What happens when the milk is gone?

[deditus]

I have had a chronic illness that has resulted in weight loss and my supply dropped tremendously. I have been treated and I am on the mend but my supply hasn't really returned. I find the comfort nursing/dry suck to be intolerable at this point. I am very committed to CLW, as my mother let us wean naturally. Dd says there is still milk and she swallows occassionally when nursing but really only every 45 seconds or so. Will any herbs help at this point? She just turned 3.

[meemee]

depends on the child and how much they want to nurse.

my milk dried up at 3.

she is almost 7 and STILL nursing

[deditus]

That's what I wondered - since no one ever talks about it - does the milk often dry up but dc continues to nurse.

[Talula Fairie]

I weaned, honestly. Over the course of about six months. #2 was 2.5 years old when she stopped nursing (my first self weaned at the last month of my pregnancy, at 15 months). I'm not sure if the milk was totally dry or not, but I didn't get engorged at all when she stopped completely. I waited until other comfort measures (holding her, rubbing her back, ect) were enough. If she threw a big enough fit I would just let her nurse. I weaned because my nipples were getting gnawed to pieces. I suspect that's why my milk dried up in the first place, she stopped nursing correctly and NOTHING I tried would fix it. They were literally purple and bruised for months.

[lalaland42]

When DD was almost 3, she had cut down on nursing so much, my milk dried up. She was only nursing every 48-72 hours, even when I offered the breast frequently. I found the dry nursing sensation downright irritating to the point that I wanted to hit something every time I nursed her. To me, the nursing relationship is a 2 way thing and if it is only making mama angry something needs to change. So I talked to DD about it and told her that she wasn't nursing enough to keep getting milk and that something needed to change. Then I told her that there were ways to comfort her that didn't involve nursing when she felt the need to be comforted. She looked a little concerned and asked what and I told her that I could give her a back rub, pat her back, or give her cuddles. That reassured her that I wasn't trying to tell her I wouldn't comfort her any more. She looked relieved, said OK and that was that. She was weaned.