[Slingin'Momto4]

I am nursing my 23 mth old and its driving me INSANE!!!!!!!!!!! She wants to nurse ALL THE TIME...I cannot sit down without her wanting to nurse, I can't do anything...she CRIES all the time to nurse...she hardly eats real food (I am kind of worried about that) and she has early childhood caries which the dentist told me is caused from nursing (I am not sure its BF'ing but what else could it be?) She nurses ALL NIGHT! I am at my wits end but not sure she can handle weaning, she is extremely attached and I am not sure where to start or what to do but I feel like running away

She is my 6th child and she is VERY high needs and always has been but I am very, very tired!

 

[meemee]

aaaah mama do you have any help other than ur oldest. do you get a break?

is this new or something she has always been doing.

if its new i bet seh is getting close to a growth spurt or some explosion.

the dentist also tried to blame caries on bm. but in my heart i knew that wasnt it. my dd just has bad enamel. my milk dried up at 3 and even after that seh had new issues.

i am assuming your dd is pretty sensitive too. emotionally.

with my dd who was/is hns and has anxiety - bf at 2 was therapy for her. she nursed all the time night and day when she went thru spurts.

honestly i dont know what to tell you. i cant imagine how you do it with 6.

will she allow her siblings to hold her instead of you. i had only one. plus my ex was the 4th out of 5 and his mom just was too overwhelmed on her own. so she wasnt able to give him that much attention. right from babyhood. and that is so a reason for who he is. and that made me adamant that i would make sure my dd would not be like him.

oh also my dd almost exclusively bf till she turned 2. then she changed. otherwise till seh was 2 all her solid food she ate would fit in a baby jar food.

:

 

[jaidymama]

you mentioned she has always been a high needs child, but has she always wanted to nurse constantly? Or just more recently? What else is going on in the house... is there more stress than usual? has something changed? What about her health? Is there something going on that has been overlooked?

You mentioned wanting to wean, but it sounds like you're worn out. And it sounds like she really does need you more right now. Is nursing the only time you 2 get together? Are there other ways you can include her in your day? Is she small enough to still wear in a sling or pack while you cook dinner?

Honestly, I would try to focus on loving her to pieces and focusing your spotlight on her for a while to see how she responds. Lots of hugs and kisses, and snuggling to read books together. Can you plan activities where the two of you are more closely connected. And can the rest of the family help you by doing some of your stuff so you can give a little more to her. Or instead of hiring a babysitter to watch the kids, hire the babysitter to wash the dishes or laundry or vacuum.

And as for the dentist thing, I think it's more complicated than the sole problem of breastmilk. One of my friend's dentist told her that pop and candy did not cause caries... but that's a whole different conversation.

Anyways, I'm sure you're very busy keeping your family going. My SIL has 5 kiddos, and I see how exhausted and drained she is at the end of each day. She even admits she doesn't have enough left to give her kids some days.

Hang in there, this too shall pass!

 

[aileen]

this might sound crazy...
what are her poops like?
i ask because i had a high needs, mucous-pooping, non-sleeping, constant-24-hour-nursing, ate-like-a-birding, little sweetie who had food sensitivities and when i started feeding her gluten her teeth starting rotting.
not to throw another log on your fire, mama, but if you've ever suspected celiac or gluten intolerance before with her...it seems like it's too difficult, but it's SO much easier than not.

 

[closedaccount15]

This is my DD you are describing, except for the teeth. She does have food intolerance, but I don't suspect that is the issue for my DD. I have no advice, just I know what you are going through. I wonder how people have more than 1 kid because my DD wants to be carried and held and nursed ALL THE TIME! I can't imagine have another like this

One a side note, whenever we are in public, people always comment on how "well-behaved" she is. She is 2, but it's because she never wants to leave my side

I wanted to add, my DD has never had any interest in food. She is seeing an OT, but aside from tasting stuff, she won't put food in her mouth, never has. Even hid it when she was 9 months old. Physically she is fine, so I wouldn't worry there. You can always get her tested by an OT who specializes in sensory issues if you are worried.