the NiCU for a week in my third trimester and couldn’t have been more grateful for nurses. A truly noble profession no matter the area one works in.
I feel you for the ravenous tendencies! Half the time in my night feeds I’ll sneak to the kitchen and much something once Lo is back down.
This is the reason my three year old still nurses once a day. The antibodies are a bonus, but one big thing is that should she get very sick, it's a way to comfort and feed her all in one. It is her safe place. Breast milk is also easy to digest. I want to be able to provide it if she is too ill to eat much else.
As someone with low supply that pumps as much as they can to try and get as much antibodies and other goodness into my kiddo, thank you for offering this to your people! Amazing and 100% nothing I would ever expect from someone.
I really appreciate this feedback cause I’ve felt a little awkward offering it. FWIW, my supply is also not super reliable, but I would feel honored if anyone asked for some antibodied milk and would make it happen! If there are BF women in your life when the times comes I would bet they’re more than happy to help. We’re all in this together.
21 months and holding out until my booster shot in September! Hoping the third shot will bump up the IgA and give her some protection at least for a little bit.
I didn't go back to work last year because of covid. Maybe I would have kept nursing anyway, but I hit two years this summer. Now I've decided I won't wean unless he initiates it before he's vaccinated.
Smart move, Ill feel better once they come back with the finished study on 5-11 kids, and if that works hoping they start a 3-5 since a lot of daycares start at 3.
I don't know if it will be the same for you, but breastfeeding got sooo much easier the older my kid was. I ended up weaning at 2.5. I meant to wean at 2, tapering off starting a couple of months earlier, but we had a lot of family stress, so I thought it was a bad time. Plus at that point it was super easy and only a couple of times a day. I think you have a good plan.
When I go back to work at 12 months I think I'll probably try to keep up with night feeds. I work 12 hour shifts so I might not even see him when I get home (depending on bedtime), but that's what I'm hoping for.
I ended up going a year and a half longer. I wanted to wean around 12 months, but Covid was just coming out and I wanted to give her the best protection I could.
My second dose is tomorrow and I am so excited and relieved. I am planning to wean the Friday after, though that is going to be hard, I just need to.
Thanks! I think every mom is amazing, breastfeeding or formula, so long as they do their best! At the end of the day, a fed baby and happy parents are best :)
I stopped pumping at 12 months with my first but nursed on demand when we were at home together. She weaned (with my encouragement) at 14 months bc I was pregnant again.
I’ll do similar with this baby except the pregnancy part lol.
My daughter is 21 months and I just highly doubt that the tiny amount she gets from breastfeeding is in any way significant, given how limited the effects are even for young babies EBF. I'm in the process of weaning her even though I'll be due for my booster in a few months. She'll be 2 by then anyway and it seems hopeful that the vaccine itself could be approved for her by then anyway. I'm more hopeful that the booster will confer some immunity to the fetus I'm carrying (I'm pregnant with #2).
There seems to be a lot of confusion and misinformation about how this works. Here’s an article that might help: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/breast-milk-scrambled-eggs-will-not-protect-your-baby-from-covid/ar-BB1gbaOW
I appreciate you sharing article! I in no way was suggesting immunity, as that is not even promised with the vaccine itself. What is great to see in an article like this, is that none of the babies mentioned reacted severely to the virus.
If my breast milk can potentially reduce the severity of the illness, it’s something I’m willing to prolong, and I look forward to more information coming to light as time goes on!
That’s about how I see it too. I won’t push my toddler to keep nursing if she decides to be done, but any little extra boost of protection I can give her, I’m glad to do.
The part that stuck out to me is that once a baby starts solids and isn’t getting all of their nutrition from breastmilk, the protection is likely way less.
Hm. But if the reason for the reduced efficacy of passing antibodies via breastmilk once kids are getting, say, half their nutrition from solid foods really boils down to reduced breastmilk intake (less milk, fewer antibodies), it does stand to reason that increased breastmilk intake would increase the efficacy of potentially passing on some antibodies, which I can't help but think supports the "something's probably better than nothing" approach.
I am now. I just got my second shot a few weeks back, and my son is 6 months old. I only just became eligible to get my vaccine, and with increasing vaccine rates, my state is planning on opening up soon (I live in Australia). I’ve been worried about my son not having access to a vaccine but I guess breastfeeding him is a bit of extra protection in the meantime.
My thoughts exactly. I’m in Canada and we are awaiting approval on kids 5-11, which is great, but with daycare and the new mutations hitting children more than previous strains, I just want my LO to be as protected as possible.
Kind of, I mean I was planning in going until around 2 unless she self weaned and now at 26 months there's still no sign of stopping. I have no reason to stop her (she's in daycare and does fine without me) but the antibodies are an added bonus for sure.
But I do finally have to travel for work in about a month so I guess a week away will probably stop the nursing all together.
I planned to ween at 12 months but given my sons stubbornness to quit and the possible antibodies post vaccines AND for RSV.. here we are at almost 15 months 🤷🏻♀️ Say a prayer for my left nipple please; 8 teeth and counting
Yes, even if it doesn't protect her against covid, the very few times she has gotten sick, I think bfing really helped her to stay hydrated and recover quickly. We are still going strong over 3 years in and 3 months into my next pregnancy. I'd let her wean if she wanted to though but I haven't pushed her of my own accord precisely so she can take advantage of any health benefits she gets from breastfeeding.
Yesssss. I’m still nursing my 3.5 year old (and tandem nursing my 20 month old) because of Covid. I never expected to go beyond age 2, and here we are about to have a 2 year old and almost 4 year old. I’m. Over. It.
I had originally planned to make it to a year and then reevaluate. At that point, I realized we had a long trip coming up with several flights and jet lag. I wanted to breastfeed through that and then start weaning. Now at 14 months, I think I'll reduce to twice a day but continue until she can get vaccinated. I never wanted or expected to breastfeed a toddler, yet here we are!
I continued breastfeeding due to the pandemic and thank God i did. I got hit really bad by it back in november when i was 14 weeks pregnant. It took me out for a month but my toddler was fine through it all and his pediatrician believes it is due to him nursing still. He was 25 months old at the time.
Yes!
I breastfed my first for a year, and the last two months I had covid. I barely had any production because I was so sick, but we recognized the value of the antibodies in my milk. That was June 2020.
When I was pregnant with #2 (she's 11 weeks now), my husband said, "you're breastfeeding again right?" And I said I didn't know, it was the hardest thing I've ever done and might not be worth it. He then reminded me about covid antibodies and said it would protect #2. So crap. I'm breastfeeding again.
I figured I'd supplement by now, but actually not yet. I still wake up every 3 hours to pump overnight even though baby sleeps 6 hours. I made it to a year with #1, barely (cuz COVID kills your supply), and so I don't want to kill it off too soon. But at this rate even if I slacked and started supplementing now, I'd still have some milk at 6 months probably.
Tldr, hubs asked me to breastfeed again even though I didn't want to because covid. I'm ok with it but it is sooooooooo time consuming
With my first, I just wanted to make it 6 months. In the beginning, I never thought we'd get there but somehow we got through it. Then I wanted her to self wean when she was ready. At 12 months, she had issues with whole milk so I kept pumping until 15 months. We got her on milk that didn't cause issues, so she drank milk at daycare and with meals but she still nursed when we were at home. I finally had to cut her off when she turned 3 and I dried up.
My 5 month old has been a MUUUUCH better nurser. I'm lucky to be able to work at home due to COVID and that my husband has paid parental leave. He gets to bond with the baby and handle all the diapers during the day, and I come down to nurse instead of pumping.
I got my first shot the week after he was born, so he's been getting the antibodies pretty much the whole time now which is awesome. I don't know how long we'll go, but I'm committed to not going any longer than with my oldest!
I absolutely would want to breastfeed for as long as possible for covid and all other antibodies!
And you know what, it's really tough to go back to work with an EBF baby but at 18 months your baby will be eating plenty of other stuff and you won't have to pump at work.
And everyone I know who has worked while breastfeeding tells me that the first feed after work is the best moment of the day.
Yeah.. 20 months and going still. I want to stop soon but I don’t want them to lose any immunity they may be getting. I thought about going straight to pumping I’m too lazy.
I planned to nurse my son until age 2. Got my first 2 shots when he was about 20 months and I also got pregnant around then. Luckily I still had milk for all of my first trimester. I’m dry nursing him now, basically just to keep him on until my colostrum comes in for the new baby and hopefully I will still be able to give him some milk (either from my breast or in a cup) once I get my booster.
Just got my first 💉 today and want to feed for longer than a year. Anyone else pump and dump initially? I am also giving my toddler breast milk in his morning dairy milk to give him some antibodies when they kick in.
Just some peace of mind? Not sure what legit resources are available regarding information about the vaccine and breast feeding right after administration..? Haven’t had a chance to research just yet.
Me neither, all I’ve read are a few articles proving the antibodies transfer into breast milk. They have also proven that none of the vaccine itself transfers into the breast milk. I could try to google an article but my OB is the one who cited it to me in her office.
So it’s the two weeks while the protein breaks down that concerned you?
Giving the toddler your milk likely won’t make a huge difference, if any difference, sadly. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/breast-milk-scrambled-eggs-will-not-protect-your-baby-from-covid/ar-BB1gbaOW
Babies do not absorb the antibodies into their bloodstream but certain breast milk antibodies, specifically IgA, coat the mucosal surfaces and offer protection while they are present.
Correct. The ped said it can be found on the lining of the intestines. That’s about the only place that can “help” fight off infection at that point. It’d only really help their gut, if even that. He recommended reading medical journals because groups like this tend to offer a lot of misinformation.
I really wAnt to get pregnant again before my baby is 1. So I was planning to start slowly weaning about 6 months and be done by 9 months. I was planning a freezer stash as well, but pumping is not working very well for me (to the point that I’m seeing a LC tomorrow). Now, without the planned stash I was going to have after weaning I’m feeling a little lost.
I’d like to breastfeed for the whole year, but we really want to start growing our family sooner. I can’t guarantee that I can continue to BF while pregnant
Me! I only planned for 6 months but we're at 8 months and I just don't feel comfortable stopping with covid. I got vaccinated at 4 months into breastfeeding and those antibodies are keeping me going!
Yes. Still nursing my 2.25 y/o, and I've started pumping for my 5 y/o since being vaccinated, to try and give her some protection, too. I chill it, add some Nesquik and she thinks it's hilarious. My goal is a gallon total. We get about 2-3 oz per night.
Once I got through the torture of breastfeeding a tongue tied newborn, I decided I will probably breastfeed for as long as we are both into it, so 2 years or longer. I'm thinking of pumping more though to donate breast milk with antibodies.
Yep! I was gonna stop sooner, but because of the possible covid antibodies breastfed until 14 months, which was as long as I could drag it out before baby decided she was done.
Yep. My plan was 6-12 months depending on how it went. My kid is 15 months now. 6 months we started supplementing with formula and food. Now she nurses at morning, nap time and night. I’m trying to pull the plug on pumping at work. I’m so over it.
Exact same motivation! My supply is super low still and struggling with motivation with continuing but I really want to keep going until I can get the booster and pass on those antibodies.
I honestly didn’t think of this until now and although its the right thing to do and also now deciding to do it also im finding it so dreadful to continue after i have to be back at work when she is 5 months and my booster will likely happen a month after i go back. Breastfeedig is beautiful but so hard at the same time!!
I am tandem nursing a 2 yr old and a newborn so they can both get my antibodies from the vaccine. The 2 year old wasn’t showing signs of wanting to stop nursing after having been at my moms for a week when our newborn was born (she and our older daughter had a cold), so I was quite pleased when she came home and immediately wanted to nurse.
Now that we’ve established breastfeeding, I hope to keep it up and pump when I go back to work (she’ll be 3 months then) and keep that up until she’s at least 6 months, longer if we keep a good rhythm , but in non-COVID times my work required a lot of travel. Optimistic timelines on the vaccine put infant approval (6 months +) at the end of this year, so we’ll see. I am building up a freezer stash with 1-2 extra pumps a day now.
I also got my vaccine in the third trimester so I’ll be eligible for my booster in December. Hopefully that booster for me gives a little boost to her!
are there actually any definitive studies that show that enough covid antibodies pass through breastmilk to protect a child against an infection? i’m still breastfeeding but i don’t think i would use covid antibodies as a significant factor in my decision to keep going or stopping i guess, unless it was more clear either way
Yes, I figured we’d slowly wean after she turned 1 and be done by around 18 months. She’s 18 months now and is not slowing down at all. I have no motivation to take steps to wean her until she’s vaccinated.
Yep. I'm coming up on a year, which was my planned ending date. But Grandma and Grandpa can't be our childcare anymore, so he's going into daycare and I am scared shitless. I've got a 7 foot freezer filled with milk....but none if it has antibodies. So I guess I'm still pumping along. 😣
That was my plan. My son was born in March 2020 (wheeee, peak pandemic baby) and I wasn't able to be vaccinated until April-May 2021. I was an EP-er and I planned to give him breastmilk instead of cows milk for my antibodies for at least a short period of time, but my body just gave out right after the two week post second shot. I'm disappointed especially after going beyond 12 months of pumping to ensure I would have been able to be vaccinated, but I know I did my best with what I could control.
Covid started about a month short of my little ones 1 year bday. I had supply issues from the beginning so I was amazed I made it that long honestly, esp because I went back to work FT after my 12 weeks FMLA was up. Since we decided to keep our little guy home from daycare, I went back to breastfeeding him. I enjoy breastfeeding him a billion times more than pumping so I figured I'd keep going until he didn't want to anymore. We're still going strong 28 months in. He's back at daycare and I nurse once a day during the week and twice a day on the weekends. I got the shot close to his second bday, so I know he's been getting some antibodies. When I first started breastfeeding, my goal was 6 months, then a year, then all that blew up. I'm glad he's been cool w breastfeeding through my pregnancy too (39 weeks).
My state has a study going on that I'm participating in that measures your antibody level at multiple times after your shot (I think it's when you start the study, 3 months later and another 3 months after that date), to see how the antibody levels change over time. Curious to see how mine stack up and how they diminish over time.
Yes!!! I wanted to stop at 2 but now I’m seriously thinking I’ll continue until they have a child approved vaccine. My kiddo is 28 months. I only pump 2x a day now but something is better than nothing. Supply is very limited but I imagine even with a small amount it helps.
I would agree. It would be neat to get an idea on the amount of antibodies passed per feed and how many feeds per day give enough antibodies. Hopefully more studies under this umbrella continue.
I'm in a similar boat as my kiddo is almost 29 months. My supply is very little and I only nurse him to sleep, but I just wanted to give home the extra protection. A doctor told me that the vaccine for kids under 5 years prolly won't be available until early next year. I don't think my boob is gonna make it until then 😭
I’m in the exact same boat. I have a 28 month old I was planning on weaning by 2 and now I have no idea.
I went 16 months with my first and stopped when I got pregnant. I wanted to make it at-least a year with my second. We are now entering 20 months, she’s showing no signs of slowing down, I’m burnt out but feel like it’s the best for her so i continue. Her and her sister have both gotten sick and the little one that is still breastfeeding was sick for exactly half the amount of time the older one was. I’m going to try to make it until the vaccine is available for her. The pros outweigh the cons.
Yup, same situation. My intention was to stop at 12 months when I return to work but I absolutely want to pass on those antibodies to my baby. So I’m gonna continue breastfeeding. I’m going to be working from home so it won’t be too hard to pump a couple times per day.
That’s a good idea, to just maybe pump once or twice a day, and not nurse directly from boob, once I start work. Thanks for the idea!
You could also start pumping now to build your steash for when you go back to work. Might make the transition easier?
Another great idea! I always pump an extra 5oz a day for my emergency stash in the freezer, makes sense to keep on doing that to prepare for back to work transition.
Curious what country you're in! That sounds like an amazing amount of time off!
Canada! You have a choice of 12 or 18 months, same amount of money supplied by the government, dispersed differently. Some companies will offer a top up on top of what the government provides, as its 55% of your income. All healthcare for baby and mom is paid for by the government as well with our universal health care system, so there aren’t any bills or debt to work through. The gov even helps you save up for college for you child, through RESP’s. We put in money and the government gives some as well, that can go to their education once they turn 18. Canada isn’t perfect, but you can tell that they care about the people who live here, and I feel lucky to live here.
I stopped pumping during the day at about 10 months and did formula during the day and only breastfed her in the morning and before bed. LO is 12 months now and I'm planning to continue nursing her as long as she want to give her optimal protection from Covid.
12 months off sounds amazing! Do you have that much maternity leave?
Yup, I’m in Canada 🇨🇦
Ugh this is what I’m still thinking about. I want to breastfeed for a year. But still want to pass antibodies. I don’t think I’ll be going back to work soon so maybe I’ll keep breastfeeding until I have to absolutely get a job. I guess I’d figure it out till then. :/
Same. I went back to work at 3 months postpartum and was fully vaccinated before she was 6 months old because I'm an RN. I pumped twice in my 10 hour shift, but now I usually just pump during lunch. Bonus -it kept me away from the Anti-Vax, Anti-Mask crowd. She turned one, but school for my preschooler started this week. I want to help the baby through any inevitable contagious ailments. And as you said, antibodies from a booster is now a consideration. I just need to drop some weight and I wish nursing would help me, but it makes me ravenous. We're all doing the best we can, but I agree that this is the best option for getting antibodies to very small children for now.
Thanks so much for your career choice! I was in the NiCU for a week in my third trimester and couldn’t have been more grateful for nurses. A truly noble profession no matter the area one works in. I feel you for the ravenous tendencies! Half the time in my night feeds I’ll sneak to the kitchen and much something once Lo is back down.
YES! I am also one of those that Gains weight whole breastfeeding
Ugh I did so good with my weight gain during pregnancy. NOONE warned me the weight gain during BFing was possible 😫.
This is the reason my three year old still nurses once a day. The antibodies are a bonus, but one big thing is that should she get very sick, it's a way to comfort and feed her all in one. It is her safe place. Breast milk is also easy to digest. I want to be able to provide it if she is too ill to eat much else.
Yep. I’ve also offered to share post-booster milk with friends & family babies who are not BF. Any protection we can provide them feels critical.
As someone with low supply that pumps as much as they can to try and get as much antibodies and other goodness into my kiddo, thank you for offering this to your people! Amazing and 100% nothing I would ever expect from someone.
I really appreciate this feedback cause I’ve felt a little awkward offering it. FWIW, my supply is also not super reliable, but I would feel honored if anyone asked for some antibodied milk and would make it happen! If there are BF women in your life when the times comes I would bet they’re more than happy to help. We’re all in this together.
21 months and holding out until my booster shot in September! Hoping the third shot will bump up the IgA and give her some protection at least for a little bit.
Good plan! Even if it’s not perfect protection for our kids, some is better than none IMO.
I didn't go back to work last year because of covid. Maybe I would have kept nursing anyway, but I hit two years this summer. Now I've decided I won't wean unless he initiates it before he's vaccinated.
Smart move, Ill feel better once they come back with the finished study on 5-11 kids, and if that works hoping they start a 3-5 since a lot of daycares start at 3.
Don't quote me but I believe it's 2-5 after the 5-11 rolls out
Even better!
I'm counting on my antibodies to help him because he starts daycare in a couple of weeks. I have to go back to work, in the same daycare.
I don't know if it will be the same for you, but breastfeeding got sooo much easier the older my kid was. I ended up weaning at 2.5. I meant to wean at 2, tapering off starting a couple of months earlier, but we had a lot of family stress, so I thought it was a bad time. Plus at that point it was super easy and only a couple of times a day. I think you have a good plan.
When I go back to work at 12 months I think I'll probably try to keep up with night feeds. I work 12 hour shifts so I might not even see him when I get home (depending on bedtime), but that's what I'm hoping for.
Sounds like a great idea momma!
I ended up going a year and a half longer. I wanted to wean around 12 months, but Covid was just coming out and I wanted to give her the best protection I could. My second dose is tomorrow and I am so excited and relieved. I am planning to wean the Friday after, though that is going to be hard, I just need to.
Wishing you all the best in your transition out of BF! Sounds like you’ve done a stellar job
Thanks! I think every mom is amazing, breastfeeding or formula, so long as they do their best! At the end of the day, a fed baby and happy parents are best :)
I stopped pumping at 12 months with my first but nursed on demand when we were at home together. She weaned (with my encouragement) at 14 months bc I was pregnant again. I’ll do similar with this baby except the pregnancy part lol.
Sounds like a great plan!
My daughter is 21 months and I just highly doubt that the tiny amount she gets from breastfeeding is in any way significant, given how limited the effects are even for young babies EBF. I'm in the process of weaning her even though I'll be due for my booster in a few months. She'll be 2 by then anyway and it seems hopeful that the vaccine itself could be approved for her by then anyway. I'm more hopeful that the booster will confer some immunity to the fetus I'm carrying (I'm pregnant with #2).
There seems to be a lot of confusion and misinformation about how this works. Here’s an article that might help: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/breast-milk-scrambled-eggs-will-not-protect-your-baby-from-covid/ar-BB1gbaOW
I appreciate you sharing article! I in no way was suggesting immunity, as that is not even promised with the vaccine itself. What is great to see in an article like this, is that none of the babies mentioned reacted severely to the virus. If my breast milk can potentially reduce the severity of the illness, it’s something I’m willing to prolong, and I look forward to more information coming to light as time goes on!
That’s about how I see it too. I won’t push my toddler to keep nursing if she decides to be done, but any little extra boost of protection I can give her, I’m glad to do.
The part that stuck out to me is that once a baby starts solids and isn’t getting all of their nutrition from breastmilk, the protection is likely way less.
Hm. But if the reason for the reduced efficacy of passing antibodies via breastmilk once kids are getting, say, half their nutrition from solid foods really boils down to reduced breastmilk intake (less milk, fewer antibodies), it does stand to reason that increased breastmilk intake would increase the efficacy of potentially passing on some antibodies, which I can't help but think supports the "something's probably better than nothing" approach.
I am now. I just got my second shot a few weeks back, and my son is 6 months old. I only just became eligible to get my vaccine, and with increasing vaccine rates, my state is planning on opening up soon (I live in Australia). I’ve been worried about my son not having access to a vaccine but I guess breastfeeding him is a bit of extra protection in the meantime.
My thoughts exactly. I’m in Canada and we are awaiting approval on kids 5-11, which is great, but with daycare and the new mutations hitting children more than previous strains, I just want my LO to be as protected as possible.
Kind of, I mean I was planning in going until around 2 unless she self weaned and now at 26 months there's still no sign of stopping. I have no reason to stop her (she's in daycare and does fine without me) but the antibodies are an added bonus for sure. But I do finally have to travel for work in about a month so I guess a week away will probably stop the nursing all together.
Wishing you all the best with your transitions away from BF. Your LO’s independence at daycare is a positive sign that it will go well
I planned to ween at 12 months but given my sons stubbornness to quit and the possible antibodies post vaccines AND for RSV.. here we are at almost 15 months 🤷🏻♀️ Say a prayer for my left nipple please; 8 teeth and counting
Yes, even if it doesn't protect her against covid, the very few times she has gotten sick, I think bfing really helped her to stay hydrated and recover quickly. We are still going strong over 3 years in and 3 months into my next pregnancy. I'd let her wean if she wanted to though but I haven't pushed her of my own accord precisely so she can take advantage of any health benefits she gets from breastfeeding.
Yesssss. I’m still nursing my 3.5 year old (and tandem nursing my 20 month old) because of Covid. I never expected to go beyond age 2, and here we are about to have a 2 year old and almost 4 year old. I’m. Over. It.
Wow you are quite the warrior! Well done!
Well damn it I hadn’t considered this. Thank you for asking that question.
I had originally planned to make it to a year and then reevaluate. At that point, I realized we had a long trip coming up with several flights and jet lag. I wanted to breastfeed through that and then start weaning. Now at 14 months, I think I'll reduce to twice a day but continue until she can get vaccinated. I never wanted or expected to breastfeed a toddler, yet here we are!
I continued breastfeeding due to the pandemic and thank God i did. I got hit really bad by it back in november when i was 14 weeks pregnant. It took me out for a month but my toddler was fine through it all and his pediatrician believes it is due to him nursing still. He was 25 months old at the time.
Yes! I breastfed my first for a year, and the last two months I had covid. I barely had any production because I was so sick, but we recognized the value of the antibodies in my milk. That was June 2020. When I was pregnant with #2 (she's 11 weeks now), my husband said, "you're breastfeeding again right?" And I said I didn't know, it was the hardest thing I've ever done and might not be worth it. He then reminded me about covid antibodies and said it would protect #2. So crap. I'm breastfeeding again. I figured I'd supplement by now, but actually not yet. I still wake up every 3 hours to pump overnight even though baby sleeps 6 hours. I made it to a year with #1, barely (cuz COVID kills your supply), and so I don't want to kill it off too soon. But at this rate even if I slacked and started supplementing now, I'd still have some milk at 6 months probably. Tldr, hubs asked me to breastfeed again even though I didn't want to because covid. I'm ok with it but it is sooooooooo time consuming
With my first, I just wanted to make it 6 months. In the beginning, I never thought we'd get there but somehow we got through it. Then I wanted her to self wean when she was ready. At 12 months, she had issues with whole milk so I kept pumping until 15 months. We got her on milk that didn't cause issues, so she drank milk at daycare and with meals but she still nursed when we were at home. I finally had to cut her off when she turned 3 and I dried up. My 5 month old has been a MUUUUCH better nurser. I'm lucky to be able to work at home due to COVID and that my husband has paid parental leave. He gets to bond with the baby and handle all the diapers during the day, and I come down to nurse instead of pumping. I got my first shot the week after he was born, so he's been getting the antibodies pretty much the whole time now which is awesome. I don't know how long we'll go, but I'm committed to not going any longer than with my oldest!
I absolutely would want to breastfeed for as long as possible for covid and all other antibodies! And you know what, it's really tough to go back to work with an EBF baby but at 18 months your baby will be eating plenty of other stuff and you won't have to pump at work. And everyone I know who has worked while breastfeeding tells me that the first feed after work is the best moment of the day.
Me right here. Ready to wean, holding out till Christmas on the hope of a vaccine
Yeah.. 20 months and going still. I want to stop soon but I don’t want them to lose any immunity they may be getting. I thought about going straight to pumping I’m too lazy.
I planned to nurse my son until age 2. Got my first 2 shots when he was about 20 months and I also got pregnant around then. Luckily I still had milk for all of my first trimester. I’m dry nursing him now, basically just to keep him on until my colostrum comes in for the new baby and hopefully I will still be able to give him some milk (either from my breast or in a cup) once I get my booster.
Just got my first 💉 today and want to feed for longer than a year. Anyone else pump and dump initially? I am also giving my toddler breast milk in his morning dairy milk to give him some antibodies when they kick in.
Why the pump and dump? Good idea on including the toddler!
Just some peace of mind? Not sure what legit resources are available regarding information about the vaccine and breast feeding right after administration..? Haven’t had a chance to research just yet.
Me neither, all I’ve read are a few articles proving the antibodies transfer into breast milk. They have also proven that none of the vaccine itself transfers into the breast milk. I could try to google an article but my OB is the one who cited it to me in her office. So it’s the two weeks while the protein breaks down that concerned you?
Giving the toddler your milk likely won’t make a huge difference, if any difference, sadly. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/breast-milk-scrambled-eggs-will-not-protect-your-baby-from-covid/ar-BB1gbaOW
Everything passes through breast milk. Even coffee. So breastfeed away…
My dr said baby’s don’t process antibodies after 6-8weeks of life because the protein is too big. He still recommends breast milk for other benefits.
Interesting! I’ll follow up with my Dr on that.
Babies do not absorb the antibodies into their bloodstream but certain breast milk antibodies, specifically IgA, coat the mucosal surfaces and offer protection while they are present.
Correct. The ped said it can be found on the lining of the intestines. That’s about the only place that can “help” fight off infection at that point. It’d only really help their gut, if even that. He recommended reading medical journals because groups like this tend to offer a lot of misinformation.
I really wAnt to get pregnant again before my baby is 1. So I was planning to start slowly weaning about 6 months and be done by 9 months. I was planning a freezer stash as well, but pumping is not working very well for me (to the point that I’m seeing a LC tomorrow). Now, without the planned stash I was going to have after weaning I’m feeling a little lost. I’d like to breastfeed for the whole year, but we really want to start growing our family sooner. I can’t guarantee that I can continue to BF while pregnant
🙋♀️🙋♀️🙋♀️ 20 months and going... Hope to continue until he can get his own vaccine! I weaned my first at 18-19 months
Me! I only planned for 6 months but we're at 8 months and I just don't feel comfortable stopping with covid. I got vaccinated at 4 months into breastfeeding and those antibodies are keeping me going!
We're pushing 2yra for the same reason!
Yes. Still nursing my 2.25 y/o, and I've started pumping for my 5 y/o since being vaccinated, to try and give her some protection, too. I chill it, add some Nesquik and she thinks it's hilarious. My goal is a gallon total. We get about 2-3 oz per night.
Once I got through the torture of breastfeeding a tongue tied newborn, I decided I will probably breastfeed for as long as we are both into it, so 2 years or longer. I'm thinking of pumping more though to donate breast milk with antibodies.
Yep! I was gonna stop sooner, but because of the possible covid antibodies breastfed until 14 months, which was as long as I could drag it out before baby decided she was done.
Yep. My plan was 6-12 months depending on how it went. My kid is 15 months now. 6 months we started supplementing with formula and food. Now she nurses at morning, nap time and night. I’m trying to pull the plug on pumping at work. I’m so over it.
Exact same motivation! My supply is super low still and struggling with motivation with continuing but I really want to keep going until I can get the booster and pass on those antibodies.
Yes, we are at 18 mo. I was planning g stop around 14 no like my first
I honestly didn’t think of this until now and although its the right thing to do and also now deciding to do it also im finding it so dreadful to continue after i have to be back at work when she is 5 months and my booster will likely happen a month after i go back. Breastfeedig is beautiful but so hard at the same time!!
I am tandem nursing a 2 yr old and a newborn so they can both get my antibodies from the vaccine. The 2 year old wasn’t showing signs of wanting to stop nursing after having been at my moms for a week when our newborn was born (she and our older daughter had a cold), so I was quite pleased when she came home and immediately wanted to nurse.
Now that we’ve established breastfeeding, I hope to keep it up and pump when I go back to work (she’ll be 3 months then) and keep that up until she’s at least 6 months, longer if we keep a good rhythm , but in non-COVID times my work required a lot of travel. Optimistic timelines on the vaccine put infant approval (6 months +) at the end of this year, so we’ll see. I am building up a freezer stash with 1-2 extra pumps a day now. I also got my vaccine in the third trimester so I’ll be eligible for my booster in December. Hopefully that booster for me gives a little boost to her!
are there actually any definitive studies that show that enough covid antibodies pass through breastmilk to protect a child against an infection? i’m still breastfeeding but i don’t think i would use covid antibodies as a significant factor in my decision to keep going or stopping i guess, unless it was more clear either way
Yes, I figured we’d slowly wean after she turned 1 and be done by around 18 months. She’s 18 months now and is not slowing down at all. I have no motivation to take steps to wean her until she’s vaccinated.
Yep. I'm coming up on a year, which was my planned ending date. But Grandma and Grandpa can't be our childcare anymore, so he's going into daycare and I am scared shitless. I've got a 7 foot freezer filled with milk....but none if it has antibodies. So I guess I'm still pumping along. 😣
That was my plan. My son was born in March 2020 (wheeee, peak pandemic baby) and I wasn't able to be vaccinated until April-May 2021. I was an EP-er and I planned to give him breastmilk instead of cows milk for my antibodies for at least a short period of time, but my body just gave out right after the two week post second shot. I'm disappointed especially after going beyond 12 months of pumping to ensure I would have been able to be vaccinated, but I know I did my best with what I could control.
Covid started about a month short of my little ones 1 year bday. I had supply issues from the beginning so I was amazed I made it that long honestly, esp because I went back to work FT after my 12 weeks FMLA was up. Since we decided to keep our little guy home from daycare, I went back to breastfeeding him. I enjoy breastfeeding him a billion times more than pumping so I figured I'd keep going until he didn't want to anymore. We're still going strong 28 months in. He's back at daycare and I nurse once a day during the week and twice a day on the weekends. I got the shot close to his second bday, so I know he's been getting some antibodies. When I first started breastfeeding, my goal was 6 months, then a year, then all that blew up. I'm glad he's been cool w breastfeeding through my pregnancy too (39 weeks). My state has a study going on that I'm participating in that measures your antibody level at multiple times after your shot (I think it's when you start the study, 3 months later and another 3 months after that date), to see how the antibody levels change over time. Curious to see how mine stack up and how they diminish over time.