Dried up from pregnancy and baby still nursing...

[chirp]

like, really trying to nurse and get milk too. It's so painful. He's 20 months old. I want to continue to nurse him, I am due in March.

Half the time I'm all angry and hurting because of the pain, and the other half I just feel so bad that he's not getting what he needs.

Could he be missing something nutritionally, and that's why he still tries to milk my breast so vigorously?? We've been giving him cows milk, even tried warming it a little...but he drinks from a cup, so it's not as satisfying for him as we thought it would be.

Otherwise, regular food is available to him whenever he asks, and we offer a lot too. Fruits, veggies, meats, dairy. Fortunately the only thing he's sensitive to is citrus.

So help me out ladies...is this a nutritional thing...this crazy pumping of my dried breast...or is this just a "I wasn't ready to wean" thing.

FTR I do plan on letting him resume nursing once baby is born. That's why I'm hesitant to wean him completely. I've heard of children forgetting how to nurse, and both husband and I agree that he still needs his mommamilk.

tia!

[Peony]

Dry nursing is very uncomfortable for me, all my nursling have done the vigorous nursing once the milk is gone. You can try to work on him sucking less hard but softly telling him gentle while nursing, it is doesn't always work.

[Katie T]

I think he wasnt ready for the yumm milk to go away. Hugs to you my ds did this too. It is painful but he was only 21m when dd was born & didnt really understand. I didnt want to tell him it was painful. So tried distracton & nursed every other time.

[TiredX2]

By that stage in my pg with DD I was just considering nursing time relaxed breathing time for labor. I assumed I was totally empty more than once though only to be surprised that there was actually still some milk. Hopefully colostrum will come soon and give you *some* relief.

Good luck and Good Job Momma!

[chirp]

Originally Posted by TiredX2

By that stage in my pg with DD I was just considering nursing time relaxed breathing time for labor. I assumed I was totally empty more than once though only to be surprised that there was actually still some milk. Hopefully colostrum will come soon and give you *some* relief.

Good luck and Good Job Momma!

colostrum...or whatever...there is liquid coming out of at least 1 breast from what I know. but it is completely clear. i thoguht even colostrum was kind of "milky" looking. i have no idea what this stuff is, but ds seems not to mind.

[sunfish21]

I got pregnant when DD was 15 mos old; I am due the end of Feb and she is now 21 months. I so remember this! It was teribly painful--I started watching TV when she was nursing so I wouldn't think about the pain. I would check and not be able to squeeze one drop out of either breast--was sure this comfort nursing would end soon. But she kept going, and it is overall less painful. The other day, it actually looked like she was swallowing something and I asked her to 'take a break'. I checked and it shot her in the eye! I really didn't want her to wean before the milk was back in and tried to suffer through in hopes she would not wean and forget how to latch on. She will be so happy to have that milk back! It will get better....but I know it can really hurt.

[IAMommy]

Nursing really hurt for me the first four or so months of my pregnancy, but it stopped hurting and now just feels... gross. Now at 19 mo., he only nurses two or three times per day, but I don't like it, I preferred it when it hurt. He still needs it, so I gut it out.
The child's need to suck doesn't start to lift until about two years of age. There is of course individual variation, but he's just not ready to lose that connection yet.
A friend who studies anthropology said that according to the nursing practices of other primates, human children should be nursed until they are four to seven years old.

Hang in there - you're not alone.

[Gentle~Mommy :)]

I didn't feel the icky feeling you describe, OP, but it hurt like hell when I fed my son while pregnant with my second. I had no milk at all but he still sucked for comfort several times a day and night as we coslept. It was one of the toughest periods of my life.

[chirp]

thank you so much for all of the replies...i feel relieved, but also feel bad for all you other mommas that have experienced this.

it truly IS one of the toughest periods of my life. just trying to stay patient with him. i have to admit it doesn't always work. i've taken to doing naptime in front of the computer. reading and watching you tube videos helps get my mind of off it for about 2 minutes longer.

i guess some good news attached to all this is that my breasts are FREAKING HUGE. Before pregnancy I was a B. Then I moved up to a D while b'feeding my son. Now, even my D's and extra large tanks are squeezing me in a little. At least my husband likes it, and isn't at all worried that the "handful" that used to be good enough has now turned what he calls "beach balls in my shirt." Why do I consider this good news? Well, I'm guessing it means I won't be having any problems nursing a toddler and newborn. and that's comforting.

whatever I can to laugh, right??

[cmhermes]

He still needs to suckle and is trying his hardest to get the reward of the milk. I dried up too. I completely empathize with you. It hurts to be dry nurse. I limited the length of her nursing sessions because it agitated me. I always felt guilty for being irritated with her, but we continued to cuddle after I ended her nursing sessions after a couple minutes. Apparently that agitation is common in women nursing while pregnant. Have you read Adventures in Tandem Nursing by Hilary Flowers? It really saved me reading other women's experiences and knowing what I was feeling was normal.

Good luck! It can be difficult, especially the last couple of months, but it can be very rewarding, too. After my LO was born, my older girl was happy as a clam that there was an abundance of milk again. They are both still nursing at 3 and 22 months.

[JAZE MOMMIE]

Have you tried or thought of More Milk teas etc?

I also remember that time nursing #1 while pregnant with #2 --very painful and I had no support from hubby at all --we made it and tandem nursed for a year !!

[cmhermes]

I know I tried the More Milk Two, I think that was what it was called for pregnant nursing Mama's-by Motherlove. Besides it tasting horrible, it didn't help supply. I don't think much will until colostrum comes in or the baby is born. Be careful, too, not all herbs are safe for pregnancy.

[faiths13]

i just went through the same thing and it was awful. i wanted very much to do child led weaning and felt guilty i didnt have any milky for ds3. it was horribly painful though. i had to limit nursing sessions as much as i could. ds3 turned 2 right before ds4 was born in oct. i am now tandem nursing. gl!

[chirp]

i'm not taking any "more milk" teas. i do eat plenty of green veggies and try to keep my diet as milk-friendly as possible. at this point i don't really think the teas will help. my body is just busy making more breast tissue er whatever. i do have some clear liquid...i guess its kinda like pre-colostrum.

i guess things wouldn't be so bad if his canines (ALL 4) weren't coming in as well.

thanks for commiserating!!