When to stop breastfeeding?

Looking for some personal experiences and insights. I’m currently exclusively pumping for my healthy and thriving 16 week old baby boy. Everything is going great and he’s the light of my life.

I’ve always struggled with my weight and since having him I’ve actually gained more weight and am feeling really down and awful about my body image. I thought you were supposed to lose weight when breast feeding? Well I was wrong.

Apparently when you’re lactating and producing the hormone Prolactin, your metabolism slows so you can produce nice fatty milk for bub. That certainly seems to be the case for us, and people often make comments about how my milk must be cream.

I’ve been watching what I eat and started running again but am still not shifting any weight. I actually gained another 2kg, making me 13kg heavier than when I fell pregnant. I’ve asked friends who have finished BFing and they said it wasn’t until they stopped that they were able to lose weight.

Deep down I feel like stopping BFing my son is almost, I don’t know, selfish? I want him to continue to be happy and healthy, but I want to be happy and healthy too.

Please help, I’m very conflicted.