Nursing Mama's

[Melly24]

Who else is nursing?
Do you plan to wean or tandem? Or do you plan to not plan and see what happens?

I'm nursing DD who is 20 months. She nurses an average of 8 times a day and once or twice at night.
I really hope to tandem. She has a severe dairy allergy so my milk is the easiest way to get goodies into her. But, if she decides to wean then so be it. I just really hope she doesnt!
I've noticed a dip in my milk supply already! I noticed this early with my last pg too (loss).

TopHat

[othersomethings]

I'm still nursing my 21mo, and right now it's a....I guess see what happens?

I'd like her to wean, but she doesn't show any signs of being ready for it. it's still her go-to comforting thing, etc.

[welsh]

Ds weaned nearly 2 wks ago, mama led. He's 26 mos and I'm delighted as I really didn't want to tandem. I respect you Mamas though, especially dealing with allergies.

[canadianmummy]

I'm nursing my 20 month old. The other two weaned about halfway through my pregnancies and I'm hoping that will happen this time too. I don't find that nursing during pregnancy is painful but I feel that it wears me out and I feel very touched out. I have no problem tandem nursing in theory but I don't see that as something that would work for me. I plan to nurse till age 2 and then hopefully we will be able to mutually wean.

[megviolet]

I'm nursing my 28month old. I thought that i would probably nurse through and tandem nurse... but now i'm not so sure. I'm already finding it painful, and she nurses a lot (sometimes several times a day, and always a few times during the night). I'm actually finding let-down to be super painful now, which is weird.
I guess i hope she weans during pregnancy... but at the same time i'll be sad when she does. I'd like to give the newborn the same undivided attention i gave Lizzy, and obviously that won't be possible, so it would be nice if nursing could be an exclusive thing for me and the new baby.
I don't feel like she will wean though , and i haven't decided yet how much i'll lead her to wean. It's a tough decision.

[mamakaikai]

I am nursing my dd, 19 months and plan to clw. I would love to continue breastfeeding my dd through this pregnancy and think it would be really special to tandem nurse my children. Right now, my dd still nurses frequently, every hour maybe. I am a sahm so she can do that. It's a big comfort thing for her and she still gets tons of milk.

I am really concerned that my milk will 'run out' in this pregnancy. Women say that this happens as a given, is this true? I have a big supply and I think dd is eager to keep it up.

My nipples area bit tender now, and I also find the letdown to be intense. But I had oversupply issues for months after she was born and I am very familiar with that crazy intense letdown feeling, so I am perfectly ok nursing through it. I just hope it doesn't actually get painful enough that I can't stand to bf before dd is ready to give it up.

I look forward to hearing everyone's adventures in breastfeeding while pregnant. Best luck to everyone in keeping with their personal goals and wishes.

[maranapanda]

I nursed all through my last pregnancy. I didn't enjoy it. It was a very bad experience for me. Not painful, but very... I guess I felt creepy. And that made me very sad. I tried to just get over it, I even tried to gently MLW. She nursed until the day my son was born, then she said she didn't like my 'brown milk'. She was 2.5, and I let her wean. I didn't tell her that my milk would come back in a few days. She ended up being pretty resentful of me nursing the newborn, and I wish I would have handled things differently. We had a big celebration for her, and that eased things a bit.

Now I am still nursing my 31 month son, and have considered MLW even before I got my BFP. He is just so aggressive. He nurses to nap, to sleep at night, throughout the night, and in the morning. The trouble is, I am having difficulty sleeping through his nursing sessions. I am just so darn tired, and I can't handle being kept up so he can nurse. I am so worried I am going to develop a negative attitude again. He is also so much 'youger' emotionally than my daughter was at his age. AGGG. I don't know how I am going to handle this. I am considering moving him into his own bed in his sister's room, maybe then he will sleep through the night......

Sorry, this has turned into a ramble. I can't even remember if there was a question that I was answering....

[Juise]

Nursing my 20 month old, really hoping to make it through the pregnancy still nursing, but I'm terrified about how things might go. Normally I love nursing, but I know when I am pmsing I can get really really touched out, frustrated and ornery about it, especially at night. I'm afraid with all the extra hormones, the apparent inevitability of losing my milk, and sore boobs that this may be a really, really rough ride. But I hope not and I hope to make it through anyway!

[canadianmummy]

Originally Posted by maranapanda

The trouble is, I am having difficulty sleeping through his nursing sessions. I am just so darn tired, and I can't handle being kept up so he can nurse. I am so worried I am going to develop a negative attitude again.

I had this problem too. When I was pg with my 2nd I was finishing my degree and doing my practicum. So I was basically working full time and had a 2 year old. When she nursed at night I couldn't sleep. So night weaning was the first thing to happen. But then I felt so touched out and kinda annoyed about her nursing during the day. So I knew that I had to encourage her to wean. I didn't want to resent her and I didn't want our nursing relationship to end with hard feelings. We managed to mutually wean and it ended on a positive note for everyone

[*KaiMom*]

I'm currently nursing my almost three year old...omg where does the time go...it seems like just yesterday I was bf him as a newborn. Anyway, he has been night weaned since 18 months and doesn't nap so usually he only has his "milks" once a day; sometimes twice if he's tired or just needing extra attention. I'm open to tandem and see it as a possibility. I also see it as a way to maybe lesson jelousy and easy the transition of a new baby? Experiences?

[TopHat]

My DD is 19 months and I'm still breastfeeding her. I don't want to wean- this isn't exactly the best time of year to stop giving your magic immune boosting powers to your kiddo, you know?

I hope my supply stays steady. Hoping...

I got my colostrum really early (4 months) in my pregnancy with her, so if it does disappear, it won't be long before my body starts making more, I know.

[TopHat]

Sorry for the double post. That was weird and has never happened to me before...

[sarmis35]

I am still nursing my 33 month old dd. She nurses a lot. I am not planning....just going to go with the flow and see how it works for all of us. I would like it if she weaned, but on the other hand she is very very small for her age and I stress a lot about getting proper nutrition into her. So I don't know.

[maylea_moon]

it's been about 4 days since DD nursed. she's 26 months old so i feel ok with that.

[Landover]

I am still nursing DD who is almost 17 months. I really want to MLW as I do not want to tandem or nurse during pregnancy. I just need a little time to not have a nursling. We will see. I am trying to gently coax her to not nurse and it is going well so far.

[Melly24]

Originally Posted by TopHat

I hope my supply stays steady. Hoping...

I got my colostrum really early (4 months) in my pregnancy with her, so if it does disappear, it won't be long before my body starts making more, I know.

I worry about my supply completely stopping. And I freak out at thinking what am I gonna give her instead? BFing is the easiest way to get anything into the girl! But your last paragraph has helped to ease my mind. There might be a few months where she isnt getting much (if anything) but then it wont be long until I have loads again. She'll be OK until then. Thanks TopHat

[jazzybaby9]

I plan to not plan and see what happens

Tandem would be super cool though

[zoie2013]

I'm tandem nursing my 3y3mo & my 14mo. I have no plans. I'm slightly freaked out at the prospect of nursing 3 at the same time, but I'm not going to wean anyone unless I'm unable to parent the way I'd like to. I had to set some limits with ds1 after ds2 was born, such as nightweaning & shortening how long he could nurse during times that I was having issues with it. He's pretty mellow about the limits. Ds2 still has unlimited access, of course.

I nursed through 2 pgs. The first was really painful, but I persevered. The 2nd was a breeze-no pain, etc. But, I did have some weird emotional reactions to nursing a toddler at times. "Adventures in Tandem Nursing" got me through. And "Mothering Your Nursing Toddler" as well. And there is nothing like a nursing toddler to help with avoiding engorgement.

It's challenging to tandem. But, I would do it again in a heartbeat as the benefits for our family have been tremendous. My sons are very bonded. I know it's partially because they share mama milk. Every time I nurse my sons together and they gaze into each other's eyes, hold hands, sign mama milk to one another, or crack each other up, it makes it all worth it.

[slgt]

Looks like there are a bunch of us with kiddos right around the same age! DD 20 mos. is still nursing morning & night only. I'm not planning, going to wait & see what happens...with the caveat that I don't want to tandem nurse.

I think that she would drop the pre-bed nurse without a problem. She's very amenable to being cut off after just a few minutes at night, but does love her long nurse in the morning. It's selfish - the morning nurse lets me lie in bed for another 40 minutes. If she's not nursing - she's up & running!

But I'm going to wait & see what happens. I would not be surprised if she stops if/when my supply drops.

Mamas who have BTDT - when did your supply drop/dry up during pregnancy?

[krisalee]

I'm nursing my 14 month old. I'm open to tandem nursing, as I've always been, but with all my other babes, the nursling slef weans during pregnancy. We'll see what happens this time- it will def be child led either way.