Crawly skin feeling???

[Shami]

Dd is nearly two and a half yrs. old. I love nursing and I wanted to continue until she is ready to give it up. I may do a very slight push to wean a little. For example, asking her to wait until we get home or until some certain point, but if she REALLY needs it, I give it to her.
Anyway, why does my skin feel likes it is crawling sometimes. I just have to say mama can't nurse right now. Let's do some rocking.
Tonight I was just falling asleep and she woke up. I was exhausted and had a long day. I could barely lay there to nurse her. I finally got up to rock her.
Most of the time, it's fine.
What causes this feeling? When I feel this, I am ready to stop nursing for good.

Also, when she tries to touch my other breast while nursing, it sends me through the roof! Why is that?

[jackiev0626]

I feel the exact same! But to me it only happens at night. I'm sorry I don't have any advice, but just letting you know, you're not alone!

[D_McG]

I get that on occasion with my little girl (17 mos) and got it all the time toward the end of nursing DS. To me it's just nature telling me it's time to stop (well, cut back or stop). I've cut DD down to 3x/day (plus nights) and nights are next to go.

The skin crawling is now mostly gone during the day but starting to arrive in the early morning hours. So once I get back from a trip away next week I'll work on that.

[rivkah]

I know that feeling--I think it is hormonal--because I got it (1) when I got pregnant, and then (2) after my period returned. With DD (#1) she self-weaned when I got pregnant. I weaned my DS at 2.5 b/c I just couldn't deal with it--he was already on the road to weaning, I just actively encouraged him to complete weaning by distracting him when I could. I think it is totally appropriate at 2.5 to ask your LO to wait, or try to distract her when you are just uncomfortable.

[Shami]

good to know that I'm not crazy!

Now that you mention it, middle of night and early morning are usually the times I get that feeling. I, too, thought that maybe it is natures' way of weaning. Sometimes it 'feels' like she owns me. Or like she is in control of me somehow through nursing on demand. I am wondering if other issues would get resolved by weaning.
I rarely force anything bodily. Eating, sleeping, pottying are all up to her body. I may encourage, but I haven't made these biological issues a battle. It's her body and she is learning to listen to her cues.
Since I nurse on demand it 'feels' like my breast is part of her bodily need. Am I making any sense? I have just started putting some boundaries in place and I feel better about it.
thanks for the responses!

[fhaya]

I'm glad I found this thread coz I've been feeling the same way with my 33 month old DS. I let him nurse on demand day and night, along with his 17 month old brother. However, I only feel the crawly skin feeling with my older son. I feel bad about it, but can't help feeling irritated when he nurses sometimes, especially when the breast feels 'empty'. So I usually tell him "Let go, please. It feels bad." and offer him the other breast or let him choose between a bottle or waiting until the breast 'feels better'. He always complies and stops nursing, but sometimes cries pitifully. I feel sorry for him. I really want him to self wean, so I wonder if increasing my milk supply would help. So I researched ways to increase milk supply, and Dr Sears suggests nursing more often! Any other advice, please?

[D_McG]

Originally Posted by Shami

good to know that I'm not crazy!

Now that you mention it, middle of night and early morning are usually the times I get that feeling. I, too, thought that maybe it is natures' way of weaning. Sometimes it 'feels' like she owns me. Or like she is in control of me somehow through nursing on demand. I am wondering if other issues would get resolved by weaning.
I rarely force anything bodily. Eating, sleeping, pottying are all up to her body. I may encourage, but I haven't made these biological issues a battle. It's her body and she is learning to listen to her cues.
Since I nurse on demand it 'feels' like my breast is part of her bodily need. Am I making any sense? I have just started putting some boundaries in place and I feel better about it.
thanks for the responses!

It does make sense! I think that's why it can be difficult sometimes if you believe in CLW (I do not. Well I mean I do for whoever it works for but for me it doesn't make sense. If that makes sense ). I'm sure you'll get great advice from like minded people here! Or even in the child led weaning forum.

[Shami]

Originally Posted by fhaya

I'm glad I found this thread coz I've been feeling the same way with my 33 month old DS. I let him nurse on demand day and night, along with his 17 month old brother. However, I only feel the crawly skin feeling with my older son. I feel bad about it, but can't help feeling irritated when he nurses sometimes, especially when the breast feels 'empty'. So I usually tell him "Let go, please. It feels bad." and offer him the other breast or let him choose between a bottle or waiting until the breast 'feels better'. He always complies and stops nursing, but sometimes cries pitifully. I feel sorry for him. I really want him to self wean, so I wonder if increasing my milk supply would help. So I researched ways to increase milk supply, and Dr Sears suggests nursing more often! Any other advice, please?

The fact that it only happens with your older child is really interesting. I'm not so sure that increasing supply will help. I read that oatmeal everyday helps with supply.

I also thought that the older the child/ren get, your milk and supply changes because they are eating food. So, it is totally natural for supply to start diminishing. I ask my dd, is there any milk in there? She always nods 'yes'.

D_mcg I'd like to hear more about why you don't feel CLW is for you. I have some struggles myself. If it is against the guidelines, will you pm me?

[D_McG]

Originally Posted by Shami

D_mcg I'd like to hear more about why you don't feel CLW is for you. I have some struggles myself. If it is against the guidelines, will you pm me?

It's not something I gave a whole lot of thought to before I weaned my son. But the urge to wean him (and now to ease up nursing my DD) was so powerful and natural. Just like the primal push I felt to bring them to my breast after I gave birth. I haven't put much more thought into it than that. You know how animals will push away their young. I can understand that. It's just natural to me.

OTOH I have a friend who tandems/CLW's and doesn't feel the way I do. Like she doesn't get that urge. It's an individual thing, I think. I know some people push through it with herbs and meditation and sometimes just white knuckles. And I did a little with my son. But I swore I never would again. It was just not the right choice for me. Guiding my children through to the next (weaned) phase of our relationship was what restored harmony for us. Literally mother-led. Every story is different though. I enjoy all perspectives on this issue. I think it's v. interesting!

[averlee]

I find that I have that yucky feeling of not liking nursing when I'm not getting my basic needs met. Like, if I slip into a cycle of staying up too late, or drinking cola, etc. It's like if my nutrition, hydration, or rest has been lacking then my body wants to defend its reserves. (?)

[Shami]

Yup, like when I'm trying to get my basic needs met by drinking my morning coffee and she's climbing all over me.

I think all of you are right. It's happens when your basic needs aren't met, your hormones are bouncing around, and you just feel it's about time to stop now.

Thanks every one!

[spirit4ever]

I got it too, usually around the 2 yr mark for my older boys, dd is almost 20 months and i'm starting to get it with her, i don't want to wean totally, I usually spend 2 - 2.5 getting down to just morning/nap/bedtime.. then from 2.5 - 3 loosing those nursing sessions!!!

I think i might push it a little sooner with her, we'll see, if that feelig goes away after slowly getting her down to those times..

[Evie P.]

This exact thing happened to me when my guy was 3.5 years. I can't remember if I was preg yet, but I used to make myself count to 60 for each boob, and then say, "It's hurting, I'm sorry, no more!" He was kinda mad sometimes but got used to it quickly, and it was combined with him getting his own bed, which I just wrote about on another post. A cool "little bed" near "big bed" and he could see us and could use a flashlight under covers in it, had cool quilt, etc. This helped end night nursing, he just didn't wake up for it, and then the queasies to me signaled the time had come to let things end. I never said no, but I didn't offer, and I had to limit the time or I would lose it. But I discovered that it was so easy for him to stop that maybe it was my body signaling for us both that we were both ready.

When we all had the stomach virus this year but my baby didn't get it, I wanted so badly to get him relief that I tried to get him to drink BM from a cup. He was crying bravely, "I don't wanna, but I will try!" but then he just couldn't do it and spit it out. He is still so interested in the IDEA of nursing, but I guess the mystique is long gone and he has his own queasies about it now!