This is collection of answers from Twitter and Facebook, please feel free to add it it!
What helped? My own confidence, the unwavering, unquestioning support of my dh & my LLL Leader. They knew I could do it too! babyREADY
I breastfed my first 4.5 years. Support, finding like minded friends and reading about the benefits of extended breastfeeding. ArieleMoonfire
expressed for my 2nd who had a cleft palate for 21 months. Prior knowledge from first child, support, advocacy groups, good LCs . ArieleMoonfire
support from my lovely partner 
Who would always check I was ok and see if I wanted anything during night feeds CharlieMoos
tenacity and stubbornness phdinparenting
Real life support, factual knowledge and LOTS of determination (my first and I had big problems to overcome in the beginning) Morgaine_LaFay
my Doula ensured initial latch on, and amazing support of my husband helped me bf for 23mos w/baby #1 + 13mos (so far) w/baby #2. joeyandaleethea
patience and time, lots of itand the closeness and the bonding it gives Andrea
The 24/7 support of my Doula & the never ending belief in me by my husband! 4manspeak
very proud & supportive husband (still boasts that the boys never had a bottle), and co-sleeping (did this for 2 years, each kid), also: knowing other moms who breast feed past 12mos – very encouraging (and the positive social pressure is NB), silly things too – nursing forces you to sit, relax, read a book if you can. i read a library when my first son was born! brodiegal
Shear determination! I know BFing is how nature intends us to feed our babies and I live by “how nature intends” Kunsthure
www.iwantmymum.com Mandi
sheer determination, no cost, my wonderful infant feeding co-ordinator nicky jones, wot a star. my husbands’ support. Kerrie
determination, stubborness, reaching out for support from la leche league and other like-minded people. oh and my husband’s support (just read one above me) Henrietta
Hard work !! Good friends. Patience. Persistence. Support of partner. Lots of healthy food. Lots of milk chocolate digestives !!! But I found it bloody hard !!! One more thing, lots of encouragement from husband & friends when I felt like just giving it all up ) Fiona
my husband, not having formula in house, and just reading up on what is best for my baby. Having snacks ready helped too! cindyambrose
breastfeeding cafes available on a daily basis via childrens centres with patient and kind experienced peer supporters x Rosie
breastfeeding club at local Surestart who gave out certificates when you reached milestones (1 week, 1 month, 3 months etc), support from husband.
NOT the midwives in hospital who said a) I shouldn’t bother trying because I’d had an emergency c-section with full anaesthetic and so missed the bonding time (idiots) and b) the midwives in hospital who said I should give him formula because we were struggling the first night. (idiots)
I breastfed for 2 years. Nicola
Stubburness when i was told at hospital i couldnt BF cuz my boobies wer 2 big + fleshy! Lush pick me up. And cuz i read up as much as i could find about what was in formula (not nice stuf!) + what was in boobie milk (100%pure + natural, ripe + ready, any time any where happy baby happy mummy juice!)
I had nearly the same help at hosp as Nicola – was MADE to buy breast pump + formula b4 i was allowed home 
both waste of my £ after i seen local BF couciller + she helped me, fed 4 16m + son self weaned when i fell preg with baby num 2 Charlotte
pretty much sheer bloodymindedness after not successfully bf-ing dd1. And La Leche League Tracey
what helped me to breastfeed was knowing that my own Mom did it, in the 70s! &seeing her friends do it when I was a young girl. RadicalLactivist
This time round for me it has been support from the internet via forums and the Kellymom site. The HVs were telling me to top my daughter up with formula as she wasn’t gaining weight as the charts say she should. Being my third child I knew she was happy, content and full but the HVs didn’t seem to believe me. Other Mums on the internet helped me to gather together the facts about breastfeeding and enable me to make an informed choice to not give formula. My daughter is now 11mths old and still just below the bottom line of the percentile charts, she is obviously just meant to be little. The kellymom site is at http://www.kellymom.com
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My wonderful Health visitor who visited me monthly and gave me much encouragement. Gill Rapley – One in a Million!
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I breast fed all 3 of my kids until 17m+. Bottle fed babies are bigger than breast fed (more fat in the milk). With my first 2 the HVs constantly worried about the babies’ weight as they bobbed along the bottom of the combined chart. Luckily the HVs were pro breast. I was told to drink stout. By the time I had my 3rd the charts had been separated so there was much less fuss. My kids were all very active so they burnt off all their calories. What helped me: the price tag on formula and the freedom to go out all day with baby with fresh milk on tap were great motivating factors. Also the thought of washing up all those bottles and mixing formula in the middle of the night was very off putting. The smell of breast fed baby poo is much more pleasant. My husband was very impressed with the idea of free baby milk. If you can get past 8 weeks it all gets much easier. Baby’s mouth is bigger so it’s easier to latch on and you both know what you’re doing.
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