Yay for colostrum!!!

[dharmama]

After 2 months of dry nursing, which was painful for me and incredibly frustrating for my DD, I'm producing colostrum!!!! :bouncy

I noticed last week that she was nursing for longer periods (before that she would sometimes be on for 10 seconds tops and then ask to switch sides) and she seemed more content. And she also started having very newborn like poos after months and months of being solid. Then a couple of days ago when she unlatched I noticed some clear liquid so I gave a sqeeze and sure enough....much, much more came out!!!

I'm so happy we made it through the dry spell....and that we are getting closer to tandem nursing (which is my desire despite some scary threads I've read recently that make me question if I'm going to be able to handle it :o ).

~Erin
:love

PS ~ Does colostrum have any nutritional/medicinal benefits for my toddler?

[Unreal]

I was just wondering the same thing about the nutritional/immunilogical benefits for a todder :lol

I'm also producing colostrum at this point
but it still hurts SO much when ds nurses :crying

There are times I wish nothing more than to just wean ds...
everything hurts my nipples for hours after he nurses--the lightest touch....if my bra moves....anything....everything

Did you go through that and then it got better??

(I'm so so so hopeful that it gets better. If it doesn't, I don't know if I can last till May.....)

[dharmama]

Big :hug mama!!!

I only experienced pain with latch on (still do....I am forever telling her...open wide and then shoving her on like a newborn)....and them sometimes if she was nursing for a while , it would just get to be too much and I'd have to ask her to take a break (this had gotten better but I still get the heebie-geebies during long nursing sessions).

The only other time I experience pain....which I still do....is when I am cold. :bigeyes (Which is a LOT because it is winter and I'm in New England!! :lol)

Have you ever tried breast shells? That might help in between nursings to keep your clothes from rubbing your nipples. :shrug

[L'lee]

Yay colostrum! :D

Does anyone know - is there something that happens at birth that makes the colostrum get replaced by milk? Maybe it's hormones? Just curious, because I was wondering if by nursing a toddler you could make your milk come in sooner. Hmm...

[tomtemama]

:thumb I was sooo happy to see my colostrum as well!!!!!

I had some MAJOR pain in the few transition days between dry and wet.

I was especially thankful that it was there last night when we were at a pizza restaurant and dd accidentally put one of these chili pepper flakes in her eye :( . I just popped a little colostrum in there and she felt better instantly :love . Nothing is more amazing to me than my body's ability to grow a baby, birth it and then make the best stuff ever for it to eat and have as a medicine cabinet.

As far as nutrition/immunity goes as far as I know colostrum has some of the nutrition of breast milk and all of the immunological benefits. Also, I am pretty sure that it is the separation of the placenta that causes the chemical reactions within the body to start milk production.

Aren't we cool? :innocent I bet men would be jealous if they really understood what a woman's body was capable of :wink .

[SpudinPhilly]

have you asked your local La Leche Legue Chapter about the value of colustrum to a toddler? I'm no expert, but I know it's got vital nurtrients for your newborn and it would be good to know what they tell you about if a toddler can help your milk come in sooner, but also that takes away from the colustrum for your newborn, non?

[Unreal]

My milk has always come in quickly (and in copious amounts. I'm almost looking forward to having two kids to nurse...maybe I won't wake up in puddles of milk at night!!) I never thought of there being an advantage to it taking longer/having more colostrum
hmmm

I don't think a nursing toddler would affect the rate at which milk comes in though, because it really is a hormonal change.

I would imagine that it will take just as long for our milk to come in as it did without having a nursling already (ds1 and ds2 are 7.5 years apart, so I don't have any experience to draw on here....) especially since a newborn really does nurse much more often than a toddler, and would, I think, be the biggest influence on when milk comes in, if that is a factor.

I guess all in all, I'm not too worried about it. People have been successfully tandem nursing for a LONG time ;) I have faith in my body to provide for both kids :D

[Ksenia]

I think I might have some colostrum coming in too. I saw a bit of milky looking fluid on my nipple the other day, ds seems to be swallowing a bit again, and is also asking to nurse more often. Though I don't think that I ever totally dried up.I'm also producing colostrum at this point
but it still hurts SO much when ds nurses [...] Did you go through that and then it got better??Sorry to hear that. I find that the pain and discomfort comes and goes. Right now it's feeling better - not sure if that's because there's colostrum now?especially since a newborn really does nurse much more often than a toddler, and would, I think, be the biggest influence on when milk comes in, if that is a factor.I wouldn't be so sure about that - I've heard lots of stories of toddlers being thrilled with the milkfest and nursing just as much as the newborn (and much bigger volume obviously). I've even heard of toddlers going back to exclusive BF for a while :flipped .

[Unreal]

hmm good point--I guess I was just thinking about right now, before my milk comes in--ds has definitely cut back his nursing (might have something to do with me nearly growling at him when he grabs my shirt :bag )

and for a while, right around when he turned 2, he was nursing A LOT
He'll be 3 when Maybaby is born, so maybe there won't be as big a change in his nursing habits?
It will be interesting to find out

He can nurse allllll he wants as long as it doesn't hurt anymore :(
I feel so bad telling him no all the time, but mornings and at bedtime are about all I can handle. The rest of the time, if I let him, he squirms around so much, latches on and off a trillion times, and keeps turning his head or pulling back...
well lets just say there have been times I almost dropped him off my lap from the shock of the pain.

Oh--Dharmama....I didn't even think of trying anything like breast shells. I'll have to see what I can find :D

[*GreenMama*]

Does anyone know if you start producing earlier with your 2nd/3rd/etc? Just curious. Preggy with #1 and I'm real sore but no leaking yet. When do you usually notice the colustrum first? Probably not something I should be worrying about. Next LLL meeting is in 3 weeks so maybe I'll get answers then is nobody here knows.

[provocativa]

Tea tree oil, or another antifungal/antibacterial agent like Grapefruit seed extract(but it tastes terrible for the toddler), really helps my nipple soreness. I don't have any symptoms of thrush, but I think my nipples must be susceptible the same way many ladies get an asymptomatic yeast infection during pregnancy. So, if you have any tto sitting around, use it for a couple days. Every time my nipples have gotten sore this pg I have applied it directly several times a day, and it has helped by the next day. I've never seen a study or clinical evidence, but it makes body sense to me.

[dharmama]

i looked in my "adventures" book last night and it says something to the affect of....

colostrum has many of the nutritional benefits of breastmilk and all of the immunlogical (sp?) benefits.

it is lower in calories than breastmilk and is not as sweet tasting and has a laxative affect.

i can def. attest to the health benefits (and the laxative affect -- oh my!! :o )....my dd was sick with a cold last week (she has been sick SOOOO many times this winter....it was killing me to not have breastmilk for her) and she got over it very quickly. :thumb yay for colostrum!

oh and it says that it's the birth of the placenta that stimulates milk production.

:D

[nitareality]

What a hopeful thread for me! We're still dry but DS is nursing a little more.

For the nipple soreness possibly try olive oil. It's very soothing and moisturizing, safe for your nurslings and has anti-fungal properties. :thumb I believe it's a pretty weak anti fungal so I use it as a daily moisturizer/soother and preventative treatment, but when I have thrush (I'm one yeast ridden Mama) I cut GSE with olive oil and it's been pretty successful.

[busybusymomma]

aww, reading a post by all you mamas still nursing makes me :happyt:

Ds hasn't nursed since Christmas Eve so I think he's officially done since it's been over a month. On one hand, I'm so dang proud of him for nursing for almost 3 years (32 months exactly) and a little relieved because my nips are on high alert (I can only handle padded bras right now) but on the other hand I'm sad because I wanted to tandem nurse and I'm not ready for my "baby" to be so grown up. I'm glad I've stuck it out with CLW and that both of my kiddos got good starts anyway.

Hang in there mamas! :thumb

PS- I've felt a tiny twinge of letdown a few times so I'm thinking I may have a bit of colostrum now. If ds would have hung on a little longer he wouldn't be dry nursing. :lol