Nursing While Pregnant Support Thread - Page 3

[cmnewbs]

My 25mo old is nursing non-stop this morning! We are just hanging around the house so far today , so "baba" is available. She sure is taking advantage! Useually she nurses 3-4 times a day an d a little over night. I am 11wks and wondering if my supply is getting low yet? Maybe she is testing the supply v. demand? It can't be tasting too bad yet since she is still enjoying it so much. Right?

[cmnewbs]

Originally Posted by MommaKay

Alright. Well I am almost 7 weeks... and I AM SUPPPPPPPPPERRRR sore. It hurts so bad. And then she pinches on top of that! GAHHHH. Anyone else? i have to like grin and bear it. I dont know how much longer were gonna go.

mine were super sore for a while too, that ended about 3 or 4 wks ago and I am not sensitive like I was at all any more.

[MaddieMay]

Ideally, I'd say tandem nurse but my 11 month old wants NOTHING to do with nursing. That was actually my first clue I might be pregnant. He cries and cries and pulls away. My supply has tanked and I'm not sure what to do. I've been pumping to try to keep it up, but even then he doesn't want much to do with a bottle of EBM. So I'd say we're probably on the road to weaning.

[Mama Lo]

My dd is about 21 mo old and we are still nursing, but right around the time I got pregnant we dropped down to once a day, before bed. The timing was just right for both of us. I work 3 days a week, and those 3 days she didn't ask for it at all, she was too busy. So the next 4 days that I was home with her, I kept her busy and she never asked for it. I'm relieved to be at this point, I enjoy nursing her, but right before this transition she was sick and very clingy. It was very trying. As long as she is nursing once a day I don't have any plans for weaning or tandeming. Whatever happens, I'm okay with it

[babyjelly]

i'm nursing my 23-month-old, and i feel awful saying this, but i HATE it! when he latches on, my skin crawls. while philosophically i think nursing while pregnant and tandem nursing is awesome, in practice, it jsut doesn't work out for me i was still nursing my middle girl when my son was born, adn i really hated nursing either of them until she weaned when he was about four months old. i don't want to be "mean" about it, but my boy will definitely have to wean before this baby makes an appearance.

[texmati]

I'm nursing my 8 month old-- far to young to wean, but nursing has gotten so painful. Pumping is even worse. I hate to admit it, but I'm counting down the days until he turns one so we can give him cow's milk during the day

[MommytoHHH]

I'm here! Still nursing my 21 month old DD2. Expecting another little one on 1/1/11!

I nursed my DD1 through DD2's pregnancy, and DD1 self-weaned at 3.5 (2 weeks before I got PPAF and 4 weeks before I got pregnant again ). I plan to let DD2 nurse until she decides to wean.

[kateye]

I am just a few weeks pregnant with #2 and my 23 mo DS is nursing a *ton*, but I am terrified that he will wean when/if my supply dips later. Any suggestions for how to *not* wean? Do I just continue to nurse on demand? Should I do something else to try to keep my supply up??

I would love to tandem nurse--it just sounds like an amazing way to bond with two kiddos and for them to bond with each other

Thanks, and congrats to all you mamas!

[MommytoHHH]

Originally Posted by kateye

I am just a few weeks pregnant with #2 and my 23 mo DS is nursing a *ton*, but I am terrified that he will wean when/if my supply dips later. Any suggestions for how to *not* wean? Do I just continue to nurse on demand? Should I do something else to try to keep my supply up??

I would love to tandem nurse--it just sounds like an amazing way to bond with two kiddos and for them to bond with each other

Thanks, and congrats to all you mamas!

My DD1 self-weaned during my pregnancy with DD2 when my milk totally dried up. She was such a comfort nurser that I thought that would never happen. And she was only 22 months old at the time. Once I had DD2 and my milk came back in, she resumed nuring and nursed until she again self-weaned at 3.5.
I don't really think there's anything you can do to keep them nursing. I offered and my DD refused. It really surprised me.
And btw, do I know you from TBW?

[kateye]

Originally Posted by MommytoHHH

My DD1 self-weaned during my pregnancy with DD2 when my milk totally dried up. She was such a comfort nurser that I thought that would never happen. And she was only 22 months old at the time. Once I had DD2 and my milk came back in, she resumed nuring and nursed until she again self-weaned at 3.5.
I don't really think there's anything you can do to keep them nursing. I offered and my DD refused. It really surprised me.
And btw, do I know you from TBW?

Yup, it's the same kateye from TBW Hi!!! And congrats again on your pregnancy!! I'm not "out" about the pregnancy on TBW...waiting a few more weeks, cause it's still so early (maybe 7 weeks?)! Thank you for letting me know about your DD...I'd be shocked if M stopped nursing too--he is nursing like *crazy* right now, maybe to try to keep my supply up?? But good to know that anything can happen with even the most dedicated nursers, I need to be mentally prepared. I guess I can only keep my fingers crossed that we'll find a way to tandem nurse like you did!

[MommytoHHH]

Originally Posted by kateye

Yup, it's the same kateye from TBW Hi!!! And congrats again on your pregnancy!! I'm not "out" about the pregnancy on TBW...waiting a few more weeks, cause it's still so early (maybe 7 weeks?)! Thank you for letting me know about your DD...I'd be shocked if M stopped nursing too--he is nursing like *crazy* right now, maybe to try to keep my supply up?? But good to know that anything can happen with even the most dedicated nursers, I need to be mentally prepared. I guess I can only keep my fingers crossed that we'll find a way to tandem nurse like you did!

My lips are zipped Wouldn't you be due in February then? Yes, it's definitely good to be mentally prepared. I was not ready for my DD1 to wean and I was very surprised by it. In the long run I'm happy that she started to nurse again and that she was able to wean peacefully when she was really ready.

[AngelBee]

Planning on continuing to nurse, but so far none of my babies can make it through the whole pregnancy nursing. I think the flavor of my milk changes.

[RachelJoy]

this may have already been asked but I'm too tired to go through the thread right now and look...... When did you (if you have already...) start noticing a drop in supply and how old is your little one? I have a 16mo old that nurses quite often, well more than her brother did at this age (he was down to 1-2 nurses a day and only about once a night for a second every other night or so). I'm just trying to get a handle on what to anticipate because I cant see it going real well if my supply starts dropping a lot soon. Oh and I'm 13weeks.

[thebeljur]

Originally Posted by RachelJoy

this may have already been asked but I'm too tired to go through the thread right now and look...... When did you (if you have already...) start noticing a drop in supply and how old is your little one? I have a 16mo old that nurses quite often, well more than her brother did at this age (he was down to 1-2 nurses a day and only about once a night for a second every other night or so). I'm just trying to get a handle on what to anticipate because I cant see it going real well if my supply starts dropping a lot soon. Oh and I'm 13weeks.

I really think it varies so much from woman to woman (and from pregnancy to pregnancy). For me, around 6 months my kids usually go through a phase when they like a drink of water after they nurse. So, I'm assuming my milk goes through a transition at that time (probably becomes more concentrated and preparing for colostrum to come in). None of my kids wean during pregnancy (and they always tandem afterward for a long time). They'll go through a phase of slowing down and then nursing more. There doesn't seem to be much of a predictable rhyme or reason to it. I would suggest taking it one day at a time. I've known plenty of moms who thought their child had weaned during pregnancy only to start nursing more a month later (or after the baby is born).

[honeyhaze]

I could really use some help with latching pain

My left breast seems to have dried up completely and my midwife advises to let it do it's natural thing instead of trying to force more milk out of it. So I'm nursing several times a day and once at night from my right breast only. The nipple is only a little sore, but my son has a tendency to latch on VERY HARD sometimes and also likes to surprise me with the occasional "nipple drag" (yes, that's as uncomfortable as it sounds...!)

If I tell my little one "gently" then he'll usually latch on softly, but if he's sleepy or moody he'll sometimes just chomp down. I've been saying "ow!" so much lately from the discomfort that he'll sometimes pop-off and repeat "ow!" back to me, which bums me out.

I think my milk has decreased somewhat in my right breast as well, so we may be on the road to weaning. But I was hoping to nurse until my son was ready to self-wean, instead of this other route of reduced production and pain.

Any tips or suggestions?

[dooney]

OK here goes - I'm nursing my 17mo, and my 3yo is weaned-ish. I like to say he sometimes falls off the wagon. I hate nursing, it bothers me to say it but the nursing aversion has taken away any enjoyment. It started when I was pregnant with my 17mo and never really went away. I'm pretty proud that I've made it this far with him because it is driving me nuts. And he is a boobie tyrant! Demanding and throwing fits if I have to pop him off before he's ready. He sleeps in our room so DH sometimes leaves and sleeps on the couch. It's less than ideal, but I don't know what else to do.

My midwife suggested rubbing something not-so-good tasting on my nipples to "encourage" him to nurse less. I tried green olive juice and yellow mustard. No effect. I'm hesitant to use anything else. I used to be so totally pro-CLW until I got the combo of my boob king plus nursing aversion. I've been breastfeeding for three and a half years solid, half of that time with the NA, and I'd like a break before #3 comes. Not likely to happen, though, so here I am!

[thebeljur]

Originally Posted by honeyhaze

I could really use some help with latching pain

My left breast seems to have dried up completely and my midwife advises to let it do it's natural thing instead of trying to force more milk out of it. So I'm nursing several times a day and once at night from my right breast only. The nipple is only a little sore, but my son has a tendency to latch on VERY HARD sometimes and also likes to surprise me with the occasional "nipple drag" (yes, that's as uncomfortable as it sounds...!)

If I tell my little one "gently" then he'll usually latch on softly, but if he's sleepy or moody he'll sometimes just chomp down. I've been saying "ow!" so much lately from the discomfort that he'll sometimes pop-off and repeat "ow!" back to me, which bums me out.

I think my milk has decreased somewhat in my right breast as well, so we may be on the road to weaning. But I was hoping to nurse until my son was ready to self-wean, instead of this other route of reduced production and pain.

Any tips or suggestions?

I think all you can do is your part in taking care of yourself to make breastfeeding as comfortable as possible. Stay hydrated, eat well, take some cleansing breaths when you start a nursing session, try to relax and be as comfortable as you can. Breastfeeding is a mutual relationship, so just do what you can at that moment and take it day by day.

Sometimes it can feel like our milk is drying up when we go through some of the fluctuations of hormones throughout a pregnancy, but it doesn't mean "drying up" is what's always happening. I'm not saying that your milk isn't drying up, I just don't want you to feel discouraged and feel as though you're definitely going down the path of weaning. Like I said, just take it day by day and take care of yourself.

How old is your little one? As kids get older, sometimes they can get a lazy latch and it's OK to lovingly guide them to a more comfortable position for the both of you. When nursing gets too sensitive for me, I'm OK with doing a little countdown and letting my nurslings know that that's all mama can do now. (((Hugs))) to you! I know this can be challenging at times! My 20-month-old wants to nurse all. the. time. My 4-year-old asks every now and then and I can literally only do, like, 1 minute nursing sessions with her.