Nursing mama's thread! « Back to Group Discussions

[sosurreal09]

Who else is nursing and how is it going?

I'm nursing my 26 m/o and am 18 weeks right now. So far I still have milk. I had 3 days where I had like nothing but it came back. DD still nurses round the clock so IDK if that helps somehow?

I'm reading "Adventures in Tandem Nursing" by the LLL and am nearly done with it at this point. It has been very informative :)

[manamakeri]

We're still nursing here :) My wee one is 35 months old. Before pregnancy, she was still nursing 10 times a day or so. She's cut WAY back to twice a day or so. I'm not sure she is getting anything anymore. 

I wouldn't mind if she weaned completely. Latching on has been excruciating from the beginning and didn't get better with the second trimester. It'd be nice to give my breasts a rest for a couple months.

[sosurreal09]

My DD has not cut back at all! Thankfully I don't have any pain though I'm sure if I did it'd be a whole different story! I wanted to make it to 2 y/o but really want to try for CLW. We made it to two!

Basically if she wants to wean I won't care too much b/c we met our short term goal but at this point I am open to continue nursing her since I haven't had any issues and she still really needs it.

I think it's awesome you are basically at 3 years! What an accomplishment! I'm sorry your nipples hurt

[forestmushroom]

my guy is almost 2 and nursing HURTS especially when he falls asleep and unlatches, I guess... IT HURTS

I wouldn't mind if he weaned, since I don't know what he is actually getting... but we're hanging in there since I just love this little guy, and he is so cute when he asks to nurse.. it's hard to say no...

[feminist~mama]

My dd is 18 1/2 months.  I was pumping at work until just a couple of days ago when I called it quits.  I went from 18 oz or so down to about 10 when I got pregnant.  Then I hit second trimester and was only getting an ounce or two total in 3 ten-minute pumping sessions.  Pain in the butt at work to pump anyway, plus it was a bit uncomfortable...so....

She's nursing like a newborn at home though- she's totally increased the amount she's nursing!  She switches sides constantly, poor kid.  I'm sure she's trying like mad to boost my supply. 

I've got major discomfort with latching too, although just for the first 3-5 seconds.  I'm not trying to wean, but tandem does sound daunting!  I nursed my older daughter until she was 4, but it was just her!  :)

[sosurreal09]

Hopefully your colostrum will come soon!

I am planning to work with DD since she will be almost 3 when the baby is born. I'm going to shoot for 3x a day for her. I have a good friend who got pregnant when her baby was 9 m/o and she tandem nurses. I think with your LO being 18 m/o now it will be easier. She will be almost 2 so hopefully you will be able to distract her a bit and stretch out nursing sessions. I talk about it a lot to my DD. I don't think she gets it yet...They say when the baby is first born it is very normal for the first month or so for the older nursling to want to nurse every time the baby does...I'm going to try to get DD to only nurse one side whenever she nurses...although I think it's going to be hard.

[lightheartedmom]

Still nursing here...dd2 is (mentally counting...) 32ish months? 2.5 yrs
I think there's nothing left to my milk supply - partly because I did cut back a lot during the first 10 weeks because I was cramping too much - but she nurses once or twice in 24 hrs. Some days she seems to forget (yesterday she didnt nurse at all). I'm not really pushing it. Latching is excruciating but she knows there's a baby on the way and I feel like we both need that contact on some level. I nursed dd1 until 25 weeks during my pg with 2 (dd was just under 30 months when she weaned) and then my milk dried up so I exPected it to happen soon.
Part of me is ready to be done nursing dd2, but part of me hopes we can keep it up until my colostrum comes in...

I guess I'm ambivalent.

Glad there are some other ebf-ers here.

[Emelee]

I'm still nursing but DD just turned 1 so there was no way I was quitting beforehand. It's become pretty painful since she has an extremely shallow latch that won't correct so her teeth are always on my nipples. My mom thinks I'm crazy to keep nursing her since I'm pregnant with twins but since I haven't vaccinated her yet I want to make sure she still has a drink of her "medicine" as often as she wants. I have no idea if my supply is down or not since she nurses the same as before.

[sosurreal09]

Originally Posted by Emelee 

I'm still nursing but DD just turned 1 so there was no way I was quitting beforehand. It's become pretty painful since she has an extremely shallow latch that won't correct so her teeth are always on my nipples. My mom thinks I'm crazy to keep nursing her since I'm pregnant with twins but since I haven't vaccinated her yet I want to make sure she still has a drink of her "medicine" as often as she wants. I have no idea if my supply is down or not since she nurses the same as before.

I would definitely work on her latch! With a shallow latch she's not getting enough milk anyway and I'm sure it can't be too comfy for you! There is always room for improvement at any age.

Glad I'm not alone here thought I was for a bit hehe

[Emelee]

Originally Posted by sosurreal09 

I would definitely work on her latch! With a shallow latch she's not getting enough milk anyway and I'm sure it can't be too comfy for you! There is always room for improvement at any age.

Glad I'm not alone here thought I was for a bit hehe

Glad I'm not the only one here either! I have tried working on her latch but she always just pulls to the end of the breast anyways. My LLL said she would eventually get "bored" with latching that way and correct it but it's been 6 months and no change!! Ever since she's gotten teeth it's been worse, or maybe I've only started feeling it since those teeth are sharp! I can hear her gulping so I know she's getting something at least for the first couple of minutes. If anyone has any tips on teaching a new latch please let me know!!
 

[sosurreal09]

Have you thought about taking her to the chiro? We just went for an adjustment b/c DD's latch was off and her jaw was not aligned right so he fixed it. Now her latch is good again!

[lindsayjean]

I'm still nursing my 2 1/2 yr old.  Not SUPER often and I would not mind at all if he weaned.  He asks maybe once a day or less and claims that there is still milky in there and that it tastes like "candy" haha.  Honestly, I love the idea of tandem nursing, but I don't know if I could do it!  I feel like I'd be so overwhelmed!  Taking it one day at a time.  If he were younger I definitely would tandem.... but he'll be almost 3 when baby comes!

[Ruby2]

I nursed dd until just about a month ago, right before her 2nd birthday. That probably disqualifies me for this thread, but I needed to chime in to commiserate with the ladies who are nursing through the pain! I am still in awe of how much it HURT once my supply dried up. I compared it to getting my nipple pierced, and the pain was constant - it didn't stop until she unlatched. Oy!

When I first found out I was pregnant, I decided to just go with the flow and see how things went. Then when it started hurting, I decided we needed to figure out a way to stop...THEN once it looked like dd might actually wean, I totally regretted it! She was soooo sweet those last few months and I miss it a lot. I started talking to her about how much it hurt mommy to nurse (of course telling her that it wasn't her fault) and that she would need to nurse less soon. It totally didn't work to get her to nurse less, but every time she asked to nurse, she would say, "it's okay mama, it won't hurt, it's not my fault, and she push her hand against my cheek until I relaxed after she latched on. SOOOO SWEET!!!

She was down to about 3 sessions a day, and dropping the one when I got home from work was the hardest. After that though, she just started to forget occasionally, and when I told her once when we were getting ready for bed that we weren't going to nurse that night, she said "okay." And that was it. I was sad for a while, but I don't miss the pain!

[sosurreal09]

My 27 m/o is still nursing non stop my supply is very low but no real pain yet.

[Just1More]

My 15 months old nurses a couple times a day still.  For a while, I was offering it to her because she was getting busy, and eating lots of solids, and I didn't want her to wean.  Now, though, she toddles over, and flings herself at me, in position.  "sees?  sees?" (nursies).  That happens at least twice a day, sometimes three.  It seems so random, and I don't know what triggers it.  It's like suddenly, out of nowhere, she NEEDS to nurse.  So cute.

Not much pain, and my supply still seems to be reasonable.  It only hurts when she gets interested in what the others are doing and gets lazy, or if she nurses for a long time.

I'm wondering if a longer supply when pg is related to gender of the unborn baby?  With ds I had milk for a long time, with both dds I didn't.  This time I do.  Watch it be a girl, lol. :)

[Natalya]

I have totally dried up now.  Ds is dry nursing, and we are supplementing with formula.  He is eating TONS of solids, but I am sad over the loss of the great source of nutrition and comfort that breast milk is. It doesn't hurt for him to dry nurse, and I am glad because it seems to be just what he needs when he is especially tired or overwhelmed.  Hopefully he'll start back up when baby comes!  Anyone had any experience with that? I am def planning on tandem nursing, will have to check out that book you mentioned sosurreal.

[sosurreal09]

Yeah I have heard of a lot of babies continuing to nurse after the baby comes! Especially since he is dry nursing although he may get a touch aggravated at first if you have a quick let down since he is so used to just pacifying on the breast! Or he could get excited to be getting milk!

Have you thought of getting an SNS? That would prepare him for the milk coming in!

What kind of births are you all planning? We are having a home birth and I definitely think DD will be coming up for milkies although I'm not too sure how I feel about that! LOL

[smilingsara]

I'm not currently nursing but I have let baby s latch onto me a few times because I could tell his desire to suck while DP is at work. He is though to latch as it is and combine that with sore nipples and it was so painful the first time. I plan on nursing him and his little brother when my milk comes in, especially when DP is gone, but at least both of them once a night to help boost my supply and bond with them. I'm really looking forward to it and cannot wait to nurse my babies!

[Natalya]

Originally Posted by sosurreal09 

Yeah I have heard of a lot of babies continuing to nurse after the baby comes! Especially since he is dry nursing although he may get a touch aggravated at first if you have a quick let down since he is so used to just pacifying on the breast! Or he could get excited to be getting milk!

Have you thought of getting an SNS? That would prepare him for the milk coming in!

What kind of births are you all planning? We are having a home birth and I definitely think DD will be coming up for milkies although I'm not too sure how I feel about that! LOL

What's an SNS? 

[smilingsara]

SNS (click on it)