Not Weaning & Avoiding Tandem Nursing - Possible?

[Mulvah]

I do not want to tandem, I just don't want to do it.  However, I also don't want to wean.  Is it realistic to think I could get away with nursing both children, just not at the same time?  Or, am I setting myself up for tantrums and stress?

Edited by Mulvah - 10/16/11 at 6:01pm

[etsdtm99]

i never once nursed my 1st & 2nd kiddos at the same time - and i nursed them both for 11 months (until my oldest was just over 3)

i'm nursing my 2nd and 3rd now (my youngest is almost 13 months)and i've nursed them both at the same time in the name of extra sleep a hand full of times, but otherwise i don't do it..

so, it is totally possible, and my older kiddos have never thrown a fit - i just set the expectation ahead of time - babies need to nurse all the time, big kids can have a snack or drink and wait until later .. (in our case, i usually asked the older kids to wait until bedtime) i always follow through and make sure to offer at the time i told the older kiddo they would be able to nurse..

[1babysmom]

I have tandem and triandem nursed for 3.5 years now (triandem again next summer) and have only nursed two at once maybe 3 times EVER.  Definitely possible. :)

[Mulvah]

Thank you both for sharing your stories.  Maybe I've got "tandem nursing" wrong, but I thought tandem nursing implied you were nursing the children at the same time, "one behind the other" on each breast.  Either way, I feel better about not weaning and seeing what happens. 

[1babysmom]

Not sure!  It might be when you get really technical, but IME it seems to be that most moms refer to themselves as tandem nursing when they have more than one nursing child, not necessarily the act of nursing two children at a time. :)