Nursing Mamas how's it going?

[JamesMama]

Anyone else still nursing their older babe?

OH MY GOSH IT HURTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Seriously every time she latches on I have to grab something to brace myself. I hate it that I'm slowly weaning her but it HURTS. I'm just discouraging her from nursing so often. I let her nurse to sleep but try to limit it to that...

How's it going for everyone else?

[jul511riv]

So far, so good. ds (2.5 yrs) is only nursing in the mornings. A minute or so on each side. I am going to try to give him that, even though I personally am done nursing. As in, I'd be okay if it stopped tomorrow.

I nursed him for 2 solid years before he ate ANYTHING (no, really.) I didn't even know a kid could survive for 2 full years on bm alone. He did, but got a bit anemic there at the end. I, on the other hand, was going out of my mind. B"H he started eating and even though he still can't pile it in (like dd can, when she's so inclined) he hasn't stopped since, and the nursings have just kind of trailed off...first he CHOSE to go to bed with dh instead of nurse...and then the afternoon nursing was gone, because we started going out in the afternoons and got distracted. So now it's just the AM.

Anyway, we are okay, for now.

[mtnmoonmama]

We're doing okay. It IS irritating though...my ds is 2 yrs 3mos and I am hoping he weans in the next few mos, although I'll nurse him al long as he likes. He is easily distracted now and only really wants to nurse before sleeping and when he wakes up. Those are going to be the hard ones to stop (it is still the ONLY way he'll fall asleep for a nap)!

[rajahkat]

My babe seems to have just weaned. He hasn't nursed for the last 2 days....I think that's it.

Kat

[Fujiko]

Nips are a little sore, but still ok. DD is 27ish months and is still nursing like 6 or more times a day.

[annettemarie]

So far, so good. When it starts to bug me, I tell him I'm going to count to 5. Usually he pops right off and says "All done" because he likes to beat me.

[tygrss]

DS is 22 months and pretty-much only nurses at bed time. I've noticed that it's definitely more irritating and I find myself making him stop every 5-10 minutes to get a little relief. I think that we are both about done anyhow, so I guess it's good timing.

[annettemarie]

Originally Posted by Fujiko

Nips are a little sore, but still ok. DD is 27ish months and is still nursing like 6 or more times a day.

Sounds a lot like my Daniel!

[starshine1001]

My nips are pretty sore, and some days are worse than others with the tenderness, but we're still going! I work full-time (48 hours/week) at the hospital, so 4 days/week he only nurses when I get home from work (8pm), and throughout the night as he wants to. Most nights he just nurses down, but occasionally he nurses during the night (he's cutting some teeth right now). On the days when I'm home, though, I actually have to turn him down from time to time and give him his sippy cup instead because he wants to nurse 6-8 times in a day and my nips just can't take it! Also, he's a nipple tweaker, and I've had to put my foot down on that and insist that he stop, because it's just flat out painful. I can deal with nursing him because I know it's good for him. But nipple tweaking has no nutritional value, so it's gotta stop!!

[wendimarie]

We are doing well here. My DD nurses a lot (so much I lose count plus nurses to sleep for naps and at night, nurses 2-3x a night) but I have been through this before with my DS so I feel prepared this time. They are a lot of like when it comes to nursing. DS had just turned 2 when I got pregnant with DD and he was 95% breastfed, he had no interest in solid foods. We did well nursing through the pregnancy and he did eventually night wean but he stuck with the daytime nursing (obviously started eating solids) and kept nursing until shortly after his 4th birthday when he self weaned. I am hoping the same for my DD. I would be really sad if she weaned just because I was pregnant. She didn't ask for me to get pregnant and to cut off her milk supply. She does seem to notice something is up but my supply seems to be doing pretty well. My nipples don't hurt - they never do. Usually later in the pregnancy I just get more touched out. We will continue to nurse on demand and hope for the best.

[feministmom]

DD turned 30 months on Sunday and I am ready to be done nursing. She's been down to twice a day, morning and before bed for quite a while (months) now. Even before I got pregnant, she started doing weird things with her latch...not biting exactly, but when she was done, there were teeth marks on my nip. Ouch! Almost as soon as I got the BFP, I stopped the am nursing...she wasn't really satisfied with it anyway and would often be really cranky in the morning until we went downstairs and ate breakfast. So now she's just nursing before bed, although she doesn't nurse to sleep and goes to bed fine without it if I'm not home. I'm hoping with the decrease in supply and possibly the change in taste that she gives it up on her own....if not I may need to stop it myself. I don't want to wait too long because I don't want her to associate the end of mommy milk with her new sibling. I don't have a great relationship with my older brother (5.5 years older) and I'm scared to death of her resenting her baby brother or sister from the beginning for stealing mommy's milk. Am I being crazy?!?!

Thanks for starting this thread, it's helpful to read everyone else's experiences.

[tmareeh]

I'm nursing my almost 5 yo dd and 21 mo ds. It is getting uncomfortable but not as bad as I remember from last time. I think the frequency makes a difference, as well as the latch. I think some kids have a better latch than others.

[PhotoJournMama]

My DS is only 15 months and nurses about 4-5 times a day. I have been a tiny bit sore, but not enough that it is painful to nurse.

What I have noticed is an unexpected benefit - right when I am beginning to feel nauseated in the mornings, DS nurses and my nausea goes away, usually for the rest of the day : It's amazing!!! Mind you, I'm only 3.5 -5 weeks pregnant (U/S still hasn't been able to pin down a date, grrrr, darn messed up menstrual cycles), but lets hope it keeps up throughout the rest of this trimester! I'm sure DS won't mind if I ask him to nurse a few more times per day lol.

[Spirit Dancer]

My dd is 18 months ans nurses 5-9 times in a 24 hour period. It has not bothered me at all yet. I nursed my son through my pregnancy with her and it was OK though it had it moments. Tandem nursing is interesting too.

[LisamommyRN]

We're doing well so far, also- my 19 month old nurses 2-4x/day, and I haven't really noticed a change yet- maybe it's coming? (I'm only 4.5 weeks...)

[123]

It doesn't seem to be much of a problem yet. There is a little soreness sometimes, but not much. Of course I'm only 5 weeks. But I was around 20 weeks last time before it got sore enough for me to notice all the time. I'm hoping for at least that this time.

[boigrrrlwonder]

I still nurse my two year old a lot. Like I couldn't even give a number without being depressed. She's a snacker though - only half a dozen of those nursing sessions last for more than a couple of minutes. Mostly when she wakes up (for the morning or from a nap); to go down for her nap or for the night; and during the night. My nipples definitely are a little tender, but during the day I just play online or read or something to keep my mind off of it. It's a bit harder at night, since I have nothing to do but focus on the nursing session. Hoping to get a discman (or maybe somehow miraculously an ipod) for something to keep my mind off nursing.

I can't imagine weaning my daughter yet. She still seems like such a baby. I actually worry that she will wean, despite my efforts, during this pregnancy. I think ideally, I'd like to tandem nurse. I'd feel some level of guilt if she weaned because I was pregnant.

[HoldensMama]

I'm nursing my 2.5 yr old ds many times throughout the day, but we recently cut out the night nursings. So far no discomfort if he's nursing with a proper latch, but I am only about 3.5 weeks so who knows what will happen.

He is a tweaker and I've been working for months to try to get him to stop. It is a constant battle and if I'm already gonna be sore I definitely won't be able to stand being tweaked or twiddled. There's no way I'm letting the next one start that!

[zak]

Only 4 weeks, but so far so good.

Renae, how on earth have we been pregnant together three times?!?!?! Congrats to you, Mama!!!

[JamesMama]

Zak, that's too funny!!

Yup, J was Jan 2005, A was October 2007...although I was in the November buddy group that time, she came a wee bit early (4 or 5 days) I'm guessing this one will be a January baby as well. I'm REALLY hoping s/he holds out till Feb though, don't want him/her born on J-birds birthday