Mothering Forum banner
21 - 27 of 27 Posts
What's it like during the day?

It sounds like you're not able to comfortably continue using nursing as your son's sleep cue. So you should work to move away from nursing to sleep, for everyone's sake.

That's a different question from weaning altogether. I've been nightweaning my 18 month old, and am starting to move away from nursing him to sleep. I don't have as much patience with long nursing either while pregnant, and I don't want to nurse 2 in bed! That said, I'm happy to let him continue to nurse during the day if he wants to. So it's fine if you want to wean, but weaning isn't the only solution to your problem, I think.
 
I have thought of just nightweaning. He mainly needs to nurse to fall asleep for his nap and at night, and then once or twice through the night.

He doesn't nurse through the day, usually because we are busy doing other things. If he asks, I won't refuse, it's just not something he asks for.

Perhaps I'll try to night wean (we wanted to wait until Sukkot - a holiday period here where DH is home for a week - but that is more than a month away. I don't think I can go another month).

And see how he responds to nursing in the day.

This is the first time I am having a nursing 'crisis'. It has just been easy for both of us. It is terribly confusing for me.

Thanks for responding. I have been feeling really horrible and stressed out.
 
I understand these feelings. I have no milk left, so it is uncomfortable to nurse for more than a few minutes at a time now. I let the boy nurse before bed, but only for 5 minutes. Then he has to say good night and I snuggle him 5 minutes before he goes to sleep. He adjusted pretty quick to not being allowed to fully nurse to sleep. (that sometimes took 1/2 hr, I just can't do it now.) He nurses once during the night, but not until like 5 am, so it isn't so bad anymore. I am also conflicted about tandum nursing- He is no where ready to wean (he will be 3 in Dec, I thought he would be done by now!
) so I feel bad cutting him off. I guess I will just see what happens. I guess I can always wean him later if I can't handle nursing both. I think it will be nice in the early weeks though, to help with engorgement anyway.
 
We're hanging in there. I'm still pumping 1x day at work, but only getting 1-1.5 ounces. Then we nurse at bedtime and in the morning. We finally nightweaned about 2 weeks ago (per the Dr. Jay Gordon method), because DD would try to nurse, not get anything, and FREAK. I feel like nightweaning actually saved our breastfeeding relationship.

Now, if I can just keep what little supply I have, and my nipples don't fall off (and oh, do they feel like they might), we just might make it until this LO gets here. At least, that's what I keep telling myself.
 
I'm hanging in there with the rest of you dry-nursers. My 18mo son still nurses for a few minutes most nights before rolling over and letting me scratch his back to get him to sleep. When DH is home (he works nights sometimes), he usually puts him to bed and they have no problems. I don't really offer it anymore (except, okay, I did this morning because he was SO sleepy-cute and I couldn't resist...) but if he asks I'll let him. It's not too painful except when he accidentally catches his teeth. Man, does that hurt!!
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by ema-adama View Post
Also, I was at LLL yesterday and the leader was a little surprised I am planning on tandem breastfeeding. She spoke from personal experience that it is very hard on the mother..... so now I am rather confused about that choice too.

Speaking from my own experiences and what I hear from other mothers who have tandemed, yes, it can be hard on the mother. There are both upsides and downsides, and some of them vary a lot depending on the age of your older babe, and the temperaments of mother and both babies. In my very humble opinion, just take it one nursing session at a time, and trust yourself to make the right decisions for your family.

Have you read Adventures in Tandem Nursing?
 
laurata - yes, I have Adventures in Tandem Nursing, and it has inspired me and reassured me. I just was not prepared for me really not wanting to have DS sucking on my breast.

I have found that if I just calmly (this was huge for me. I was getting so upset about not being able to let him have what he wanted, that I was really gritting my teeth and working hard to not scream) repeat that num nums are resting and offer him something else, or have DH on hand to snuggle him, it is working just fine. I get much less irritated with sucking that is driving me crazy, and DS still gets some num num.
 
21 - 27 of 27 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top