[boheime]

Dd turns 5 in a few weeks. We practice CLW and she pretty much weaned by 4. She asked once when she was 4 1/2, and I let her, but she didn't really remember how to nurse. She asked again this week - in a "hey, why don't we nurse tomorrow" sort of way. I'm having a hard time with this.

Dd was 33 1/2 months old when ds2 was born. Things were fine until about a month after he was born, when I was hit with a horrible nursing aversion when it came to nursing her. I would concentrate on other things and we made it through until she weaned on her own at 4.

Right now, ds2 is about 26 months old. We are expecting baby #4 next Spring. The thought of nursing dd brings up those memories of the feelings I had with the nursing aversion. I am fairly certain she will bring it up again. Part of me just wants to tell her no, but what reason can I give her? If I say that most people forget how to nurse after they stop nursing, she can say that she could at least try. And that is very true. I don't want to say that I don't want to nurse her, because that is just mean. I don't want her to feel adly because my hormones are going crazy. The other part of me says to just suck it up and let her try, especially knowing that she doesn't remember and will probably give up after a minute. That's what I did 6 months ago. She probably lasted 30 seconds, just holding her mouth there, not remembering how to nurse. Ds1 did the ask again at 4 1/2, too, but never actually tried to latch on when I told him he could try. He ended up just giggling and then hugging me.

Any BTDT advice?

 

[boheime]

No advice? I guess I'll just wait and see if she asks again. If so, I'll concentrate on something else.

 

[Tuckoo]

I really don't have any advice. I only have one DD and I've only been pg once, but maybe you could just let her try, see how you both feel about it, and then decide. Right now you're just guessing how both of you will feel, you know? Good luck!!

 

[cicely_m]

I'm sorry; I don't really have advice either, but I do have sympathy, because I too am dealing with terrible nursing aversion. My 18 month old has stopped nursing the last few weeks (there's no milk any more), but I am also thinking about what to do if she wants to try again. It's so tragic to me that our bodies can go from thinking that nursing this child is beautiful and special to thinking it's painful and gross.

 

[YummyYarnAddict]

At the age of 5, she's old enough for you to be able to talk to her about why she wants to try to nurse again. My daughter nursed until she weaned herself at age 4 and she's asked to nurse again -- or at least try -- every now and then as I'm still nursing my 3yo ds. (My dd is now 7.5.) I've asked her why she wants to nurse and sometimes she just wants to be physically close to me in which case I let her snuggle up on my lap either alone or with ds. Other times she says that breastmilk is yummy and she misses it and if she's hungry, I give her something to eat, but if she really wants breastmilk, sometimes I'll let her have a squirt off my finger so she can have a taste but I won't let her go back to the breast. I remind her that she nursed for 4 years until she decided that she was done and I tell her how beautifully our nursing relationship went and how she decided she was done (she went down to nursing every other day, and then gradually tapered off until she went for a week without asking and then it spaced out until she just stopped asking) and how we started having that time to just cuddle together and how wonderful that was too. Not better or worse, just different and how wonderful it was to still be her mom as she changes and grows up. The conversation is enough for her and we usually cuddle or hug and that's it.

 

[Epona]

Quote:

Originally Posted by YummyYarnAddict I've asked her why she wants to nurse and sometimes she just wants to be physically close to me in which case I let her snuggle up on my lap either alone or with ds. Other times she says that breastmilk is yummy and she misses it

Same here. They always ask out of jealousy/loneliness. It must feel at times that they've been replaced. So we just snuggle. And if it's a milk issue, I pump a little cup. It makes sense for young ones to miss our milk, so an occasional cup is a nice little treat. It passes, like everything else, good or bad.