Do you nurse your toddler on demand? - Page 2

[dejagerw]

I said nurse on demand, which is what we usually do, but we don't NIP anymore. So, DS (who's 2.5) knows not to ask when we are out in public. He still nurses a ton too. Sometimes I think he nurses more often than my 3 month old.

[ellisianda]

Other.  When DD was 12 months, I put the brakes on nursing outside the house.  Since then, I've nursed on demand as long as we're home.  When we're anywhere else, I tell her she can "have mama" when we get home.  At 3 yrs old, she still typically nurses 6-8 times per day, but she's gone through many phases of nursing 20ish times per day, ugh!  I also tandem nurse my 7 month old, so I often feel like I don't do anything but nurse.  Thankfully both my kids have night weaned, at least! 

[T-man's Mama]

Yikes, sounds just like my son. He's 25 months. As soon as he sees me (even if we've only been apart an hour or less) the first thing he does is start yelling, "Bubby!!!"  (Yes, that's our not-so-brilliantly-coded code word.)
 

Originally Posted by Ldavis24 

Ugh, on demand but I wish it wasn't this way.

If we are at home all day with not much to do she is basically clamoring for boob CONSTANTLY...I mean she will nurse literally every 2 hours for half an hour at a time..Mostly she just likes the comfort I think...

This is causing a problem with the amount of solid food she is eating. I don't think she's eating enough food food and she is nursing a lot to make up for it. Unfortunately she disagrees and I have food thrown at me more than once while she screamed for "Nummas!" over and over. I end up giving in because I don't know what else to do. I don't want her to starve herself and I can't take the hysterics!

I would love to get her on some kind of schedule, she is 23 months old and I am feeling like she nurses WAY too much..

When aren't home or are busy of course she can much longer but we are home a lot so she is nursing A LOT...

Sorry for hijacking, that kind of all just spilled out!

[goinggreengirl]

My son is only 13 months and we still nurse on demand. I would start limiting it but he hasn't taken to solids really. Some days it seems like he wants to nurse constantly and others he spaces them out a little more. He has started the toddler gymnastics while latched on so I've been trying to squash that. As long as he's not twisting the nipple, jumping, kicking me in the face or trying to climb me while he is latched on, I don't care how often he nurses.

[gravida]

 My little guys is only 14 months but we are on demand. I am trying to put some limits on it now though. He nurses literally every 15-20 minutes so much of the day. If I go out I have to nurse him for 20 minutes or so when I return. I feel like if I am not nursing he is crying and the constant screaming or nursing is starting to wear me out. 

[Chloe'sMama]

We nursed on demand until about a month ago.  It was getting to be a little overwhelming with the new baby (well, she is 8 months today), so we cut it down to specific times.. DD1 still asks for it quite a bit, but I was on the verge of weaning, so I think this is a good compromise.  I would still be nursing on demand if I didn't have DD2.  

DD1 will be 3 in June.

[KistheMum]

I always joke around that throughout pregnancy, my intention was to breastfeed for the first year.  Then our little One arrived, and I was trying to stick it out through the next feeding, then the next day, then the next week.  After the first couple of months, it was fine, and my intention returned to a year.  Then at 11 months, I was telling myself just to hang in there for one more month.  Now as we come closer to the 2 year mark, I am just ready to be DONE.
 

I can definitely relate to the frustration of being home a lot and the constant wanting to nurse.  We`ve had changes like a major move, so I don`t want to just wean her immediately until we are settled in to the new place.  Plus there is other family stress going on.  We`re 600km or so from one grandmother who we used to visit regularly, and the other grandmother has had a stroke and we can`t just talk to her whenever we like since it`s hard to reach her at the rehab hospital.

We haven`t nursed in public for a long time, and are just starting to nightwean.  I often wonder though, whether it will just end up being a `pull the plug` situation or how we`ll end up working it.  Our little One definitely will only go down for a nap nursing, but will go to bed at night without the `bubby`(yes, we call it that, too).  Fortunately the pulling at the shirt in public is rare these days, and usually is much more interested in scooting around looking at this or that then clamouring for huggie and bubby.

I`m glad we have done it for as long as we have, but I will be glad when it`s done, too.  We`re hoping to conceive sometime this summer, so it would be really nice to have some kind of break in between.

[goldenwillow]

Man... I just came into this forum to post...  for those of you whom nurse on demand.. how's that going? 

I have visions of weaning but feel so cruel when I think about the steps to do so.  I have tried a few times and my son just freaks until he works himself up into a labored frenzy, I just cannot feel good about that (he is 22 months).  He has similar moments just being a toddler (I hope) that we are able to redirect him through.  I feel so touched out at times that I want to pull my hair out.  I also feel like it will never stop, but feel sad when I think of it being over....  I know... back and forth.  My Son is acting out more, frustration with growing and I feel that nursing is a great tool.  Our families cannot understand why I am an extended nursing, tired of explaining my position.  My mother never nursed me but my Husband's mother nursed him for a year and cut him off, said he was loosing interest.  I hope that I am not making a mistake in continuing to do so. 

My Husband would love to get our son to sleep more, just doesn't work when I am home.  No problem when I am gone, which really is not often.  He had a friend tell him that when his first 2 little ones stopped nursing (because they have had 3 children in 4 years) he was able to parent more.  I know my Husband wants to help more however knows the benefits we read so much about.  I just hope we are right to continue. 

[Ldavis24]

well DD is still nursing ALL THE TIME!!

She's gonna be 2 in less than a mouth and I feel touched out ALL THE TIME...Poor DH he gets the woman at the end of the day who is like "don't even grab my boob playfully or I will take a swing at you!" I just can't stand it!

Then DD has to go and be all cute and say to me "hi mama, I love nummas!" Then she will kiss my boob and trot on her merry way. That is pretty much why I am still nursing because if it was me we'd be so done. So so done!

[crunchy_mommy]

Originally Posted by Xantho 

Man... I just came into this forum to post...  for those of you whom nurse on demand.. how's that going? 

I have visions of weaning but feel so cruel when I think about the steps to do so.  I have tried a few times and my son just freaks until he works himself up into a labored frenzy, I just cannot feel good about that (he is 22 months).  He has similar moments just being a toddler (I hope) that we are able to redirect him through.  I feel so touched out at times that I want to pull my hair out.  I also feel like it will never stop, but feel sad when I think of it being over....  I know... back and forth.  My Son is acting out more, frustration with growing and I feel that nursing is a great tool.  Our families cannot understand why I am an extended nursing, tired of explaining my position.  My mother never nursed me but my Husband's mother nursed him for a year and cut him off, said he was loosing interest.  I hope that I am not making a mistake in continuing to do so. 

My Husband would love to get our son to sleep more, just doesn't work when I am home.  No problem when I am gone, which really is not often.  He had a friend tell him that when his first 2 little ones stopped nursing (because they have had 3 children in 4 years) he was able to parent more.  I know my Husband wants to help more however knows the benefits we read so much about.  I just hope we are right to continue. 

When I reached that point for the 100th time, I felt like it was time to set limits. A little after he turned two, he started eating & sleeping better, so I finally felt he'd be able to handle the limits I wanted/needed to impose. It wasn't (sometimes still isn't!) easy, but he was *ready* to accept them, even if he didn't like them. He was absolutely not ready for limits any sooner, unfortunately, but I'd venture to guess that most kids would be (he's a bit on the extreme end, especially when it comes to nursing!) Anyway, I did not want to wean completely & DS was nowhere near ready for that so limits for us meant partial nightweaning & more redirection during the day. I have him down to about 5 times a day now (sometimes more if he's going through a rough spell) -- just 6 months ago it was more like 20+ times a day & all night long. I STILL get touched out, and he will not nap if he's not nursing through the entire nap, so that's a struggle, but it's just way better for me, and him too I think! And though I haven't really taken advantage of it, I am now able to leave him with DH for a few hours and know he'll be OK without nursing. Hmmm I really should do that! But just that mental freedom of him not being 100% reliant on me every single second -- that was something I really needed. I still hope to continue BF'ing him 'til age 3 or 4 (ideally CLW but I go in phases and I'm not sure I'll be able to do that, though it's my goal!!) But I think you will know when your DS is ready for certain limits... you will still have some doubts but you'll know in your heart that it's best for both of you. Just be open to recognizing that instinct!! (And obviously there's nothing wrong with continuing to nurse on demand if that works for both of you too... I guess that was my plan & I just wasn't really open to setting limits until I suddenly noticed he was ready and I was glad I was open to it when that happened because otherwise he'd still be nursing a gazillion times a day and I'd be going nuts & jumping out of my skin )

[sosurreal09]

I definately think you are right to continue! I can definately sympathize with you on being so done sometimes, but it is the best thing for them. I think all babies should be entitled to nursing until they are ready to wean themselves, I know that can seem overwhelming sometimes though. The World Health Organization says a minimum of 2 years so I always think "If we at least get to 2 years I will be happy". I am pretty sure DD will end up nursing until she is 5 or so b/c she is very spirited and really needs nursing. We will be TTC in Sept but I got AF back 2 weeks after my PP bleeding! UGH. So IDK if she may end up weaning if my milk dries up but knowing her she will dry nurse until it comes back.

Originally Posted by Xantho 

Man... I just came into this forum to post...  for those of you whom nurse on demand.. how's that going? 

I have visions of weaning but feel so cruel when I think about the steps to do so.  I have tried a few times and my son just freaks until he works himself up into a labored frenzy, I just cannot feel good about that (he is 22 months).  He has similar moments just being a toddler (I hope) that we are able to redirect him through.  I feel so touched out at times that I want to pull my hair out.  I also feel like it will never stop, but feel sad when I think of it being over....  I know... back and forth.  My Son is acting out more, frustration with growing and I feel that nursing is a great tool.  Our families cannot understand why I am an extended nursing, tired of explaining my position.  My mother never nursed me but my Husband's mother nursed him for a year and cut him off, said he was loosing interest.  I hope that I am not making a mistake in continuing to do so. 

My Husband would love to get our son to sleep more, just doesn't work when I am home.  No problem when I am gone, which really is not often.  He had a friend tell him that when his first 2 little ones stopped nursing (because they have had 3 children in 4 years) he was able to parent more.  I know my Husband wants to help more however knows the benefits we read so much about.  I just hope we are right to continue. 

[goldenwillow]

crunchy-mommy and sosurreal09 - thank you!

We have started talking to DS about "that's enough" when night nursing and he accepts without a hitch and goes to sleep.  Or "will nurse when we get home".  He definitely understands more.  I joke sometimes that DS will nurse until he is 15.  Yikes!  Teasing of course. 

I am in for the long haul, CLW is my goal as I just want to do the best for him. 

Ldavis24 - totally get it when DH wants to be playful...  I am excited to be able to have those times more with him.  I miss that too. 

I feel blessed that my BF'ing relationship has been pretty "easy" with DS.  I have always been a "busy" person and DS has inadvertently slowed me down.  I wouldn't change anything for the world.