This thread is dedicated to Moms who are EB older children - Page 2

[Firemom]

Mine weaned at 5.8 years and I never intended on nursing much past the age of 2. She weaned in June and has had an ear infection (healed now but still on the meds) and was talking a lot about nursing the last week. She didn't actually nurse but came very close.

All is back to normal, she feels better and hasn't talked about nursing the past 2 days. She is now 6 1/2 years old.

She is very independent and very loving toward everyone. I think she turned out preety good

[Solange]

count me in too

Hi everyone..
This is a great thread and I love to read all about other child led weaning mothers and their nursing journeys....thanks so much Mother sunshine for this post.....

I am nursing my 34 month old ds.
He is nursing some days more than others, but always before bedtime, while we read books, and during the night. He nurses when he is tired, upset, or ill and at times too if he is hungry he would rather nurse than eat....
I still nip and have no issues doing so and his conversations with me now about nursing have really assured me that we are doing what is best for us.

I was one of those who said I will only nurse for 3 months and then when 3 months came, I will only nurse for 6 months and once we hit 1 y/o...I said forget it...this is so peaceful and makes parenting a lot easier....he will wean when he is ready...
...and can I just add that I have the most supportive dh and how thankful I am for him

[LaLaLuna]

Hi all you mamas I'm nursing my 3 y.o. I have to admit that right now I'm struggling with child-led weaning. I feel like mostly I"m DONE but somehow I never get around to insisting on it :LOL

I weaned my first son at 2.9 when I was 7 months pregnant- I just couldn't get through those last two months (it was ugly) so I'm hoping to go further with ds2. It's hard, though. Dh wants me to wean (not because he thinks ds is too old but b/c he sees how hard it is for me).

For you mamas who have made it all the way to child-deciding when to wean and for you who tandem nurse... If any of you have ideas on how to keep going when you're at the end of you resources, feel free to share!!!

[mamarosa]

I managed to struggle through nursing while pg, and when dd was born, ds was wanting to nurse all the time, after he had been down to once a day. While I appretiated having somone to take the extra milk, I started really resenting having him ask to nurse while I was doing other things. Like it wasn't enought to have to stop what I was doing to nurse the newborn, now my 3 1/2 y/o expected that of me too?! I don't think so. I really had to hold back, it made me feel really angry at times (post partum emotions too).
But we have leveled off pretty well. Now ds nurses in the morning. The only drag is that he is waking up so much earlier than he used to. And also, we are dealing with him being rude to me in the mornings. He will yell angrily or kick me if I don't wake up right away to nurse him. That is a problem for me because nursing is really personal and intimate, and I won't let myself be used by someone who isn't respecting me. I have communicated all of this to him and it is getting better.
I don't know when he'll be done for good, probably not for a while yet.

[Mommiska]

Britishmum and tnrsmom - I can so relate to not enjoying nursing an older child. I really dislike the sensation of my 3.5 year old nursing these days.

I can date my own personal irritation with nursing dd1 to the middle of December - when I got pregnant (but about a month before I found out I was pregnant) - so I think it must have something to do with pregnancy hormones. Funnily enough, though, it doesn't bother me at all when dd2 nurses (she is almost 2).

Luckily, dd1 only really nurses at night...only very occasionally during the day. And I've also been lucky in that she's dropped the morning and daytime nursings herself without encouragement from me (that I've been aware of, although maybe she's picked up on some of my feelings?).

At night, I time it - I make sure I let her nurse for at least 5-6 minutes. I just don't let myself stop before then (although sometimes she'll pull off earlier herself, which is always nice!).

I figure that it's only 5 minutes of irritation for me, and it's really important to dd1. I can't imagine forcing her to stop nursing, you know? It just wouldn't feel right.

I'm sorry to hear, though, Britishmum, that it's still difficult 8 months later - I was hoping things had gotten easier for you. I guess I also was hoping that my own negative feelings would ease up (they always have in the past, but not this time)...

Ah, well - it's still worth it. As much as I personally would like dd1 to wean before #3 arrives, it does make me sad as well, as I know how important nursing is for her, and I like that she continues to receive the benefits of at least some breastmilk each day...

[Britishmum]

Thanks Carolyn - it was so helpful for me at the start to know that others felt the same.

I can handle our 2x day now but they are very short. I just couldn't physically handle 5 mins - I admire your grit! Dd is ok with it now, and I like to think that she's forgotten the trauma of the first couple of months.

I want to cry if I think of her weaning, but I long for her to wean. : But at least I don't feel angry at her now we've cut out the daytime nursing.

I wonder also what I'll do if we have another baby in a year or so. Dd #1 will have to wean beforehand, and I dont know what I'd do about dd#2..........

[TiredX2]

I am no longer EBing an older child (DD weaned earlier this month at 50 months and DS is only 18 months) but just wanted to give a big to all the mommas with "older" nurslings!

Kay

[LittlebitsMommy]

Hi Everyone! My name is Marcia and I am a mom to 3,but Littlebit is the first for me to BF.I wish so much that I would have nursed the other 2.I was 15 when I had my first and really didn't even think about it.BUt with my second I had really wanted to BF,but I had to have emergency kidney syrgery while I was pregnant and I was told I would be unable to BF because when he was born they would have to do more tomy kidneys.I wish I would not have listened to them.I have had the same thing done 4 times to my kidneys since I have had Littlebit and never had to stop nursing.Littlebit is almost 37 moths old and still nurses 10 times a day and a couple of times at night.I never knew how long we would nurse.No one in my family had ever even thought about nursing and thought I was insane to even try it.
All I knew was we were going to do.I didn't care what everyone else thought.We have been told by so many people to stop breastfeeding,but we never listened.Littlebit has been really sick from the start.HE spent some tome in the PICU and has had 5 surgeries for different things. And I have had 4 kidney surgeries.We were in a really bad auto accident too.BUT he never had to have a bottle.I think all that we have been through has made us alot closer and stronger.I still don't know how long he will nurse but I am leaving it up to him.I still don't care what others think I know I am doing what is best for me and him.My DH and older kids have always been such supporters of my BF.I love them all so much.I love our Nursing so much too.
I am sorry if this got to long.

[carmen veranda]

You mamm's rock. My "baby" is going to be three in 10 days. She nurses at story time at night and sometimes in the morning. She says s"he loves it!"
I thought she weaned herself earlier this week, but she just forgot to have her numma numma's!!!
Here's to all the nursing mamma's!!!!

[chie96]

I'm Laurie - new to the forums this week - and EB my DD (18.5 mos). We plan to let her decide when to wean and at the rate she nurses it isn't going to be anytime soon!

We are going to start ttc#2 next month and I really hope she doesn't wean once we do get pg. I think the greatest thing would be to tandem nurse (hope I'm not crazy for saying that)!!!

[TigerTail]

heya. do i qualify because i don't really consider tandeming with an 8 month old and a 28 month old 'eb'? really, i weaned (yes, my *strong* suggestion! oh, now i can't play here, lol!) my 7 yr old some years back; am i really in the club with a mere 2 yr old?

hehe, suse

[darlindeliasmom]

I don't know, suse...

does the 28-mo-old ever stand up to nurse? That's the real sign of a long-term EBFer!!

But seriously, tandem nursers get to play in my book! The older child ALWAYS looks so big when you've got that newborn in your arms!

[chie96]

Re: I don't know, suse...

[QUOTE]Originally posted by darlindeliasmom
[B]does the 28-mo-old ever stand up to nurse? That's the real sign of a long-term EBFer!!

LOL - my 18 month old has been standing since at least 12 months! She loves to stand up, twist around, and would probably hang upside-down if she could! :LOL Lately I can just sit sideways in our den chairs (they are overstuffed / oversized - I sit with my back against one arm and feet hanging over the opposite arm) and she just walks up and nurses! I really need to get DH to take some pictures...it's too funny!

[Mallory]

A couple days ago my 3 1/2 year old and I were getting in the shower. He was standing by the side of the tub and I leaned down to turn on the shower and he said "Oh wow nursers" and latched right on!

[mimmy]

Ds will be three in a couple of weeks - he still "nurts" as much as he did when he was one. If I let him, he'd nurt all day. Actually, sometimes that is his suggestion of what we should do when we get up in the morning, "Mimmy, it is cold and wet out, let's nurt all day!".

[mshollyk]

my son just up and quit nursing in December, and he turned 4 in Feb. i was 4 months pg when he stopped, and i hate to say it, but it was a good thing he did because it was fairly excruciating. i had heard about child-led weaning, of course, but i didn't think it would be as easy as it was...

anyway, cheers to all you EB'ers, and when people make comments, don't pay them any mind. only YOU know what's best for you and your child

[Meiri]

Mallory, when DS was a toddler and did this while standing in his crib I decided it was time to start wearing a nightshirt.

It Was funny, once...

[Momtwice]

I just put some links and quotes (pro EN) on the thread "help!! rude comments..........." by spu on this board.

[Reiki Mama]

My one and only turned 4 in February 2003, and we're still nursing -- quite a lot. Most days are better than others, both in terms of frequency and my response to it. The thought of her weaning makes me sad, though sometimes I wish she only nursed at night, and before falling asleep. I just miscarried at 9 weeks, and the annoying little mainstream voice in my head questions whether I would have lost the baby had I not been nursing. My more evolved voice tells me the nursing had nothing to do with the miscarriage, and I try to honor that and ignore the other. I haven't read through all the replies to this thread, but I hope to, and I do think it is a good idea. I'm proud to be an EB mama!

Peace.

[Wooby]

My nursling is only 22 months old, but I just wanted to throw my support in here to all the wonderful mamas following the respectful path of child-led weaning. What beautiful, secure little people we are all growing!