How long should i breast feed? how long should i plan to breastfeed my baby? i know people that have only done it for a few months, and others who have gone well over a year.

Breastfeeding : Breastfeeding has numerous benefits for mother and baby that are very well proven. For mom, it promotes weight loss (burns up to 600 calories per day), bonding, is much cheaper and more convenient than formula (free and no bottle cleanup). For babies, breast feeding reduces the rate of infections (ear infections, colds, etc), reduces the chance of obesity and diabetes later in life, just to name a few. I say all that to encourage you and others to breast feed. As for how long, the aap (american academy of pediatrics) recommends at least 1 year of breast feeding. However, if that isn't possible due to social factors (work schedule, difficulty with supply, etc.), then the longer the better...6 months is better than 3 months, 3 months is better than 1 month. However, aiming for a year is a good goal...Not coincidentally, that is the time we recommend changing over from formula to 2% or whole milk anyway. One note, if you exclusively breastfeed, you should talk to your doctor about vitamin d supplementation for yourself and the baby.

Your choice: Breast feeding is a personal choice. By breast feeding you are bonding with your child. The longer the better within reason.