Nursing 7months after weaning?

[bcgamermom]

Ok so I know what my heart says to do but there are other influences as well.
Here's what's happening
My DD weaned in January, so I guess it's actually been 8 months, she didn't really choose to wean, but I completely lost my milk supply due to being pregnant with DD#2. I was totally ready to tandem nurse before I lost my milk, and honestly I was really upset that I didn't get to nurse her for longer. I knew that if she wanted to nurse again after DD#2 was born I would welcome her to. The thing is she didn't want to, she wanted the milk I pumped until I let her have it and she decided she didn't like it which I admit made me feel a little rejected. Now this afternoon I layed down with her a nap time and a wole up because she was trying to latch on. I asked her if she wanted milk and she kinda put her head down like she was doing something wrong so I told her it was ok to want to nurse and that she could, the problem is she is almost 2 and I'm a little concerned with how my husband and family would react if she strted nursing again. I'm a little torn because I still miss our nursing relationship but on the other hand she is almost 2 and has been weaned for 8 months now.

I guess I'm just wondering if anyone else has been in this position and what you did and how it turned out, I need some support I guess.

[porcelina]

No personal experience w weaning but my son is 30 months and still nursing. It's true that husband and others may think it's weird, but what's more important? I don't see any harm in letting her try. Unfortunately, she may have forgotten how to latch after so long.

Also, was the milk you pumped fresh? I think it starts to break down fast, so she might not have liked it much if it had been sitting in the fridge or something.

Good luck.

[Katie T]

I have been there but my child was older. My situation was a lost like yours. My milk dried up during pg and while he hung in there till weeks before she was born he picked it back up after the birth and nursed till she was 5 wks and weaned. ( he was 22m when she was born) then about every month to couple months he would ask to nurse. He did this till he was 3 1/2yo. I think he was doing it just to know it was still ok yk? And I believe letting him nurse was very important to him, me, and his relationship with dd2.

If you are ok with it I say do it. Besides your dh who will hopefully support you no one else needs to know. 2yo is still young imo ( as I lay here nursing my 26m dd2 lol)

Good luck listen to your heart it wont lead you astray.

[karika]

2 yo is the MIN time suggested to nurse, so don't let others stop you. I will nurse dd2 as long as she wants. I weaned dd1 at 3.5 years old because my milk dried up and her dad wanted to take her out of town. I am not happy with it and it will not happen that way for dd2 hopefully. I think you should definitely encourage her to nurse again.

If you sense she feels she is doing 'something wrong', she is likely getting that vibe from you or someone else. When you weaned her something may have been said that she is hanging onto. Just keep reassuring her that the boobies are there for her too. Explain you didn't want to stop before, but the milk stopped because your body was building a baby. Tell her now that the milkies are back, she can go back to nursing all she wants, as long as the little baby gets enough too. You will likely have to work with her on the latch because she has probably forgotten. Once she is on, if it is too shallow, pull down on her chin just as you would for a baby, and make sure you tell her to open her mouth wide as she is latching on to begin with. I believe human milk is the only acceptable mammal milk for a human, as it is perfectly designed for humans. If for some reason it doesn't work out to have her getting the milk straight from the tap, then I would suggest giving her milk right after you pump, still warm, in a glass made of glass.

How wonderful for you to be able to nurse her again! dd1 was 5.5 when dd2 came and she sort of tried a few times, but she didn't really suckle. She said she didn't like it because they tasted like dd2's breath... but she was much older than your dd...

[haydn'smommy]

I was in the same position a year ago. My oldest weaned when I was 10wks pregnant. He was 2.5yrs when the baby was born, and I was open to the possibility that he might want to nurse again. When he asked, I let him. And he tried. He would latch on (incorrectly) and suck a few times and get a little milk and then stop. He did this, maybe 5 times. Other times, he would ask and then wouldn't do it when offered. I think, ultimately, for him it was a test of whether he would be allowed something that the baby had. He didn't know how to anymore and he didn't really want to. He just wanted that closeness and to see my response.
Don't worry about what others think. If you are open to it and your child wants to, then see what happens.