Nursing another child?

[PieKat]

I'm wondering who else is still nursing another child and pregnant? Are you planning on weaning or tandem nursing?

My DD is 22 months, will be 2 in April and still nurses a LOT when she's around me and at night. I'm trying to night wean her, but it's very slow going. She sleeps with me, and I almost have to wear a turtleneck and tuck it into my pajamas in order to keep from being attacked in the middle of the night. So. . . just wondering what others are doing. . . .

I had such terrible issues with supply with Madi at the beginning, hope it's not the case this time (it gives me the most terrible anxiety). I see weaning as an almost inevitable possibility, but it makes me sad.

[Melly24]

My DD has just turned 2. She has gone from being a very avid breastfeeder (say every 2-3hours during day and once or twice at night) to maybe 4 times a day and once overnight in the last two weeks. I barely even feel a let down anymore. At first it made me sad but now I'm kinda glad for the break. My nips hurt!

I tried to nightwean too, but it was just awful. We'll revisit it in a month or two and I really hope it works. I don't want to be night feeding two children.

I really hope to tandem, but if she weans before then, then so be it. If your Madi doesn't wean during the pregnancy her nursing will most certainly help your supply. It all depends on her of course though, and how happy mama is to continue

[xtara2003x]

I was planning to tandem. My DD is almost 3 (:cry) and I never ever thought I'd "wean" her.

However, now that I'm pregnant and having some spotting issues, it's hard for me to tell if the nursing is part of the equation. I noticed on two separate occasions that when she nursed a lot, the days after I would spot (and it would scare the bejesus out of me!!) I also have a UTI thrown in there that could be why I'm spotting, as well as some low progesterone..ugh.

Anyway, my thoughts are that my body is only really capable of handling taking care of me, and taking care of nourishing and growing my new little baby. Since DD is almost 3, and since she's been only comfort nursing for the past 6 months at least anyway (i sincerely doubt I have any milk left as I never feel her swallow, gulp, never see milk in her mouth, etc), that it's time for her to be done. We've had a great run, but now is the time, and as much as I never wanted to wean her, when you get pregnant again, you have to think of EVERYONE...including new baby as well....and new baby needs my energy right now.

*sigh*

It's hard. But I WILL say that maybe once the first trimester is over, if DD wants to try to nurse again, I think I"ll let her. I'd let her when the new baby gets here too. I might try to nurse her once a week for a while, but a very short time so as to not irritate my uterus. We'll see. Right now I'm too nervous to nurse her because of the spotting.

[ocelotmom]

I nursed through my second pregnancy and tandem nursed for about 4 months after the birth, but daughter weaned a few months ago, so not this time.

[Magali]

My ds weaned at 32 months...the week I got pregnant. I am really happy for that because the thought of nursing right now, amid such morning sickness, is really not appealing.

[shellbell76]

I nursed my first child for 5 months into my second pregnancy and am now still nursing my second child, but he only wants it once every couple of days, which is nice because he is a biter and my boobies hurt

[CherryBomb]

Last pregnancy dd2 weaned herself around 28 months. Dd3 is almost 2 years and still nursing, but I'm encouraging weaning. I've got her down to like once at night and 3-4 times during the day.

[Amila]

I tandemed for about a month with my DS and DD, and had so many issues that got instantly resolved when I weaned her (she was 2 then). I have a 20-month old boobie monster now, and he will be 2 years 3 months when this one comes, so I might try to wean him beforehand. Not sure. I am not completely opposed to tandeming, but...I don't really *want* to.

[rparker]

I'm still nursing my 29 month old and I'd like to tandem nurse. I did night wean her though about a week ago.

I tried to nightwean too, but it was just awful. We'll revisit it in a month or two and I really hope it works. I don't want to be night feeding two children.

I began trying to night wean my daughter when she was about 22 months. I would attempt it for a night or two--it would be horrible--and then I'd stop and try it again a few months later. This last time she cried a little over it for the first few nights, but nothing like the full scale fits she threw during my other attempts. Within a few days she stopped asking at night and the frequency of her night wakings actually decreased.

I did nothing different this time than the other times... I think that there may just be a point where they're ready. I offered the same verbal explanations every time and it was only this time that she tried to argue with me and negotiate about when we would nurse/not nurse.

[Jessie Mae]

I am still nursing my 9 month old daughter. She's still so young, I am doing my best to keep her nursing as long as possible. However......if she decides to wean early because of the pregnancy, I will just go with it.

[desamom]

My DD will be 2 in April and I had hoped to nurse her at least partway through this pregnancy. I know I do not want to tandem nurse so had planned to "help" her wean well before the baby came. I have struggled with severely sore nipples the entire time I've been breastfeeding and the pain while breastfeeding now that I'm pregnant has been excruciating.

I started to work on slowly weaning her about a month ago and we are now down to only once a day (5 minutes before bed which is all I can stand). It is breaking my heart and I feel like a horrible mama. However, DD is adjusting really well. She is definitely more cuddly and needs to be held a lot (which is fine by me!) but she has responded really, really well.

The nightweaning thing kind of happened on its own. I started by nursing her in a chair and then moving into the bed and telling her we don't nurse anymore in the bed. It only took a few days until she had no problem with this. It was only in the last couple weeks that I cut out the 4 am nursing.

I have found that talking to her about what is happening really helps. And also preparing her for it by telling her things like "soon we are only going to nurse once before bedtime" and that sort of thing. It seems to help.

[Melly24]

Originally Posted by rparker

I began trying to night wean my daughter when she was about 22 months. I would attempt it for a night or two--it would be horrible--and then I'd stop and try it again a few months later. This last time she cried a little over it for the first few nights, but nothing like the full scale fits she threw during my other attempts. Within a few days she stopped asking at night and the frequency of her night wakings actually decreased.

This is very encouraging to hear, thank you.

[Aries1985]

I'm still nursing my 20 month old. She is not ready to night wean at all, either.

[moxygirl]

I definitely plan on nursing my 3 month old DS. My supply has dipped in the last few days but up until then, he was getting about 50% of his nourishment, I'm guessing, from the breast. We had major bf issues right after he was born and I ended up working back from exclusive formula feeding to part-time bf. I'm currently working on keeping/increasing my supply (and am eating like a horse to support two babes!) I'm actually hoping that when new LO arrives, I'll have massive supply like I did in the beginning with DS and can tandem.

[calihannah]

I'm nursing my DD, who will be 3 in 3 weeks. We nurse for about an hour in the morning and at bedtime, and sometimes once or twice in the middle of the day. She LOVES nursing and I can't see her backing off voluntarily...though she's rejecting my lower-producing side now, and I can just imagine her nursing off one side only for the rest of this pregnancy,

We night weaned right around 2.5 to help get my fertility back, and she was ready enough for it that it went pretty smoothly. DH was very much on board as well and took over a lot of the nighttime parenting when we nightweaned, which helped a TON. DD still asks to nurse most nights but doesn't get as upset about it, since it has been almost 6 months and she *knows* the answer...but she loves mama milk and wants it at night, too, so who can blame her for trying? (Though a night of uninterrupted sleep...oooh now that would be nice...anyhow, just sayin' -- night weaning does not equal sleeping through the night...)

IF DD chooses to nurse through this pregnancy (and it's okay so far, sore nipples and maybe a dip in supply, but she wants to nurse as much as ever), I'm open to tandem nursing. We'll have to wait and see

[muffinette]

I'm still nursing my daughter, who just turned 2. She's nursing night and day and showing no sign of stopping. I'm planning on weaning her everntually, but have no contcrete plans.

[seekingtruth]

I'm nusring dc#2 who is 29 mos. I do not want to tandem. I am guessing there will be a mostly-mutual weaning in the next few months. Coincidentally (?) she was nursing like a newborn just before I found out I was pregnant (growth spurt?) and the timing just worked out that she's nursing much less now. I can even tell her during the night, we'll nurse in the morning, and she's usually fine with that!
I nursed dc#1 until he was 32 or so months and I was halfway done being pregnant with #2! He's 5 now and still asks to nurse, on rare occasion! He doesn't get milk but it's a bonding experience, usually only done when his sister is also nursing.

[JessieBird]

I'm nursing my 15 month old and have no plans to wean or night wean. I hope he keeps it up (though my nipples are killing!) as long as he wants to.

[Honey693]

I'm nursing 17 m/o DD right now. She was nursing 8-10 times a day and 1-2 at night until a few weeks ago. I couldn't take it anymore and cut her down to about 4 times during the day and once at night.

[lotusma]

those of you that have nightweaned, are you cosleeping still? i usually nightwean closer to 3 yrs (as opposed to close to 2 yrs which is where i'm at w/ my youngest ((21 mos.)) and it's always gone pretty smooth, but i think it's mostly because by that point, children can be pretty well reasoned w/. so far i've been able to disuade the "all-night-nursing" marathons and graduate things down to maybe just a few quick times here and there throughout the night, which has helped immensely w/ my quality of sleep. as far as nursing in general, i'm not feeling compelled yet to steer things in any particular direction. altho, if i had any concerns at all, it would be the nursing/cosleeping w/ both a toddler and a newborn and how that's supposed to look. i have no clue about those logistics. (any btdt advice would be much appreciated)