Not happy with how this is going...I feel guilty.

[SpiderMum]

My milk dried up 5 months ago due to pregnancy so my 2.5-year-old dropped nursing almost completely. She still liked to touch the "meecies" though or lay on them....and now I'm having some colostrum coming back and she's wanting to nurse again, but I don't think she knows how to really latch anymore so it hurts so I end up saying no a lot when she asks to nurse.

I feel bad....I didn't want to direct this at all, and I'm totally fine if she wants to nurse again when there is milk again....but I'm worried that she might not be able to do it correctly again and I might be forced into weaning. Any advice?

[tibeca]

Despite nursing 4 plus times a day, during my pregnancy, it felt like my DD1 lost her latch too. It just seemed to change. At first I thought it was my pregnancy hormones, but 5 months post partum and her latch is still uncomfortable. Some days are better than others.

Things that have helped:

1- Talk to her about it. Let her know it sometimes hurts so she has to be really careful.

2- Make sure you are WELL hydrated. It made a big difference for us.

3- RELAX. How easy it is to say, but harder done. If I am tense, stressed out, or in a rush, it always feels that much worse.

4- Follow all of the "newborn bad latch" instructions.

5- When she does do it right, Praise praise praise.

No matter how much we believe in child led weaning, there is nothing worse (IMO) than ending breastfeeding on a bad note. I want breastfeeding to be positive for my kids, so If to keep it there, I have to wean, then so be it.