[celestialdreamer]

My dd is only 18 months old, and I had intended on letting her stop nursing whenever she was ready. I figured the bare minimum would be probably around age 2 - 2 1/2. I am 18 weeks pregnant with #2 and my milk dried up towards the beginning of the pregnancy. She definitely cut back then, but I figured she'd pick back up when there was milk again and we'd end up tandem nursing. She had stopped wanting to nurse to sleep about a month ago (she wanted to cuddle to sleep instead

), but still was nursing at least once in the night, and then sometimes once in the afternoon if we were home. She got a cold last week and had a really stuffy nose, as well as just having part of a molar pop through yesterday (her teeth take forever to come in it seems). Also I just started leaking colostrum last week (I hadn't been able to express anything for awhile before that) right around the time she got sick. Suddenly she doesn't want to nurse AT ALL. She won't even latch on when she's half asleep

I don't know if its cause her nose was stuffy and she was teething or she doesn't like the colostrum or what.

I'm just feeling sad and confused because I was so not ready for this yet. She doesn't seem to mind one bit though. When I ask her if she wants 'mee mees' she will open her mouth to latch on then stops and pulls away. I'm feeling really guilty cause I know if I wasn't pregnant that she'd probably still be nursing a ton. Anyone have any words of advice or any experience with this? I'm very overwhelmed by how emotional this has made me.

 

[LorrieJ]

Oh, I sympathize with you. My daughter has now gone two days without nursing from nursing 3-5 times a day. I put aloe on my breasts and she keeps screaming to my husband that she doesn't like my milk and saying UGH! I'm so sad for her. I also expected she would go at least a couple of more months.

 

[IncaMama]

well, my son who is still an avid nurser despite not having any milk for the past 5 months or so, went through something similar. he thinks the colostrum is nastAY! LOL so that threw him off. he also happened to have a cold during the same week my milk dried up (maybe the lack of milk caused the cold?? who knows??) and that was REALLY hard on him. he couldn't breathe through his nose and i think he felt like HE made the milk go away or something. i just kept offering, and he eventually came back to it and BOY DID HE!!! oy!! LOL

another thing i did was to dip my finger in some vicks vapor rub and hold it in front of his nose while he slept or while he tried to nurse so that his sinuses were cleared up enough that he could suck well.

good luck...i hope she comes back to it!!

 

[Ruthla]

My understanding is that CLW is rare before age 2.5 or so, but when it does happen, it's usually because Mama is pg. In other words, yes, she could be self-weaning this early.

All you can really do is keep on offering the breast and see what happens.

 

[hottmama]

If I were you, I would keep trying to get her back to the breast, even if it takes until after the birth, since she still won't even be 2 then. If you can get her to nurse once a week, however much she is willing... she will not forget how to latch and will probably come around when you have milk again. Also, if she still has sippy cups or a pacifier I would get rid of them, so she has nothing else to meet her sucking needs at. If she doesn't ever nurse again, I would pump for her after the baby is born so she can get breastmilk until 2.5 or so.

 

[Momtwice]

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/...st.html#strike