The *Largest* Child I've Nursed

[Patchfire]

Ds is big. People mistake him for a five year old, and he's not yet four. Dd1 is tiny, so people thought she was still three or four when she was five & six.

Dd1 decided to wean two days past her fifth birthday, weaning party and everything. : I'm committed to doing CLW with ds as well, but I admit... I'm having a hard time.

I know part of it is having a new baby, and tandem nursing. Another part of it is that this is the age where I start to get resistance from others (my parents are amazingly supportive up until around 3.5, and I expect dh to start making noise in another few months, if previous patterns are anything by which to go. Add to that the feeling that I'm nursing a huge child (which, to be fair, did start before dd2 was born, so it's not totally a reaction to her birth, I don't think), and I'm just overall left uncomfortable.

When it's just he & I, I'm fine, but rarely are we 'unobserved,' KWIM? Any suggestions of things I can tell myself when he's nursing and it's NOT just us? Some kind of 'mantra' would help, I think.

[lumom]

Originally Posted by Patchfire

Dd1 decided to wean two days past her fifth birthday, weaning party and everything. : I'm committed to doing CLW with ds as well, but I admit... I'm having a hard time.

That's great you are committed to CLW. I'm sorry you are having a hard time. ((hugs))

I know part of it is having a new baby, and tandem nursing.

Isn't it amazing how when we have a baby the older child looks so *big* all of a sudden? That might be part of it. Tandem nursing can be hard (at least it was for me *blush*). I think it's great you are doing it.

Another part of it is that this is the age where I start to get resistance from others (my parents are amazingly supportive up until around 3.5, and I expect dh to start making noise in another few months, if previous patterns are anything by which to go.

That definitely makes things harder when that happens.

Add to that the feeling that I'm nursing a huge child (which, to be fair, did start before dd2 was born, so it's not totally a reaction to her birth, I don't think), and I'm just overall left uncomfortable.

When it's just he & I, I'm fine, but rarely are we 'unobserved,' KWIM? Any suggestions of things I can tell myself when he's nursing and it's NOT just us? Some kind of 'mantra' would help, I think.

Since you feel comfortable with things when the two of you are not around others, I don't know if perhaps you could consider setting some nursing boundaries with your child and perhaps nursing him just certain times and/or places? That works well for some. I still nurse my four year old, but we mostly stopped nursing around other people sometime last year. Right now actually he just usually nurses to sleep.

Other than that I'm afraid I can't think of any suggestions that might be helpful. Maybe write down some reasons why nursing him is healthy and good for him (and for you!) and think about those things when nursing?

I wish I could be more helpful! I want to let you know that your feelings are normal and valid. I also want to encourage you in your desire to CLW, and I hope you soon find some solutions that help the two of you. <3