[Sweeney]

22 months here and the 'neh-nehs' are still going strong! I'm about 5 months pregnant as well and originally tandem nursing was definitely not what I was planning. But I still get vibrations of joy whenever I'm seen naked or with just a bra on, and those big eyes still roll back in ecstasy in DS's head when he latches on- so it looks like he's not giving it up anytime soon!<br><br>
I will say that the closest I ever came to weaning was around 12/13 months. DS was still exclusively breastfed, as in would not eat or drink ANYTHING that did not come from my breasts, and as he was a 30lb.+ Buddha baby and extremely active, I really really was feeling a drain on my body. I felt really trapped since I was his sole source of nourishment but it was practically killing me. But the first tooth popped in soon after and with it an acceptance to try new foods (thank heaven!).<br><br>
At around 15/16 months we had another breakthrough that has really helped our nursing relationship. The concepts of patience and compromise became better understood by both of us. Simple things like 'can Mama finish going bathroom and then we'll nurse?' make a really big difference. Also Daddy became the first line of comfort and defense at night so the neh-nehs can get a break too!<br><br>
Good luck!

 

[Kira's mom]

Dd is 28 mos and still laughs gleefully when she's about to nurse.I tell her she's a milk-a-holic.She heard a friend call it booby and has now started saying "It's booby time!" and rubbing her hands together like it's the most delicious treat ever.I have heard boys sometimes self wean at an earlier age,but when you're hooked you're hooked.I know a number of people who have gotten pg and with the dwindling supply the first has stopped by the end of the pregnancy.

 

[wasabi]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>eclipse</strong></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">DD weaned at, well. . .she nursed today for the first time in about 3 weeks, but couldn't really latch. so i'm not sure if she's done, but she's 25 months.</div>
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Yeah this has happened to me several times with DD. She was nursing 4-6/day when I got pg at 21.5 months. My supply started dropping about 3 months in and she rapidly dropped nursing in response. By about 4.5 months she was down to nursing at bedtime. Dh took over bedtime and then she started skipping days. That eventually became once a week and then we started skipping weeks. I was not wild about the idea of tandem nursing and was excited that it seemed she'd fall in that group that self wean during the subsequent pg. Even after the baby was born she'd still only nurse for about 30 seconds about once a week. I felt she was just asking to make sure I'd still let her. Sometimes she'd sit there with her mouth open around my nipple. When the baby was 3 months old suddenly she started asking to nurse much more frequently. Now I'd say she nurses at minimum three times/day and sometimes more and this after going basically 7 months with barely nursing at all. So yeah your older child might wean during the pg but I wouldn't bet on it.

 

[FreeRangeMama]

My oldest was a non-stop nurser. He nursed 40 minutes of every hour for the first 8 months of his life. He continued to nurse 20-30 times a day (or more) throughout the next year. I got pg when he was 20 months and lost my supply after a bad virus seriously dehydrated me at around 8 weeks. He continued to nurse throughout my pg anyway and was THRILLED when my colustrum (and later milk) returned.<br><br>
I did limit him after a while of tandem nursing because I was dropping a serious amount of weight way too quickly post-partum. I continued to tandem nurse though and he was still very enthusiastic about nursing. I got pg again when ds2 was 10 months (and ds1 was just over 3) and tandem nursed until 6 weeks before dd was born. I never lost my milk at all during that pg. Ds1 self-weaned one month before he turned 4 (I am tandem nursing the other 2 still). He always claimed that he would nurse until he was 10 because "then I will be old enough to not need breastmilk anymore Mama". I was surprised that he weaned so "early" at almost-4 given his love for it.

 

[**guest**]

38 months and no end in sight :LOL<br><br>
nursing many times a day to "make enough milk for the baby" -- she gets the supply-demand thing just right.<br><br>
some days i feel that i cannot do it anymore and feel resentful, but she is not ready to wean at all. i don't think she will ever want to exchange nursing for a party :LOL<br><br>
some days it is a great joy to tandem nurse. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/love.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="love"><br><br>
some days it is just okay.<br><br>
overall -- i would not want her to wean before she is ready, and it is worthwhile to continue.

 

[DreamsInDigital]

Nursing is no guarantee of not being able to get pregnant. I wasn't even TTC and was nursing DS 4-5 times a day and several times at night when I found out I was expecting #3. I was so sad when DS decided to wean when my milk dried up. He was 21 months old when he decided to wean, but I'm secretly holding onto the hope when he sees his new brother nursing that he will ask.

 

[FreeRangeMama]

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It sure isn't <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile"><br><br>
I was surprised to be pg when ds2 was 10 months though because I was tandem nursing night and day. I didn't even have my cycle back until ds1 was 15 months. I guess it shows just how OFTEN ds1 nursed at that age.

 

[eminer]

Mine will be 4 in October and nursed umpteen times today. ::sigh:: She has been pretend playing a baby who has no teeth and can't eat food, except milk.

 

[aran]

Posts keep trickling in on this thread, so DH and I have the following conversation every few days:<br><br>
Me: "Someone else posted an answer to my question"<br>
DH: "Anything new?"<br>
Me: "Nope, apparently we should expect DS to nurse for a long time"<br>
DH: <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/shrug.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="shrug"><br><br>
Thanks for preparing us for what lies ahead.

 

[smcphail2005]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>stafl</strong></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">Jenny turned four in April and still nurses occassionally. When I was pregnant with her sister, she dropped down to only nursing once or twice each day, but that picked up after the baby was born and my milk came back. She now nurses once or twice a week, sometimes going as long as 9 or 10 days without asking to nurse. But usually she starts showing signs that she needs to nurse after six or seven days and I'll offer to nurse her.</div>
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As a strong supporter of extended breastfeeding; I honestly think it's wonderful that your allowing your 4 year old daughter to breastfeed alongside her sister now, you can be rest assured that both girls are receiving the most nutritious milk in the world... Your breast milk!!. I'm sure that when your 4 year old daughter gets ready to wean; she'll let you know<br>
until then; enjoy your bonding / breastfeeding relationship with your 4 year old daughter for these are times I'm sure that you'll cherish the most with her. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/img/vbsmilies/smilies/bf.jpg" style="border:0px solid;" title="breastfeeding 2">:

 

[beanma]

i'm still tandeming my 4.5yr old and my 20mo old. 4.5 yr old was an incredibly avid nurser as a baby. she still nurses at least 2, 3, or 4 times a day. i often ask her to wait as i don't really enjoy nursing them them simultaneously. sometimes she'll get involved in something else and that's okay by me. i went dry during pg, but it didn't faze her. tandeming increased my milk supply and i have much more this time around. was somebody worried about that?<br><br>
if you haven't read "adventures in tandem nursing" by hilary flower (who posts on mdc) you should check it out.<br><br>
hth

 

[UrbanPlanter]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>Chunklin'sMommy</strong></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">Posts keep trickling in on this thread, so DH and I have the following conversation every few days:<br><br>
Me: "Someone else posted an answer to my question"<br>
DH: "Anything new?"<br>
Me: "Nope, apparently we should expect DS to nurse for a long time"<br>
DH: <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/shrug.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="shrug"><br><br>
Thanks for preparing us for what lies ahead.</div>
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<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/orngbiggrin.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="orange big grin"> I like how easily you both are taking to this! Here's a cool book you might want to look at now:<br><br><a href="http://www.myntoddler.com/" target="_blank">Mothering Your Nursing Toddler</a><br><br><img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/img/vbsmilies/smilies/bfolderchild.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="bfkid">: <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/img/vbsmilies/smilies/fly-by-nursing2.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Fly By Nursing2"><img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/toddler.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="toddler">: <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/img/vbsmilies/smilies/fly-by-nursing1.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Fly By Nursing1"><img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/img/vbsmilies/smilies/bftoddler.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="bftoddler">: <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/orngbiggrin.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="orange big grin">

 

[Autumnschild]

(chuckling)<br><br>
My dd is hilarious in the bath, she'll immerse her entire face to get at her boobies. She's 14 months and an avid nurser. I can't wear tank tops in public because she helps herself. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/orngtongue.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Stick Out Tongue"> I think she'll be nursing for a loooong time!

 

[my2girlsmama]

My now nearly 6 yr old self-weaned at 26 months ever gradually..it was sweetly done and she never looked back. She was nursing strong up until I'd say about 18-20 months or so give or take. By nearing 24 months she slowed....we mutually ended night nursing (she would fall asleep on her own by then) and then she stopped napping at 18 months (yes, all naps) so no need to nurse then, and the morning nursing slowed to just one day she woke and ran to playroom to play while I dozed in bed, and that was that.<br><br>
My current babe is 17 months and shows NO signs of slowing..I hope she hangs on until at LEAST 24 months....somedays I wish she'd quit now! LOL....she is very demanding and knows what she wants...great personality! But tiring. Anyhow I think by 2 generally speaking many babies just have other things to do...and the growth spurt issues aren't as huge needing so much nursing..etc.<br><br>
It is all over in a blink of an eye....this keeps me going during the now many days I have when nursing frustrates me. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/winky.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Wink">