How long do I need to carry on in order to give her the best possible start in life?

By deciding to breastfeed you have already given your baby the best possible start in life, and scientific evidence states that the longer you breastfeed the greater the health benefits for both of you.

You can go on breastfeeding for as long as you both wish to. The main thing is that you and your baby do not have to stop before you are ready to. This means getting the essential support in the early days, from your husband and family, health professionals, and if necessary, breastfeeding counsellors.

The World Health Organisation recommends breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months and then continuing to breastfeed whilst you are introducing solid foods. Even if this advice is not practical or realistic for everyone, research certainly suggests that breastfeeding for at least the first 13 weeks without any solids or formula will protect your baby for his first year against gastroenteritis and chest infections.

Some women find that, on returning to work, they can express breastmilk or combine breast and bottle feeding quite successfully, so it is not necessarily the end of breastfeeding. Continuing to breastfeed may be one way of maintaining your close relationship and may well help in coping with the separation.
Feeding involves practical and emotional issues, and many factors influence the decision to carry on or completely stop breastfeeding. Most women in western cultures set goals for breastfeeding of between three and 12 months, but in other areas of the world it is normal to breastfeed for two years or longer.