Nursing mamas

[Mom2Lily]

I'm not sure if I would just chime in on the weekly thread, or post this spereately....so for future reference please let me know :)

anyhow I was just wondering about the experiences of other nursing moms. My daughter turned 2 in May and is nursing about 5 times throughout the day and night. In the beginning of the pregnancy it was very painful and then it got better, very bearable. But now it is back to the painful part. I think I have started making colustrum so maybe dd is just sucking harder than before.

Anyhow any insight from mamas that are currently nursing or nursed through a pregnancy is welcome.

Also, those that are currently nursing...how do you feel about tandem nursing when the baby comes. I really am not worried about it and feel that is is natural for dd to continue nursing. I figured she would probably nurse til 3.

Thanks,

[OakEmber]

Mom2Lily,

I think it is great that you are still nursing. I nursed my DD until she was just over 3 (about 37 months) and although I am not still nursing her now during pregnancy, so I can't answer that part, I thought I'd just comment on the tandem part. My DD has tried to nurse a few times but I am dry and I've told her that when the baby is born and I have milk again she can try if she wants too...so I may be tandem nursing a bit in the begining, although I really don't think that she'd continue for long once the novelty wears off (though I could be wrong). She will turn 4 just a week or two after the baby is born, assuming he comes around his EDD. Personally I think that tandem nursing is a great way to head off sibling rivalry, etc. I also think that it'd be a nice way to avoid the uncomfortalbe engorgment that first week. Just my $0.02...good luck with everything and I'm sure you'll get other posts from people who are actually in your situation.

[Cyneburh]

I dried up early on :( but dd occasionally latches on. I think it's as much to show me that she still knows how to do it.... It's very cute though. I also have watched her latch herself on a couple of times for her comfort when she's really upset about something (like when she hit her nose on a chair and wasn't calming down for dh... nursing worked wonders!).

I strongly suspect she'll want to nurse some more after baby comes and I've decided I don't mind. If this baby is as big as she was, this baby will want a little help getting the milk in. :D

[ameliabedelia]

My dd is 28 months and still nursing 4-5 times throughout the day. To be honest, at times it is quite painful and I don't enjoy it at all. The nipple soreness comes and goes. I also am experiencing nursing aversion, but is difficult. However, dd still really needs to nurse. She loves to do it, and I think it really makes her feel comforted and loved, so we still do it. However, I do put limits on it. I nightweaned her a few months ago, so she doensn't nurse at night anymore. And, during the day I nurse her, but when it starts to be really uncomfortable or I am really having nursing averision I tell her she can nurse for 20 more seconds and then we will do X. That seems to work pretty well.

We will probably tandem. I can't imagine dd giving up nursing, but you never know. I also think it will help a lot with sibling rivarly. At this stage, if we were to wean, I am sure dd would still remember nursing as what she did and as "her" thing, so I think allowing her to tandem will help.

[krnflwr]

My DD has always been an avid nurser, and didn't slow down any until just recently. She has begun (finally! at 31 months) to sleep through the night and so isn't nursing much at night anymore (fingers crossed). She will nurse a few times a day, mostly at nap time and bed time, or in times of great stress.
For me, it has gone from nauseating to mildly irritating and back to painful again. I've tried some of the suggestions I read in Jennifer Flower's "Adventures in Tandem Nursing" (which is a great book, IMO) to help me w/ the irritation and pain. Although I'm not always comfortable nursing, I'm willing to stick with it for as long as Hannah needs. I expect she will be overjoyed when my milk returns in abundance when the new baby arrives, and I'm glad to be able to provide her w/ comfort (and superior nutrition, antibodies, etc) during what I expect will be a somewhat stressful time for us all.
Hope things go smoothly and painlessly for you two!

[Lucysmama]

I just wanna say how wonderful it is that you are all nursing your toddlers through your pregnancies! :love What lucky kids! I'm sure they will have a much smoother transition to siblinghood with tandem nursing!

[MTBto5]

I also dried up about 4 months into this pregnancy, when dd weaned at 2 1/2 yrs. It was starting to get pretty painfull so I was kinda glad she decided that she was going to wean ;)

[Proudly AP]

my dd is nearly 30 months old. i am 30 weeks along.

i thought my supply had dried up early-on, because i couldn't hand-express anything at all-not even a drop. but she kept nursing (yes, it was very uncomfortable) and now i can express a bit, but it is transitioning to colostrum. it is uncomfortable again (sigh)

i will tandem, as i suspect she will not wean within 2 months. i am looking forward to tandeming in many ways, but am a little worried about feeling really 'touched out', 'cause i get that way now in the evenings.

i love breastfeeding and the bond it has built with my dd :D