Nursing Mamas!!!

[Free Thinker]

Who still has a nursling? My DD is 14 months and still nursing about 4-5 times a day. So far my milk supply dropped around 14DPO, but has recovered, and seems to be plentiful. I am only a bit tender, nothing major yet. The biggest change I have noticed is that I'm STARVING all the time. I eat several times a day, and even wake about 3am for a little snack. I didn't start that w/ DD until 2nd tri or later.

[mehndi mama]

Davey's still nursing, but I've been working on cutting him back a bit for a month or so, now. I guess there was a reason for doing so, even though I didn't know about it!
He's still nursing to sleep at night, and at least once or twice a day, sometimes more. I've been offering cow's milk in the morning, and that has taken care of the wake-up nursing session quite well
I'm starving, too, and I'm not even 4 wks yet! For the last week, I've been griping about getting fat, and was trying not to eat...so it's a relief to know that I NEED to eat :LOL
I'm hoping that I can get him weaned before the baby comes (I get too nervous when trying to tandem a new baby & a not-aware-of-their-own-strength toddler - I tried it before, and for me, it was NOT fun!), but if it turns out that he still needs to nurse, I'll deal with it. But he's so much like his sister Amber, who I was able to wean at age 2, that I don't think he'll put up much of a fuss.

[TwinMom]

Alec is still nursing 3-4 times a day and usually once or twice a night. He'll be 3 in August; is he the oldest nurser here? I'm hoping that he doesn't wean during the pregnancy--he's just not ready. Neither am I! I would be devastated! I'm looking forward to tandem nursing, with some trepidation. I think it'll be not TOO hard since Alec will be 3.5 by then and will understand sharing a little better than he does now.

So far I'm not having any boob changes. I think my milk supply is still the same and I'm not sore or tender like I was by this time when I was pregnant with Alec. It might come later, though.

Oh, and I just wanted to mention the book Adventures in Tandem Nursing--it is chock-full of helpful information. Every mom who will be tandem nursing should read it!

[mehndi mama]

I haven't read that tandem nursing book yet - it wasn't out yet when I needed it 2 years ago!
My oldest, Ian, nursed through 2 pregnancies and weaned when he was 4, and YES, it's definitely easier to tandem with an older child than a totally haphazard toddler!

[coopsmama]

Another nurser. Cooper is nursing at nap time and at night and any other time that he is bored. I have tried to cut him back for my own peace of mind. I am comforted that nursing has become more uncomfortable. Perhaps if it becomes excrutiating, then I will know all is well and will relax. I am nuts
Anyway, I am not planning on weaning, but am also a little nervous about tandem nursing. I can see me not wanting to share. I need a copy of AITN.

[jorie]

Also still nursing. Alec (great name Twinmom!) nurses whenever, sometimes only once a day, sometimes a bunch. I ended the nursing-sleep association a while back for my sanity--I reached the point that if I didn't partially wean, I would totally wean, which Alec was not ready to do, and in my heart, I wasn't either. So, boobs are sore when he latches and when he delatches, but my milk supply seems fine. I have started getting really antsy during some nursings--I ended the nursing a couple times and offered again later, which at 2, he is pretty tolerant of. I've read part of AITN, but then loaned it to a friend who was actually tandem nursing, where as I was just trying to prepare myself for the possibility! I am planning to take it one day at a time. If I reach the point where I just can't stand it, I will kindly, gently wean him. I am wondering if he will just wean himself when my milk dries up (this happens 2nd tri, right?) But then again, even if he weans, he could start up again when baby is born, which I think I am fine with. Sigh. This is so hard sometimes! Esp since dh is not totally sold on the idea of toddler nursing and very suspicious of nursing while pregnant and sorta uncomfortable with tandem nursing. He would never tell/ask me to quit, but. . . I get frustrated/sad when he sends bad vibes at me. One day at a time, one day at a time, one day at a time . . . Its really nice that there are so many of us, esp very experienced mamas.

[HelloKitty]

My youngest DS is 18 months and he is still nursing. He was only nursing once a night at bedtime however since I have gotten pregnant he seems to want to nurse more often (is this normal I wonder????) - he's been nursing like 3-4 times a night and sometimes even during the day he will try (although I don't think he's getting anything at that time so he gives up rather quick!)

Kitty

[TexasSuz]

I am nursing my almost 3 year old ds also. He was born the day after your ds Twinmom! We have really cut down on nursing though - probably 2-3 times a day - sometimes less if we are out and about. He plays with my boobs a lot though and we talk about how the milk may go bye-bye soon. I don't want him to freak when it happens. DH is also working on getting him to sleep without me. It is hard. I feel like I am taking his favorite toy/companion away.

So sad...

[Parker'smommy]

Another nursing mom here!!!
My ds, Parker is 27 months old and I am SO glad I nightweaned him earlier this year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG, my nipples are in such pain!!! I have to bear down everytime he latches on. He is nursing about 6+times a day and its driving me nuts.

The worst part is that I have had to say no to him a few times and it just makes him so sad!!! This has happened in the morning when he just switches sides back and forth like 5 times and Im like ENOUGH!!!! ugh, I hope it gets better. It seems he is nursing more, but I wonder if my supply is dipping slowly and that he is trying to up my supply by nursing more??

I haven't truely decided for or against tandem nursing. If he doesnt wean on his own, I will nurse him with his sibling ( so I guess it is decided) but I wont be sad if he weans. I feel terribly guilty for saying this. I sufferred terribly from PPD w/ds and I'm scared that I will have it again and I will not be able to nurse a babe and a toddler through that. It was hard trying to nurse an infant between crying jags. ANd I think it would be better to wean of his own accord during this pregnancy than to have to wean him abruptly after new babe is born. I guess only time will tell.

Good luck to you all!!!

[Ellie'sMom]

I don't feel completely like I belong here since at this point dd talks about nursing more than she actually nurses, but she is still nursing a couple of times per week. We cut back when I was pg last fall, and have stayed at the level we are now for about 6 months! I really admire people who tandem, but I just don't think I can do it. When I am tired and post-partem my patience is short, and I worry that I wouldn't be a very nice tandem nursing mommy.

It's funny. Ellie loves my "nursies." She pats them and talks to them and asks to see them several times per day. She likes to have "shirt nursies" which involves just putting her mouth on my breast through my shirt. She has all these strong feelings, but she seems ok with not actually nursing most of the time.

Anyway, it will be interesting to see how the adventure of nursing progresses through our pregnancies!

[Lisashepp]

I am nursing my 3.5 year old 0-2x a day

[weesej]

Howdy Mamas I am here Anyone nursing a baby still. DD is only 7.5 months and my milk supply dropped off considerably , it was the first thing that made me think I may be preggers. Drinking lots of Mothers Milk tea, eating protien and eating oatmeal. Think I will start on a good prenatal, clorophyll, and B vitamins--trying to think of what else might be good.

Any one dealing with nipple soreness?? Last time around I was nursing a weaning 2 year old and when it got bad I just threw her a weaning party and we were good. Can't do that this time

[mehndi mama]

Not so much nipple soreness - just nipple irritation. I almost think that at this point, (aside from the lowered milk supply, which stinks!) nursing a baby would be a whole lot nicer than nursing a toddler who switches sides about every 30 seconds, and feels that he absolutely MUST twiddle or brush his palm over the other side, or he's gonna die or something. (To hear him shriek when I try to cover up the other side, you'd think I was torturing him or something! I'd LOVE to have a nurseling that would just latch on to one side & STAY on for a few minutes duration!

[Krystal323]

Lili still nurses 2-6x/day even though I've been noticing for the past week or two that I seem to have run dry...now I know why lol!

[steph6467]

I'm still nursing my 16 month old too. I had a little soreness that came and went over the past few days. It's also very irritating to me to have him "twidle at" and grab the other breast. That has always annoyed me, but more so now. I have no idea how the pregnancy has affected my supply, maybe down, but I don't think I was making a whole lot at this point anyway. Patrick LOVES nursing though, and would nurse every time I picked him up if I'd let him.

So far I'm not too excited about the idea of tandem nursing, but I guess we'll see. It breaks my heart when I refuse the occasional request for a "see see" (nursie), so I don't know how I'd wean him at this point without both of us going insane.

I asked this question over on the bf'ing forum, but has anyone noticed less morning sickness than previous pregnancies?? I haven't had any and am a little worried about feeling TOO good, although I'm having increased fatigue and the bit of nipple soreness.

Steph
edd 2/11 w #4

[beachrock]

I'm glad you said that about less nausea, because I thought I was a freak. Has anyone else noticed an immediate decrease in nausea (esp first thing in the morning) when their nursling latches on? I had expected to be too sick to nurse at wake up time, but it actually is helping!
DS is almost 3, same age as Twinmom and TexSuz's boys!

[Lousli]

I'm nursing too! My daughter is almost 32 months old (2.5 years) and nurses a few times a day, occasionally at night. Not having nipple pain, but breast tenderness in general. She is climbing up on me right now, so I should get going...

[ekblad9]

I'm still nursing my 20 month old and though my 3 1/2 year old claimed to be weaned she's nursing a few times/week. My milk didn't decrease yet. Probably around the fourth month or so.