Anyone still nursing?

[mouso]

We are.
But it is really starting to wear on me. DD (30 months) would probably nurse a lot more than I'm letting her. I had a lot of pain at first and we went down to 3/4 times a day.

Then the pain got a lot better, but as I liked that schedule and she seemed fine with it we stayed on a few times a day. I was even thinking that if I ended up tandem nursing it might be OK (I hadn't been planning on it).

But now...yikes. The pain is back and worse! Every nursing session is like torture with pain- and now I have the creepy-crawlies as well where I want to SCREAM while she nurses.

I feel bad b/c I don't want this to end on a bad note, so I'm seeing if I can very gently ease her out of nursing. She loves her "boo-boos" so much, though, so it may be tricky. But I feel SO done.

Anyway, what are you/how are you doing? Would love stories or any advice if you've got it.

[Mamatoabunch]

I'm nursing Innish 2 3/4y/o and Eiley 10m/o. It is going well, but we had loads of bumps this time. Eiley so young when I became pregnant and then I had a SCH. All things considered we are in a good place now. I haven't got the creepy crawlies, but I do get that nursing two at once so I nurse them separate. Are you having pain at latch or through the whole session? Could you have yeast issues? I have always loved tandem nursing, such a nice transition for toddler when new baby arrives.

[mouso]

Originally Posted by Mamatoabunch

I'm nursing Innish 2 3/4y/o and Eiley 10m/o. It is going well, but we had loads of bumps this time. Eiley so young when I became pregnant and then I had a SCH. All things considered we are in a good place now. I haven't got the creepy crawlies, but I do get that nursing two at once so I nurse them separate. Are you having pain at latch or through the whole session? Could you have yeast issues? I have always loved tandem nursing, such a nice transition for toddler when new baby arrives.

I have pain the whole time she's nursing. I have had thrush a few times and it hasn't felt like this, exactly. I was thinking of trying some gentian violet just in case and have been getting lots of probiotics.
She is also digging her top teeth into my nipple and leaves marks now. I show her the marks and try to get her to change her latch but that's not working either.
I am hoping we can work it out as, like I said, we've spent so long having a great nursing relationship, I want it to end well too.

Wow, you are going strong! Good for you. Do you think your oldest will still be nursing when the newest comes?

[wanderinggypsy]

Yep, I"m still going with dd, who is now 26 months. It feels wretched most of the time, but we're keeping up with a couple of times a day because I don't want her to forget how entirely and miss out on her share of all that wonderful milk when it comes in. I've had words with a lactation consultant who assured me that in the vast majority of cases that horrible feeling vanishes shortly after the birth... so we're staying the course!

[Koalamom]

I was planning on nursing my dd through the pregnancy, but the pain was so bad and never went away after the first trimester, so we weaned. She was just under 2. It was really hard to do, but the best thing I ever did. Sure at 27 months, she still asks for boobie everyday. But she only cried when I said no after day 3. Now I just tell her that she has teeth for yummy food, and the new baby wont have any and we need to save all the milk for the new baby. She gos along wit that. My biggest trouble was how I was going to get her to sleep without nursing, but it worked out really well. We read a bunch of books, and then I rub her back or feet and then she is out. Sometimes she just wants to hold hands and falls asleep.

I am glad to have my breast back as mine for atleast a few months. I needed the break especially for my own personal sexuality, if that makes sense. They were strictly a tool for so long, but they are "mine" now and I feel sexy about them again. I needed that for myself and being with Dh. But in a couple of months, we will be nursing again. Hope this isn't TMI for anyone.

[chi_mama]

I guess we're done, it was so gradual I really didn't notice. One day last month he asked to nurse and I realized we hadn't in a long time, then he couldn't seem to remember how to latch on. He's asked a couple times this month, then he tries for a second and tells me they're broken.

I had started limiting the length of nursing sessions, I would say "okay 10 more seconds" and I think this was a big contributing factor to my milk drying up.

I was having mixed feelings about tandem nursing... at first I really wanted to but ds began to be very protective of "his ninners". At LLL meetings he would get all worried and frantic that every child there was going to rush over to nurse with me. So maybe it's for the best that he's now weaned, I'm not sure that tandem would have been a nice transition afterall.

I'm sorry your having discomfort. It's so hard to have something that is usually enjoyable and relaxing become a teeth-gritting ordeal. Sometimes when it was really too much for me I would offer ds chocolate milk instead : he seemed to think it was a fair trade.

[crazycandigirl]

I am still nursing DD2 here

She is 20 months. My milk dried up around 19 weeks and at that point I really got the creepy skin crawling feeling when nursing. I would claw the sheets and just try to bear with it. About 2 weeks ago my colostrum began to come in and DD2 is so happy to have something to sip on again. She goes "num oh num". I am happier as well because now that it is not dry nursing, most of the skin crawling feeling has gone away. She is down to nursing 2-5 times a day at this point (it increased when my colostrum came in). My biggest issue at this point is trying to get comfortable with my horrid hip pain while snuggling her to nurse.

I have 10 weeks until baby and at this point it looks like we will be tandem nursing. I know that things can change, but I have no idea how DD2 would give up her Nur right now. It sounds like a plan to me.

[MiamiMami]

Ds 30 months old is still nursing and this is me when he wants it:

Sigh, I was really hoping he would wean the way dd did but no such luck. I do limit him and do a 1-2-3 count when I need him off of me. I guess we will be tandemning at least for short while. I do tell him that the milk is for the baby and he tell me "no, leche is for boys!" lol!

[Koalamom]

It was really hard to wean. My dd would still be nursing if I wasn't insistent about her not having any, but it only took 3 days to get through it.

I am still supportive of those that want to nurse longer, but if you really want to wean, it will take some work. Lucky moms that have babies that just want to self wean early.

[Mamatoabunch]

Originally Posted by mouso

Wow, you are going strong! Good for you. Do you think your oldest will still be nursing when the newest comes?

Could be latch issues then? My toddlers sometimes get wonky w/ their latch. Causes some irritation that continues through nursing or several sessions.

I am sure Innish will still be nursing. I am often nursing 2-3. Most of mine wean around 4-5.

[leighann79]

We are still nursing. DD2 is 3.5 years (on June 15th ) and most days it's only a little bit right before bed. Other days she nurses a couple of times during the day (I think she was sick a few days back). It had gotten a lot better for me too. I told her that she could stop when she was ready because she was crying a lot about not wanting to grow up or not wanting the baby to take all the nursies. Well, now I feel bad because it hurts more now and it's driving me nuts. I get all anxious and want to shove her away while she nurses. I so badly want to just be done nursing her. She seems to really need it right now. Even with it only being that once or so a day. She's so happy when she nurses.
I don't know what to do.

[super mamabug]

The pain/irritation has come and gone for me. It seems to be fine now. I have 'rebooted' and only have colostrum now though.

[Talula Fairie]

I nursed #1 through pretty much the entire pregnancy with #2 (she self weaned when I was 36 weeks along).

I wish I had suggestions beyond "grin and bear it" but I really don't. I mean, making sure to use good positioning can lessen the pain but it won't take it away. I was in pain the whole time and had to fight the "get off me!!!" feeling when I was further along.

[thorn]

still nursing my 19 month old. I gave her a few opportunities to self-wean during the pregnancy (3 weekends completely separated from me) and she still wanted to... I'm not willing to wean her before 2, so I guess we are going to be tandeming come August!

I don't have the creepy crawlies as bad as I did with my last pg, but I am a little frustrated by the frequency of her nursing.

[mamadelbosque]

Yeah, but just in the morning. And its still fairly painful... I think DS just has too many bloody teeth, really... I so wouldn't mind him weaning before august, but I'm not holding my breath...

[redpajama]

I'm still nursing my 2-and-4-year-olds.

The 2.5-year-old nurses 2-or-so times a day right now. I have to remind her to "open really wide" when she is about to latch on, and that seems to prevent it from hurting.

My 4-year-old hasn't been nursing much lately--maybe once a week or so. I asked him a couple days ago, "Have you thought about when you think you will be ready to stop nursing for good?" He said, "I'm weaned, mom." I was sort of taken aback and asked, "Really? You are?" And he said, "Yeah--I'm weaning until the baby comes out. Then I'll nurse again." We'll see. It's only been a few days since he nursed, and I sort of suspect he won't wait until August to nurse again. Ironically, he's much more comfortable to nurse than my daughter--not sure why. He just has a really nice latch. What can I say? I'm not sure whether to encourage him to nurse occasionally between now and "when the baby comes out," if he wants to continue nursing after that, or to try to discourage him from nursing once the baby is born, or whether to just let things happen. I strongly suspect I'll settle on the latter, though, and just wait and see (a) if he really doesn't nurse between now and then, (b) if he really wants to start nursing again when the baby is born, and (c) how I feel about that, if that is the case.

[Onemagicmummy]

i have been trying to put DD2 off, im starting to find it really uncomfortible esspecialy when she leans over the bump, plus, up untill yesterday i was not sure i had anything in there. now i have gone from not beuign able to get any out myself, to getting colostrum! yep i am making coloustrum at 30 weeks. DD2 still has 1 or 2 goes but i am sure i have had at least 1 day in the past week where i didnt nurse her at all. not for lack of her trying but i just couldnt bear having her touch my bump at all. so i dont techicnaly know if we are still nursing or not. i keep telling her the milk bar is closed for renovations and will be open soon with a whole new recipie line, she doesnt buy that and wants it anyway.

Kiz

[GradysMom]

Ds 1 is now 34 mo and we are still nursing. I had to day wean him to get pregnant it seems... and shortly before I became pregnant I put a cap on night nursing with a great speech about us needing all our sleep at night... it went over with him really well and the few times he asked at night I offered to "hold him like milkies" and that did the trick

Nursing while PG has been pretty painful but he has permission to ask for naptime, bedtime and at dawn. He now rarely asks... I cuddle and whisper stories more often now to help him fall sleep. If I am desperate for him to nap I will offer in the late afternoon. The last few times have been painful but bearable... I break the latch when it becomes unbearable... sometimes 1 minute sometimes 10.

One time it was a good 10-15, very recently, and ds swallowed alot which suprised me. He also has told me over the last couple months that it tastes funny or that there isn't very much... kind of cute to have the information.