Breastfeeding Support - Page 11 « Back to Group Discussions

[monkeyscience]

Weird that pedis are pushing vit D. Mine hasn't so much as mentioned it. Not on the handouts, either. And she 's very aware and supportive of the fact that we exclusively breastfeed.

[LilyTiger]

Mine recommends Vitamin D, but she recommends the additive free stuff you find at health food stores.  We haven't really been doing it, but since our area is very dark in the winter, we'll probably do it once the time changes and we're not getting much sunlight.

[sallyrae17]

Here is the link to the KellyMom info on vitamin d drops: http://kellymom.com/nutrition/vitamins/vitamin-d/

[iixivboots]

So I basically never thought I'd breastfeed beyond 1, and I wasn't even sure about that. now that it looks like I'm going to be home more, I'm thinking about this more. One thing I keep hearing women say is that they feel comfortable breastfeeding "until they can ask for it."

I really want to hear everyone's thoughts on this. It's crazy to me! We've started signing for "milk" and "all done" already, I never thought I'd do signs either but he gets frustrated when I can't read his cues that he's finished. So as soon as he starts signing, he'll be "asking for it",  although I know these women mean asking in spoken language/toddlers. Why is this a hang up? I keep hearing women say that, even women who are very into EBFing! 

[Tizzy]

With my first I really thought 12mo was the max. But then after he weaned early during that stage around 9mo when they show a lot of interest in food, I realized it wasn't such a great idea. With the next two I pushed through that 9mo stage until 16-17 mo when I got to the "I'm so done!" point, it was so much less stress!
Once they're weaned, it's a lot of pressure to make sure they're eating enough foods, that they can soothe themselves to sleep and they miss out on some health/immune boosting aspects too!
I really thought that teeth would be the end as well, but they quickly get past the biting stage too.
I really enjoy nursing them to toddlerhood, but get agitated quickly when they're so busy, wiggly and I get pretty touched out eventually. While they are nursing still, it is really nice to have that quiet bonding time each day.

So yeah....just think about it, you never know, 2 years may just fly by!

[LilyTiger]

I think I'm going to go ahead and rent the hospital pump for the next few weeks at least.  I've been so frustrated that my manual pumping can't keep up with her demand while I'm gone (for example, the other day I squeezed out 7oz between my morning pump and pumping while at work but she drank 11 oz while I was gone).  I also have been really frustrated that I feel like I'm the only one who can soothe her, etc.  I love it in one sense, because it makes me feel close to her, but it's also somewhat stifling.  And I hate having to spend so much time freaking out about whether she'll have enough milk if I have to work AND do a workout.  I'm hoping the hospital pump is efficient enough that I can start getting more out in shorter times and building an actual stash.

Boots, the asking for it is kind of interesting, I agree.  It seems a bit arbitrary, in a sense.  I think the primary thing is that people see verbal language as the dividing line between baby and child and we are uncomfortable BFing children.  I talked with two of my good friends from grad school last weekend (who I hadn't seen in years) and they both sheepishly admitted to nursing their LOs until about age three.  It was funny that these highly educated wonderful mothers felt ashamed of nursing their toddlers, even when talking to someone like me who is EBF.  I don't know how long we'll go, but I'm open to extended BFing if it's at night or before naps.  I think for us during the day will be solid food time.  But as Tizzy says, maybe I'll just see how we all feel when we get there.

[pennywhistle]

regarding the "asking for it" issue - I love this article (I can't remember who suggested it to me...if it was one of you, I apologize!): http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2012/08/15/meet-your-local-extreme-breastfeeder/

[Sol_y_Paz]

When asked this question while pregnant at LLL I said to one year since before one year you still have to give them mama's milk or formula.  But I have since learned they still have to drink milk after that age?  Don't most ped's suggest they tank up on whole cow's milk after being off mama milk or formula.  It is possible that DS has cow's milk issues.  I will just cross all those bridges when I come to them.  

[Sol_y_Paz]

Originally Posted by bootsvalentine 
We've started signing for "milk" and "all done" already, I never thought I'd do signs either but he gets frustrated when I can't read his cues that he's finished.

I always am on the watch for hunger cues closely before he has to cry to "ask".  He has also started a special type of like grumbling to communicate he would like to be fed as well.  I would love it if he just had a sign.  It would make it easier for us I think.  What type of signs do you use?

[Tizzy]

Originally Posted by Sol_y_Paz 

When asked this question while pregnant at LLL I said to one year since before one year you still have to give them mama's milk or formula.  But I have since learned they still have to drink milk after that age?  Don't most ped's suggest they tank up on whole cow's milk after being off mama milk or formula.  It is possible that DS has cow's milk issues.  I will just cross all those bridges when I come to them.  

The WHO actually recommends breastfeeding for two years

I find that a little daunting though because I definitely get touched out before then and like to read stories instead of nurse to sleep.

[monkeyscience]

No idea how long I'll nurse - my plan is to definitely continue to one year, and then see how I feel. I have no philosophical objection to nursing beyond a year, but I'm just not sure how I'll feel about it. I'm not really sure how old I think is "too old" to nurse for sure. I do definitely think that kindergarten-aged children are too old to nurse, barring exceptional medical circumstances. I know some people at MDC *do* nurse that long, and I'm aware of some academics who think that's within in the normal range for human breastfeeding, but I don't really agree with it. But I don't find it particularly necessary to seek out such people and tell them I disagree with them, either!

AFU, we have an appointment with a speech pathologist on Thursday to discuss Baby Bird's tongue tie. Still finding very, very little in the way of resources on posterior tie, and seeing things that are wildly contradictory, too. So I'll be glad of a second opinion. I do have the names of two different ENTs who supposedly work with posterior tie patients as well, but until I'm more convinced we want to go with surgical intervention, I don't see any reason to see them.

Also, stopping the lanolin has made a HUGE difference for my nipples! Other than the occasional vasospasm or mild nipple trauma, they almost never hurt! We will see how things go as the weather gets cooler and drier and I may actually need to do some moisturizing.

[iixivboots]

Sol, here's the article I read with the signs:

http://www.examiner.com/article/using-baby-sign-language-to-enhance-your-breastfeeding-experience

Now I just have to remember to do them every time I nurse! Most of what I've read says babies can start signing for milk at about 5 months. That seems so close! :)

[Sol_y_Paz]

Tizzy, I read that from the AAP.  I am confused if after that peds heavily push cow's milk instead.  Doesn't that indicate little ones still have a need for milk?  And for how long?  And what if they can't drink cow's milk due to intolerance?  I have noticed other milk, for instance - coconut milk is full of sugar, it was the 2nd listed.  

I am not making any decisions now, much like Monkey I will decide when it comes closer since I know it can vary so much for a variety of reasons. 

[sallyrae17]

My goal is to breastfeed for two years, but will definitely go until my child is done. I breastfed my other child until he was two weeks shy of his third birthday - and he self weaned.

[LilyTiger]

Sally, when you breastfed until around age three, how many times a day does the little one nurse?  Is it usually before bed or naptime or is it throughout the day?  I'm interested in the logistics of extended BFing.  I know everyone does it differently, of course.

Tizzy, I love your phrase "touched out".  I talked to my doctor about how I feel when I've been holding her/wearing her/nursing her all day (this was before she took any daytime naps and also refused to be put down) and how I needed an hour away from her in order to feel human.  My doc said it was essentially sensory overload, being that attached to another person for that amount of time.  I like "touched out" as a way of explaining it.  I'm not sure that's quite what you mean, but it's a nice descriptive phrase.

[sallyrae17]

Lily - My son breastfed every two hours until about 2 1/2 years old (that included at night). He nightweaned at 2 1/2 and then only really breastfed before naps/bedtime and in the morning. The hardest one to stop was the morning session. I was pregnant and I think that has a lot to do with him self-weaning. My milk just started to go away and taste different in the second trimester. I had a 3 month break before my daughter was born....now I'm back at it! :) I really love breastfeeding, though. It's the one thing I'll miss the most once my daughter decides to stop.

[Lizbiz]

I nursed my first son until he was 2 and my daughter until she was 16 months.  Neither of them really self weaned - but it was a totally untraumatic process with both of them - I just cut a feeding out every week and voila, they were weaned in 3 weeks, and neither of them really showed any signs of emotional distress over it - they were just too busy being toddlers to notice.  By the time they weaned, they were both nursing just 2 or 3 times a day - right upon waking in the morning and then before bedtime at night, and occasionally before afternoon naps.  I did introduce cows milk at 12 months or shortly thereafter - I wanted both of them to be comfortable with that if I weren't around and I knew I wouldn't breastfeed forever. 

I would have nursed my daughter a little longer, but I needed to take some medication that the doctors weren't comfortable with me taking while nursing, so I weaned her a bit 'early' for me.  I plan on nursing Anthony as long as he wants, but probably not much past two, and I only want to pump until he's 12 months old, then I'd like to transition him to cows milk during the day.  This seems to work for us, but we'll stay flexible depending on circumstances.    

I too get touched out Tizzy!  Garrrr, especially once I'm pregnant again - then having my toddlers nursing is like nails on a chalkboard.  

Anyway - all that to say that I think there are a lot of ways to approach extended breastfeeding if you'd like to have a go at it - plus, you can just take it a week or a month at a time and assess if it's still working for you and your babe and your life circumstances.  I liked continuing the connection into toddlerhood and then when we stopped, I actually then loved the freedom from it too.  

Random sidenote: My nearly 3 year old now drinks whatever breastmilk is leftover in the bottle after Anthony is done during the day while I'm at work.  It's a 'treat' for her and she now says that Mommy makes 'juice' not milk.  :)

[Tizzy]

Originally Posted by LilyTiger 

Sally, when you breastfed until around age three, how many times a day does the little one nurse?  Is it usually before bed or naptime or is it throughout the day?  I'm interested in the logistics of extended BFing.  I know everyone does it differently, of course.

Tizzy, I love your phrase "touched out".  I talked to my doctor about how I feel when I've been holding her/wearing her/nursing her all day (this was before she took any daytime naps and also refused to be put down) and how I needed an hour away from her in order to feel human.  My doc said it was essentially sensory overload, being that attached to another person for that amount of time.  I like "touched out" as a way of explaining it.  I'm not sure that's quite what you mean, but it's a nice descriptive phrase.

I'm also curious about the logistics of breastfeeding an older toddler!   When mine have weaned, we've been down to just a quick nurse before bed.

Lily- that's exactly what I mean.

[sallyrae17]

As far as logistics go with breastfeeding an older kid, it gets interesting. They get mobile and will want to eat, then run away, then come back, then get distracted again. Or...they want to nurse when you are in line at the grocery store. I'm very comfortable with my body and breastfeeding in public, so I've never had an issue. I would breastfeed my son in public all the time after he turned two. My rationale was "the more other people see extended breastfeeding as normal and natural, the more normal and natural it will become." I never had anyone say anything to me, whether positive or negative. I find myself wanting to say positive things to other mamas I see nursing an older kid in public, though. 

As far as logistics at home go, it's my house. Whenever or where ever nursing needs to happen - it does. I've nursed in the shower, bathtub, on the floor, while making dinner, while eating dinner, etc. I really think everyone finds their own way of breastfeeding their child - and they do what seems most comfortable to them. I cannot stress enough the idea that you really shouldn't care what other people say or do. It's your body and your kid. You do what's best by them, not by some jerk of a stranger. So don't get intimidated...just remember that it's YOUR relationship with YOUR child. 

[monkeyscience]

Just a flyby to say that the speech pathologist confirmed the posterior tongue tie and also found an upper-lip tie. She recommends having both clipped/revised. We also have exercises to do with him, and the instruction to get serious about tummy time. She also seconded the LC's notion that he's just coasting on my good supply thus far.