My boys will be 2 and 4 this summer. I nursed DS#1 all the way through my pregnancy and then continued to nurse both of them until this past November when I had to stop abruptly. It broke all of our hearts and I have seen a definite change in both of them since I weaned them, ESPECIALLY ds#2 (no surprise as he's still so little!!)
I tried in Jan (about 6 weeks after weaning) to start increasing my supply again.. I still had milk and I was pumping several times a day, taking fenugreek, and drinking tons of water and increasing total calories (I've gained about 15lbs!!).... I continued this as much as i could until mid feb... It was working but VERY slowly. The most I ever got in one setting was about 1/2 oz... but that was way better than the drop or two I got when i started.... I just don't respond well to the pump like I did when I first started nursing in 05….. I know if I could have ever gotten the baby to latch on and nurse even a little every day that it would have helped a LOT, but he absolutely refused. (and I know if I ever did get a good supply of milk that he would have started again) My three year old did ask for "nummies" twice when he saw me pumping and he was very happy to get the milk. I didn't offer it to him regularly though because I was already trying the "dont offer dont refuse" when I did have to wean him… I'm going through a nasty divorce and I would hate for my x to try to use extended nursing against me somehow (he already has the no vax thing going if he wants to bring it up). If I do start trying to relactate again though, I will let whoever nurse as much as they want, just to get it established… I've always been open to the idea of complete CLW, I was just wanting my older son to cut back a little when I started the DODR… I never wanted both of them to wean them when I did though, and especially not instantly.
My other concern now though is that I started Wellbutrin in March. It is working wonderfully so far but i know a lot of people have concerns about it with breastfeeding... I dont want to go off of it but I really would like to start nursing again (at least my younger one ). He gets SO upset. He bangs his head on things and just cries and screams... The other day he was having a monster fit, and I was thinking the whole time I just wish I could nurse him!!!! I'm gonna make another post later about how to handle my boys' anger and frustration... I feel so sorry for them sometimes because I can tell they are super stressed and I just don't know what to do!
ANYWAY I guess I just don't know if relactation should really be an option or not... just let me know what you think. I wanted to ask my doc for reglan or something similar... to help get things started... but ive been reading that it basically does the opposite of the wellbutrin. and outside of that the doctor will probably not be ok with me nursing on the wellbutrin anyway… And even though he is a very open minded D.O., I think he will probably not be able to see the benefit in starting to nurse a child that is almost 2 (again). much less an almost 4 year old!!
A lot of my reasons for wanting to relactate are emotional/mental... for them and me... But there is still a physical NEED to breastfeed as well... For them obviously... but for me too.... I still get the let down sensation when I'm cuddling with my boys or when they are upset. And its happening more often recently... My breasts even leak a drop or two at times… The physical urge to nurse them (even aside the other reasons) is overwhelming at times (like when they are hurt....) Every part of me just wants to nurse them RIGHT now. but I know it will be a long difficult process to start again... I am a WAHM so I am here with them all day every day.... and I can still manually express milk from the left breast (easily.. just not very much after the first few drops), but nothing will come from the right... It has always been harder to get milk from that breast anyway... and now that its pretty much empty my nipple is inverted (it was that way before i had children but was normal all the years that i was nursing..) but now i feel kind of a lump in the nipple.. so Im going to be asking my doc about that... I was always uncomfortable nursing on that breast as well so I'm not sure whats going on there...
opinions please?? I know that breastfeeding my boys again would do wonders for all of us... I'm just not really sure if its feasible... any suggestions?
I tried in Jan (about 6 weeks after weaning) to start increasing my supply again.. I still had milk and I was pumping several times a day, taking fenugreek, and drinking tons of water and increasing total calories (I've gained about 15lbs!!).... I continued this as much as i could until mid feb... It was working but VERY slowly. The most I ever got in one setting was about 1/2 oz... but that was way better than the drop or two I got when i started.... I just don't respond well to the pump like I did when I first started nursing in 05….. I know if I could have ever gotten the baby to latch on and nurse even a little every day that it would have helped a LOT, but he absolutely refused. (and I know if I ever did get a good supply of milk that he would have started again) My three year old did ask for "nummies" twice when he saw me pumping and he was very happy to get the milk. I didn't offer it to him regularly though because I was already trying the "dont offer dont refuse" when I did have to wean him… I'm going through a nasty divorce and I would hate for my x to try to use extended nursing against me somehow (he already has the no vax thing going if he wants to bring it up). If I do start trying to relactate again though, I will let whoever nurse as much as they want, just to get it established… I've always been open to the idea of complete CLW, I was just wanting my older son to cut back a little when I started the DODR… I never wanted both of them to wean them when I did though, and especially not instantly.
My other concern now though is that I started Wellbutrin in March. It is working wonderfully so far but i know a lot of people have concerns about it with breastfeeding... I dont want to go off of it but I really would like to start nursing again (at least my younger one ). He gets SO upset. He bangs his head on things and just cries and screams... The other day he was having a monster fit, and I was thinking the whole time I just wish I could nurse him!!!! I'm gonna make another post later about how to handle my boys' anger and frustration... I feel so sorry for them sometimes because I can tell they are super stressed and I just don't know what to do!
ANYWAY I guess I just don't know if relactation should really be an option or not... just let me know what you think. I wanted to ask my doc for reglan or something similar... to help get things started... but ive been reading that it basically does the opposite of the wellbutrin. and outside of that the doctor will probably not be ok with me nursing on the wellbutrin anyway… And even though he is a very open minded D.O., I think he will probably not be able to see the benefit in starting to nurse a child that is almost 2 (again). much less an almost 4 year old!!
A lot of my reasons for wanting to relactate are emotional/mental... for them and me... But there is still a physical NEED to breastfeed as well... For them obviously... but for me too.... I still get the let down sensation when I'm cuddling with my boys or when they are upset. And its happening more often recently... My breasts even leak a drop or two at times… The physical urge to nurse them (even aside the other reasons) is overwhelming at times (like when they are hurt....) Every part of me just wants to nurse them RIGHT now. but I know it will be a long difficult process to start again... I am a WAHM so I am here with them all day every day.... and I can still manually express milk from the left breast (easily.. just not very much after the first few drops), but nothing will come from the right... It has always been harder to get milk from that breast anyway... and now that its pretty much empty my nipple is inverted (it was that way before i had children but was normal all the years that i was nursing..) but now i feel kind of a lump in the nipple.. so Im going to be asking my doc about that... I was always uncomfortable nursing on that breast as well so I'm not sure whats going on there...
opinions please?? I know that breastfeeding my boys again would do wonders for all of us... I'm just not really sure if its feasible... any suggestions?
