[lyttlewon]

Hi everyone. My DD weaned shortly after I lost my milk. I think that losing my milk was what precipitated her weaning. She still heavily sucks her thumb, although she did that before she weaned, and I have been curious if she will ask to nurse again after the baby is born. Have any of you experienced a weaned nursling initiating nursing after seeing their sibling? Do you allow them to nurse again? She will be weaned about 5 months at that point. It has been 2 weeks since she has asked so I assume that means she is weaned?<br><br>
PS I have offered but she tells me no.

 

[jaredsmom]

Ds was weaned by the time I was 3 mo pregnant with dd. (He turned 3 at that time.) After she was born, he saw her nurse and asked if he could have some. I remember reading on the boards at that time that if the older sibling asks, sometimes it's probably better that they try it again, and chances are that afterwards, they won't ask for it again. So I took that advice. Know what? Ds tried it, although he forgot how to latch on and suckle. After he "nursed" he said, "Mmmm, yum," and never asked for it again. Okay, maybe not never; he asked 2x since then, but a year apart...I think when he really feels left out, and wants to remember why his sister likes it so much. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/winky.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Wink">

 

[momuveight2B]

I have had this happen but they lose interest after a few tries.

 

[Cinder]

My DD claims she is going to nurse again when this little guy is born. I don't know if she really will or not, but I'll let her if she wants to.<br><br>
She turns 5 a week after my due date.

 

[Peony]

DD1 lost interest quickly once my milk went away too. By the time DD2 was born, she was asking to nurse every two weeks or so, she'd just latch on for a few sucks and that was it, she had forgotten how. She latched on a few times while DD2 was nursing, but quickly lost interest, she stopped asking a month and a hald after DD2 was born. Almost 3 months went by and then she just asked to nurse again the other day. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/img/vbsmilies/smilies/dizzy.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Dizzy">: I let her nurse anything she asks to, but she doesn't remember how to actually nurse anymore. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/greensad.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="greensad">

 

[Softheart]

I'm down to very little milk due to pregnancy, and I think dd may wean, but I'd love for her to nurse a year longer or more, so I was thinking of suggesting to her that she nurse once a day, or at least every few days, with the goal of her not forgetting how to latch like it sounds so many do. Any one ever done this, or have ideas on how to help them not "forget how?"

 

[lyttlewon]

Thanks everybody. She asked to nurse on Saturday after seeing a friends DS nursing all day. She has forgotten how and gave up fairly quickly, although she asked for both sides LOL.

 

[mezzaluna]

DS hasn't quite weaned, though we're down to once every 2-3 days at the moment, and i'm seriously wishing he would give it a rest until the new baby arrives... every time he latches on now, i'm in serious pain for the first minute. and sometimes he can't quite figure out the latch... i'm scared to let him on my right side now because he can only latch about 1/3 of the time there. on the one hand, i'm due in just a few weeks, so you'd think he'd be able to remember, but on the other hand, if he's forgetting how to nurse already and he's still nursing.... ??<br><br>
i do have a friend who weaned her first at 14 months due to pre-term labor with baby #2, and after a lot of interest in her breasts, the toddler has finally managed to latch on again... just over a year after weaning. i don't know if it's going to become a regular thing again for the toddler, but it did take many attempts before she actually latched again.

 

[bec]

Well, my second never really nursed. She had a cleft palate and, while I pumped for her, she was never able to effectively nurse as a baby. She had surgery when she was 10 months old, but would not start nursing afterwards. I weaned myself from my pump when she was a year old. With that said, she saw a lot of nursing toddlers when she was around 18 months old, and would occasionally ask to nurse (I was pregnant with my third, and didn't have any milk, however). When the milk came in, she tried it and was not pleased by all the milk (silly girl). So, I thought that was the end of it. But, in the last few weeks, she's asked to nurse several times (I think when she was really wanting some intense attention), and has gotten milk. It is not very often (maybe once a week), but I'm happy to let her have the experience that her sisters have had.

 

[sogriffin]

My milk essentially dried up around 24 weeks preg or so. My dd was nearly 2 at the time and went down to less then one nursing a week. And it wasn't a really "good" nursing either- she'd latch on, taste a little colostrum and say "ewww, yucky."<br><br>
She was 26months old when our baby girl was born. Once she saw the baby was nursing she went right back to it immediatly. A couple days later, when milk came in, she was all over me. I had to tell her to back off a few times so the baby could get some milk too!<br>
That was 4 months ago. My 2 1/2 year old is nursing 3 to 5x a day (more if I didn't set some certain boundaries or if she's having an especially rough day). It's like there never was a pause at all.

 

[mommy2AandZ]

My son weaned when my milk dried up too. Once the new baby was born he asked to nurse, I let him try. He didn't even remember how to latch, he kinda just pretended. Never actually nursed. Now once in a GREAT while he'll ask, but he just pretends. I think he wants to know that I would allow him too, just like the baby does.

 

[JohnnysGirl]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>sogriffin</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/7717209"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">She was 26months old when our baby girl was born. Once she saw the baby was nursing she went right back to it immediatly. A couple days later, when milk came in, she was all over me. I had to tell her to back off a few times so the baby could get some milk too!</div>
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<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/img/vbsmilies/smilies/yeahthat.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="yeah that">: My son was about 20 months when the milk dried up, and I also was experiencing pre term labor symptoms. So we weaned for a few critical weeks, then once we got close to baking a full term baby in there, I went ahead and let him nurse again for bedtime and naptime, despite the BH contractions it would trigger. (No prob, baby ended up being only one day early from the due date) Once the baby was born, he was a nursing fool for a long time, but it was great for me to have him to relieve all that pressure, and once I had a milk infection starting up, but my toddler nursed it right on out within hours (combined with massage in the hot shower, rest, etc). He was thrilled to nurse through the night, which made it much more comfortable to sleep, since I was just so huge and engorged and I usually have overactive let down and oversupply the first six weeks BADLY and even the first six months to a lesser degree. I loved it. But once the milk supply calmed down I eventually cut out nighttime nursings (to a HUGE protest), but he slept through the night after a couple bad weeks of explaining to my 2 year old that we aren't doing that at night anymore, and I continued to nurse him to sleep and for stressful moments for another year, and then cut down to only bedtime when he was 3, and now at 3.5 he has given it up completely.<br>
Now I'm kinda excited to just be nursing one 19 month old who pops off during sessions with a milky chin and says slowly and drawn out, "Nummy Nummy!" My 3.5 year old still loves to play with my breasts and tummy, just delightfully pressing on the softness and wiggling the skin around, sometimes even wanting to stand on my tummy and leap off of it like it's a jumping pad.... he just generally finds that the core of mommy is the coolest place on earth and he admires my breasts and wants to lay his head on them like pillows and blow bubbles on my tummy, and DS2 usually joins in and I have two little boys hilariously giggling and blowing strawberrys on my tummy and trying to squirt milk from my breasts. If either sees me without clothes on my upper half their faces just light up and they want to go to town.... it's so bizarre but fun. I guess we have a lot of time on our hands at home with not much to do and no one around. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol">

 

[snangel]

My 21/2 yr old was weaned early (really looooong story) anyhow when our baby was born he kept asking, which is weird cause i didnt think he could remember. I finally said yes to him, thinking he wouldnt know how. Well he did. He still nurses occasionally (8mos later) I thought I had long lost that with him, but I am a lucky one and got a second chance. Good luck to you.