The Nursing Mamas Thread

[ryan'smom]

Thought it would be nice to have a thread where us pregnant while nursing mamas can come and share.  How are things going?  Need to vent?  Need support?  Have questions?

This is my first time nursing during a pregnancy.  DS #1 had just weaned at 3yrs when I got preggers with DS#2.

Ds #2 will be 2yrs in 1 month.  I am SLOWLY starting to wean.  I really don't want to tandem......if he was a bit younger I would consider it.  I have cut out the after nap session.  So he still nurses in the morning, before nap and at bedtime.....and 3-4 times at night.......

I still hear him swallowing and feel a letdown.....so I'm curious to see what happens with my supply. 

How's it going for everyone else?

[zakdat]

My supply had dropped right off, but now it's picking up again. 

I tandem nursed DS1 & DS2 , but they're only 19 mths apart.  I'll probably tandem DS2 & DC3, since they'll be 20 mths apart.  I'm pretty lucky - DS2 nurses at 5am, when he wakes up, and right before his naps - he's already stopped t/o the night and before bed.  Last pregnancy, DS1 was nursing all. the. time. and, while I was trying to honor that, he was also driving me nuts.  It's definitely been easier this time round.

[Adaline'sMama]

My boobs hurt I dont want to nurse most of the time anymore and its sad.
I'm going to keep going until October, milk supply pending, but I cant say that I'm thrilled about it.

[1blueheron]

For some reason I seem to be a lot less sore than I was a couple of weeks ago, thank goodness.  Maybe it will get easier for you too, Adaline'sMama.   

All last week DD was waking up every couple of hours to nurse throughout the night (which she never did even as a newborn!).  I was a complete wreck and starting to feel pretty down.  Hit a breaking point over the weekend and started to talk about how the "milks" need to sleep at night, then last night took the plunge and when she woke at 11 denied her the boob (for perhaps the first time in her little 16 month old life?  ).  She complained for about an hour and a half while I sang to her and talked more about how everybody sleeps at night, including mommy's poor tired milks.  To my astonishment, once she finally went to sleep she basically just slept through the night and didn't ask for milk again!  I made a big deal this morning out of how the sun was up, the milks were feeling awake and refreshed and we could have a nice long nurse.

I thought for sure we'd be battling all night, every night, all week long.  This has put a great big smile on my face this morning and gives me hope for our nursing relationship during this pregnancy.  

[lindaski]

My son is 19 months and is down  to nursing just in the morning and night.  I followed his lead in the past but when I found out I was pregnant was debating what to do as far as weaning.   This morning hurt so much!  I couldn't wait for it to be over which is such a sad feeling - one I've never had before.  If it is going to be like this going forward I know I am going to wean.  

[yippiehippie]

DS seems to be nursing more, so maybe my supply is dwindling, I don't know. He's always been a very heavy nurser. I had gotten him down to around 3 or 4 times/night, and now it's been like 10 or 20 times, no joke! One nipple has been sore for days:(

I really, really want to night wean but don't even know where to start. Whenever DH steps in to help DS screams and cries. 

I agree it is a sad feeling when you just don't want to anymore. Here he is again, helping himself...

[frogautumn]

I feel like I still have milk...I feel myself filling up and I can see a little bit when DS latches off. But I'm feeling pretty sensitive and sore. DS is slowly working on his 2 year molars and is looking to nurse constantly some nights. I hope he will continue to nurse for a good long time, but I need to nightwean. I'm not getting nearly enough sleep at night.

[OdinsMommy0409]

DS is 26 months, and all previous attempts at the smallest amount of weaning had been filled with tears and frustration for both of us. However, as soon as I conceived, he has been nursing less and less. Then, after my HPT, I decided to wean him from nursing while awake as he nurses more than enough during naps and night. This was something I had never wanted to do, but every time he latches I feel like I'm being bitten for the first 15-30 seconds. Quite unpleasant. 

Strangely, he protested only once the first day about not being able to nurse when it wasn't bedtime or naptime. He was nursing 2-4 times during a nap and another 6 times or more at night. However, in the past week, he's only nursing 2 times at naptime, started technically sleeping through the night for the first time (5+ hours without nursing), and is only nursing 3-5 times at night. I really want him to continue nursing throughout my pregnancy and hope to tandem (as I'd like that comfort to be available still). 

I considering allowing him to nurse during awake hours again as I'm worried about my supply, but he hasn't been asking. So weird (and a little sad) to have gone from an extremely frequent nursing toddler (often 18 or more times) to 6-8 times in two weeks. 

[hildare]

my boobs hurt too, and it's not that fun.  dd only nurses to sleep and in the morning and once when i get home from work, though.  i don't know what i would do if she was still wanting more than that.  we'll keep trying.  i keep asking her if there's milk and she says there is, but it doesn't look to me like she's getting much.  she's actually drinking cow's milk now, which is a huge shock for me.. we've been through crazy dairy reactions even through breastfeeding.  i guess she's developed whatever she needed to digest it now, though.  crazy but good timing. 

[Legatia]

DD has been on a strict mama's milk diet this weekend because she was sick. I don't think my supply has gone down... yet. She's still an avid suckling and since I'm not experiencing any pain related to the pregnancy(I get eczema when she teeths though, but that started before the pregnancy), I don't plan to wean her at all. She's so little still, I feel like she really needs it! I feel very lucky that my boobs don't hurt this time, because when I was pregnant with DD, it was horrible for the first trimester!

[CatholicBFMama]

I'm still exclusively nursing DS, 5 months, because this was a "surprise!" pregnancy. I'm nervous, though, because we lost a baby at 12 weeks back at the end of '09 and I had gotten pregnant with that baby when my middle child was 6 months old. I think my body was just not ready yet, and I'm terrified of miscarrying again. I've read that there's no problem nursing while pregnant *unless* there's a history of miscarriage or preterm labor. The trouble is that DS *will not* take a bottle.  I don't want to give him formula, but I also don't want to do anything that would possibly contribute to the loss of this baby. 

[ozzyemm]

:hug  You can talk to a doc about progesterone cream (I think). my friend also nursed #1 while pregnant with #2.  progesterone is supposed to help with something.  Correct me if my info is outdated.

[Mommy2LexiLivy]

DD is 19m and nurses before bed and in the am, neither of us is ready to wean, i feel like crying at the thought. but i dont know if it is safe as the pregnancy progresses. I would love to tandem.

[gossamerwindweb]

I am still nursing my son, who is almost 23 months old. I don't know how I feel exactly, but he has always been a nursing addict. He nurses many times a day (and eats a TON of solid food)... I am not against tandem nursing, and kind of hope he keeps going to help my milk come in faster postpartum, because I had a problem with that when he was a newborn.

[krjt]

My DS, 18m, seems to have kicked into super-high nursing gear the past couple of weeks! I think it has more to do with teething than any type of dip in supply, but who knows for sure? Sometimes I'm fine with it, and sometimes it's just too much! He's also gotten into what I call "violent nursing". ;\ Really aggressively grabbing my shirt, smacking and pinching, yanking his head away while still latched on. I'm trying to be firm and boundaried with that. Also, I would love to encourage him not to nurse at night, but don't want to initiate night-weaning... is that even possible? Right now, he goes to sleep in his own bed around 730-830, and will stay there until between 2-4am, then come to our bed, where he pretty much comfort nurses until we get up at 630/7. Any tips? Like I said, I am really wanting not to limit his nursing as that may happen due to supply issues soon enough; but I also need more sleep...

[1blueheron]

Originally Posted by yippiehippie 

DS seems to be nursing more, so maybe my supply is dwindling, I don't know. He's always been a very heavy nurser. I had gotten him down to around 3 or 4 times/night, and now it's been like 10 or 20 times, no joke! One nipple has been sore for days:(

I really, really want to night wean but don't even know where to start. Whenever DH steps in to help DS screams and cries. 

DD won't accept any nighttime comfort from DH either.  I am kind of hoping that may be the next step after nightweaning.  I'm sure you've seen the Jay gordon nightweaning plan (here's the link), which we were going to follow but I ended up nightweaning DD cold turkey because she seemed to understand about the milks being asleep.  Depending on how verbal your LO is, I totally recommend trying to explain the difference between night and day.  We got a lovely book, too, called Nursies When the Sun Shines (here) which has really lovely illustrations.  

Last night was night 3 of nightweaning for us, and there were no tears.  She only signed for milk once, and when I reminded her that it was sleep time, she snuggled into me and went right back to sleep.  She has definitely been more snuggly/"clingy" at night but I am more than happy to oblige her with a cuddle!

Good luck and I hope you find something that works.  I feel like even just a couple nights' sleep has made me feel soooooo much better!  I wish the same for you.  

[1blueheron]

Originally Posted by krjt 

Also, I would love to encourage him not to nurse at night, but don't want to initiate night-weaning... is that even possible? Right now, he goes to sleep in his own bed around 730-830, and will stay there until between 2-4am, then come to our bed, where he pretty much comfort nurses until we get up at 630/7. Any tips? Like I said, I am really wanting not to limit his nursing as that may happen due to supply issues soon enough; but I also need more sleep...

i wish I knew the answer to this.  If I'd thought I could explain to DD that she can nurse once or twice at night, just not five or six times, I would have tried that, but I thought it might just confuse and upset her.  :/  

[Momma2Kai]

I nurse my son 1x at bedtime.  Rarely does he ask any other time.  

I always dreamed of tandeming, but with my son turning 4 right before this baby is due, I am not so sure anymore.  While I never set a weaning goal with him (heck, my goal was to make it 6 months, with anything longer a bonus-we had rough start, but obviously ended up ok!), I am not sure about continuing to nurse him at 4.  That may be my limit.  I really never expected him to nurse this long, nor did I think there would ever be a 4 year age gap between my kids!

Only one side is producing now and for the first 30 seconds, it feels like he's ripping my nipple off. Then after that the pain mellows in to sandpaper covered knives, then numbs to tolerable.

Part of me hopes he'll wean on his own soon.  Part of me doesn't.  Maybe I could tandem....it would only be once a day, right?  And he'll be only 4 y/o...he still needs his momma.  

I guess for now, I will follow my son's lead.  If it becomes more painful, I may have to reconsider.  

[yippiehippie]

Originally Posted by 1blueheron 

DD won't accept any nighttime comfort from DH either.  I am kind of hoping that may be the next step after nightweaning.  I'm sure you've seen the Jay gordon nightweaning plan (here's the link), which we were going to follow but I ended up nightweaning DD cold turkey because she seemed to understand about the milks being asleep.  Depending on how verbal your LO is, I totally recommend trying to explain the difference between night and day.  We got a lovely book, too, called Nursies When the Sun Shines (here) which has really lovely illustrations.  

Last night was night 3 of nightweaning for us, and there were no tears.  She only signed for milk once, and when I reminded her that it was sleep time, she snuggled into me and went right back to sleep.  She has definitely been more snuggly/"clingy" at night but I am more than happy to oblige her with a cuddle!

Good luck and I hope you find something that works.  I feel like even just a couple nights' sleep has made me feel soooooo much better!  I wish the same for you.  

That book looks good, thanks for the link:)

I was going to do Jay gordon's plan, even checked out the book. Then I read how you should only do it if you have to and they didn't even want to put it in there and it made me feel so guilty I never did it:( I also wasn't preggers at the time, so will probably try again. But we'll try on the weekend so DH can help, or, at least I can sleep in the next morning!

I also wish I could just explain to DS that I want him to nurse, just lets not do it so often! But, alas, he does not take to reasoning well;)

[1blueheron]

Originally Posted by yippiehippie 

That book looks good, thanks for the link:)

I was going to do Jay gordon's plan, even checked out the book. Then I read how you should only do it if you have to and they didn't even want to put it in there and it made me feel so guilty I never did it:( I also wasn't preggers at the time, so will probably try again. But we'll try on the weekend so DH can help, or, at least I can sleep in the next morning!

I also wish I could just explain to DS that I want him to nurse, just lets not do it so often! But, alas, he does not take to reasoning well;)

Yeah....I made my peace with the decision to nightwean now that it's not just about my own convenience.  My body has been feeling much better and my nausea's down a bit.  Of course, this morning she woke up at 4 and just stayed awake until sunrise then insisted it was time for milk.  Which is of course technically correct since I told her she could have milk when the sun is up, but sheesh the idea is to SLEEP until then!!  So she fell back asleep after her sunrise nurse and now I can't get back to sleep, ugh!