The Nursing Mamas Thread - Page 4

[montanamama1]

Hey everyone,

I'm still nursing... I think. DD only asks a few times a day (and always at nap/bed time), but I'm not sure if she's getting much. I'm happy and sad about it, too. I think it's just comfort at this point, and, frankly, my nipples are tender and I haven't enjoyed breastfeeding for weeks now.

I don't hear much swallowing and she only latches on to each side for a couple minutes.

Anyone know a good way to tell if there's still milk in there? I don't feel much of a letdown, either.

[parsley]

I'm still nursing too.  We nurse at bedtime, and on and off throughout the night and the whole early morning.  I haven't noticed any decrease in her frequency and I'm pretty sure she'd be quick to complain if the milk wasn't flowing. 

I don't feel letdown but I definitely feel full when she hasn't nursed in awhile.  I haven't felt letdown in years though!

[1blueheron]

I just un-nightweaned DD.  

She was fine for the first, uh, month or two maybe it was?  Then all of a sudden over the last week everything broke down at night.  She was up for 4 hours one night asking for milk over and over again.  Bananas, cow's milk, back rubs, books, snuggles....none of the usual substitutes helped.  So, here we are, back to night nursing!  Oh well.  :/

[SeekingSerenity]

I actually weaned my 3-year old about 9 weeks into this pregnancy, but I didn't know I was pregnant.  I remember nursing my son (#4) when I was pregnant with his little sister, and how it hurt, felt uncomfortable, and my supply dropped.  He actually weaned himself shortly after his 2nd birthday.  This time, my Lil' Man didn't want to wean, but I suddenly reeeeeally didn't want to nurse anymore.  He was day-weaned, only nursed at night, and I said I wouldn't wean until he was ready, but I couldn't take it.  It actually hurt, and I didn't even think about why that might be.  Had I known I was pregnant, I probably would have pushed through the discomfort, but, well, it's a little late to worry about it now. 

[MamaShannon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adaline'sMama 

This will be hour number 36 with no nursing. No engorgement. Im sad, but a little relieved. I keep wondering when she will ask, and she just doesnt.

Yea, we are going on day 4 with no nursing and I feel the same way, sad, but a little relieved. I've been able to distract her in the morning with a banana first thing, so she hasn't been asking to nurse in the morning for a while. At night, she still asked, but a couple nights ago I said, "remember honey? Mama's milkies are all gone," and then we just rocked and she had her binky. Last night she didn't even ask.

Quote:

Originally Posted by montanamama1 

Hey everyone,

I'm still nursing... I think. DD only asks a few times a day (and always at nap/bed time), but I'm not sure if she's getting much. I'm happy and sad about it, too. I think it's just comfort at this point, and, frankly, my nipples are tender and I haven't enjoyed breastfeeding for weeks now.

I don't hear much swallowing and she only latches on to each side for a couple minutes.

Anyone know a good way to tell if there's still milk in there? I don't feel much of a letdown, either.

You sound exactly like me about a month ago. If you're not feeling a let down anymore and you don't hear her swallowing either, I'd say that's a pretty good indication that your milk is about gone. It's really hard to tell though...

On a lighter note, I'll add that a couple of nights ago, after I reminded her that my milkies were all gone, she responded with, "maybe you push your baby out and the milkies will come back." Hahahahaha!!! A few days ago, during one of our many discussions about my milkies, I did tell her that once the baby was born, my milkies would come back, so I guess it was only a matter of time before she used that line on me 

[RoViMama]

Hi all you Feb mamasI have been following this thread for awhile but never had tim eto post! I am currently counting down the days until DD2 is 3 on Sept 18. I weaned my DD1 on her 3rd b-day adn thought I would do it with this one as well.  She was a crazy nurser but I think this drop in milk has helped her accept the cut down in nursing .  Right now we are only nursing when we wake up.  The last week I did "give in" and nurse her eariler in the night b/c I know that she will go back to sleep if I nurse her and then I get to sleep in!!!  My only concern with weaning is that I am nervous that I will ahve a difficlut time with this Feb baby.  DD1 and I had a hard start and DD2 was easier I think b/c I was still nursing DD1.  IT's my only reason to keep nursing DD2 until this baby is born.  But I'm pretty sure my milk supply has gone way down

[TreeRose]

Hi all. My update is that it's not hurting nearly as bad and I made it through. Nursing my DD morning, noon nap, and night for bed, sometimes one more late late night nursing. The letdown is what hurts the most right now. She just turned 1 and I am not in a hurry to wean her, I'm open to tandem nursing and I'm praying I make it. I have heard that when the colostrum forms at the end of pregnancy, your nursing LO may not get what they're looking for and suck til the breasts burn because they're that dry. I wonder if that will be our situation? I just don't know. I'm hanging in there though and hope you all are too - weaning or not!

[Legatia]

We're still nursing! I know my production dropped, but there's still milk in there! I don't hear her swallow as much as she used to, but my breasts are still softer after she nursed and I can still express a few drops of milk(I could never express much). My nipples are getting more sensitive, though and she started biting when she falls asleep...

[TreeRose]

Legatia, the biting is awful, isn't it? It hurts my fingers when I stick them in, let alone my nipples! AUGH!

I feel the same way - hearing her swallow, feeling my breasts much softer, smaller, less full, although they still "re-fill" in between.

I never could express much either. People would talk about hand-expressing and pumping and even with an electric pump I could rarely get much out. Good thing DD never needed to take a bottle! :)

[mrscookie]

Anybody still nursing? I'm at 34 weeks and L (3 y / 3 mo) is still nursing at bedtime, 0-2 times during the night and in the morning for an extended period of time. When I'm home from work on the weekends, he nurses an additional 3-5 times during the day. No complaints about any changes to mama milk, which I've asked him about, but when I squeeze, there's not much coming out and it's clear. Is that colostrum? I'm so glad that it's been tolerable for me to continue to nurse him and I don't really restrict at all. During the second trimester I got a lot of sensitivity, but it kind of went away or I got used to it. I'm much stricter now about requiring super gentle touching only to the nipples, but other than that...  I figure, we'll work out a solution when the new baby gets there, but I've talked a lot about how new babies only drink mommy milk and that their tummies are very tiny so they have to nurse very often, just like he used to when he was small. I do worry a bit about breast sharing issues. He likes to fondle the other side while nursing on one side and that wouldn't work if both are nursing at the same time. I don't know if he'll nurse less or more when there's suddenly lots of thick, sweet newborn milk available.  

[parsley]

I'm still nursing too!  The frequency hasn't really changed at all for DD (3 3/4) though I went through a pretty dry stage a while back and now I'm starting to notice that my breasts are feeling fuller and bigger again.  I know that I definitely have colostrum but after DD has been nursing I often see milk on her cheek and my nipple so I know there's milk in there too.  It's funny though, some days she nurses for a minute, then drinks some water, then nurses, etc... back and forth.  I'm assuming it's because colostrum is salty! 

'm feeling pretty good about the tandem nursing overall-- though I'm not looking forward to having two nurslings awake at 4 am!  Mrscookie - have you read Adventures in Tandem Nursing?  I've found it really helpful.  I was having all sorts of worries about what would happen (could we use up the colostrum before the baby is born, for example) and I've found the book really readable and informative. 

Thanks for reviving the thread.  It's really interesting to see where everyone is at!

[Right of Passage]

I went completely dry, and we really didn't nurse but now I definetly have some to the point my breasts feel full and itchy and I ask LO to nurse. He's 22 months. I have a feel this will be a whole new tandeming experience!

[bluedaisy]

we're still nursing - DD (3) nurses before bed and for a while in the morning, and every few days she'll ask to nurse during the day.  Nothing comes out when I squeeze but she says there is a little bit so I'm guessing it's colostrum.

I didn't really want to tandem but DD is definitely not ready to wean so we'll see what happens when the baby gets here...I've also been talking to her about how babies nurse all the time like she did and she can still have some milk but she won't need it as often because she can eat other things.  The other day, she offered that the baby can drink her milk so that she can still have all of my milk!

[1blueheron]

We finally weaned around 28-29 weeks.  I had deeply mixed feelings about it, but DD really lost interest and I didn't want to tandem.  I had always, always nursed her to sleep, so it's been sweet finding other ways to be close and drift off to sleep together (stories, songs, cuddling).  I'm content now and enjoying this stage in our post-nursing relationship.  

[kayak32]

We are still nursing my 2 1/2 year old DD.  I am 35 weeks.  For how much longer that depends on her, she has been bitting he last few days, only when she is fully awake though.  When she nurses at night no issues.  She is starting to cut molars though and that could be contributing.  I am just not sure if I will have the patients at this point if she keeps bitting ( actually not so much bitting as not keeping her tongue out).

[krjt]

Hi All, I wanted to give my nursing update regarding my just-turned-2 (in Dec) DS.  Last I posted I was considering night-weaning bc it was just too painful and/or annoying.  We tried about a week of severely limiting the night nursing, and that seemed to help (maybe he just wasn't feeling well and that's why he was nursing so much?  Can't remember exactly).  But just last week (around 35/36 weeks for me) he started sleeping through the night almost completely, and thus night-nursing has [almost] become a thing of the past.  We still nurse in the early am, before/after nap, and before bed, and any other time that he wants, although that typically isn't very often.  It was definitely a challenge to nurse all the way through pregnancy, but we've almost made it!  Hope you all are doing well!

[parsley]

Well, I am enjoying day four of tandem nursing!!!!!!

My milk came in yesterday mid-day and DD1 has commented several times on how delicious it is.  DD2 is a sleepy-head but she's doing well with the nursing. 

There are a few transitions on this side... my nipples are really sore and I have to learn how to type one-handed again but otherwise I am so thrilled that I was able to keep nursing DD1 throughout this pregnancy and that all seems to be going well with DD2 now.  DD1 asked me this morning when I thought she might want to stop nursing.  She seems to think that maybe when she's five she'll be done...  plenty of time to figure it all out! 

Good luck to the rest of you as you make it through the next few weeks.

[bluedaisy]

Parsley - Congratulations!!!  I somehow missed the news that your little one arrived, how exciting!!  Did you post the birth story anywhere?  So glad to hear tandem nursing is going well, looks like I'll be tandeming as well since I'm due next week and DD is showing no signs of being ready to stop

[parsley]

Thanks, bluedaisy!  I'm still working on posting the birth story.  Typing takes forever!  I posted a brief announcement in the new arrivals thread.