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How is pregnant nursing / tandem nursing going for you?[/QUOTE/<br>
Pregnant nursing wasn't fun. But it was preferable to NOT nursing. I knew my nurslings still needed to nurse and I enjoyed having the ability to soothe them that way. I know my breastmilk is the healthiest thing for them and I want to give it to them as long as they needed it. I just get so irritated and have really annoying nipple sensitivities. But if I can calm down and the nursling is relaxed, all is well. It's that fidgety stuff that really got to me. Lucky for me, we worked out a nursing relationship that only involved short nursing sessions.<br><br>
Tandem nursing is going well. It's easier this time than it was the first time because the age gap is greater. I also don't nurse them at the same time because I prefer not to. It was sweet seeing them interact while nursing and hold hands and all that, but the sensations were too much and I found myself on the verge of flipping out if there was anything else going on (like a mosquito buzzing, noise that kept them from nursing to sleep, the phone ringing, etc.).<br>
It's also easier than tandem nursing while pregnant.<br><br>
My son sometimes asks to nurse and it's really cute how excited he gets when I let him do it. I let him do it any time he asks. But he has forgotten how to latch. I try to teach him but I don't think he really wants to. I squirt some milk into his mouth and he goes on his merry way.<br><br>
Nadia quietly joins me in bed in the morning for a nurse and then we all sleep a few more hours. She has stopped using baby terms for nursing. She and Skanda used to call it nanas. Now she comes up to me and announces "Mommy, I wanna nurse sometimes" and helps me undo my bra. After about 5 minutes, I start to feel twitchy like a momma cat and I ask her to finish up. I count out loud and she counts with me and stops at "10 ALL DONE". I let her nurse almost every time she asks but sometimes I ask her to wait a bit because I'm nursing the baby or in the middle of something. She proudly tells me that she's a patient little girl and can wait her turn. She also likes to hold the breast for the baby to get a good latch.<br><br><div style="margin:20px;margin-top:5px;">
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<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="99%"><tr><td class="alt2" style="border:1px inset;">What do you love about pregnant nursing / tandem nursing?</td>
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I love that my nurslings all feel included. I remember tandem nursing with my sister and I'm glad I can do that for my children. With my first two, I loved being able to nurse them to sleep at the same time and fall asleep myself so we could all nap together. I love how the older ones think they are teaching the younger ones how to nurse <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile"><br><br>
It's fun for the nursling to poke at the baby in the belly and have them play. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/orngbiggrin.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="orange big grin"> I suspect that nursing while pregnant kept my morning sickness from getting as bad as it was with my first. I suspect that nursing while pregnant helped my labors go smoother and be shorter. Although I also suspect that nursing while pregnant caused me to go past dates even more than I might have gone if I hadn't been nursing. (Not that it's a bad thing).<br><br><div style="margin:20px;margin-top:5px;">
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<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="99%"><tr><td class="alt2" style="border:1px inset;">Are you experiencing any difficulties?</td>
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I just get really irritated sometimes with all the demands on my physical space and would like to hold a kid without having my breasts pawed. But I don't think that would change much if I weren't nursing, necessarily. I have learned how to cope by distracting myself. I read on the computer or watch TV to distract me. I've noticed it's generally the older one that causes me to feel irritated. Sometimes their latch is lazy and I can feel their teeth. I try to not show my irritation in my tone of voice and that can be a challenge for me. I do relatch them.<br>
I've also developed a way of counting that distracts me and makes me feel like there's an end in sight and I know I won't be irritated forever.<br><br><div style="margin:20px;margin-top:5px;">
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<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="99%"><tr><td class="alt2" style="border:1px inset;">Do you have any amusing or touching stories to share?</td>
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Not specifically. But it sure was adorable when Nadia was born and Skanda climbed in bed after we got settled and stuck a boob in her mouth and then got himself the other one. He was so excited to share with her <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile"><br>
I also love how Nadia jumps up when the baby cries and announces "Mei Mei wants to nurse, Mommy. Go get her and nurse her!"
