Just because it's been a while, and I'm coming up on four years of lactating.
I started to write this as an "extended" breastfeeding check-in, then realized all the questions really apply to everyone. So feel free to answer if you've been at it for years or days or if you combo feed.
How long have you been breastfeeding? Best part of breastfeeding for you, right now? Worst part of breastfeeding for you, right now? Do you have plans to wean? Questions for the rest of us?
How long have you been breastfeeding? I've been breastfeeding for nearly 4 years, but DD has only been at it for 20 months. Best part of breastfeeding for you, right now? A bit of a calorie burn boost, the sweet cuddles from a girl that has a LOT TO DO. Worst part of breastfeeding for you, right now? The whining and freaking out. Do you have plans to wean?Not firm, but I'm going away for 3 days in July and might seize the opportunity then. She'll be nearly 2.
P is 3 months old today and I've BF him the whole time. I nursed C for 17 months.
We have had a bit of a rough start but things have really improved since he had his ties clipped. I'm glad to see that my persistence is paying off. He seems to finally be seeing the boob as comforting and happy rather than frustrating and anger-inducing. And I weighed him last night and be gained 6 oz in the 5 days since surgery.
Pumping at work sucks. Literally. I'm doing it right now. I hate the mindfuck of "keeping up" with him.
Not for awhile. I'd like to make it at least another year. Two flu seasons was my goal with both boys.
1. 10 months and 6 days 2. Being able to eat all the food is pretty awesome. I also love spending some time with him on my lap since he is on the go so much lately. 3. Worst part is still being tied to my pump and dealing with a declining supply as of late. 4. I will quit pumping at 12 months and will nurse until G decides to wean.
Post by Queen Mamadala on Apr 22, 2015 12:23:04 GMT -5
How long have you been breastfeeding?
LO, 5 months next Monday. My others, 16 months, 16.5 months, and 21 months.
Best part of breastfeeding for you, right now?
LO is nursing right now. Love the cuddles and cute noises. She has that adorable milk drunk face. I love it all. She gets super excited when it's time to nurse and when I say "nuh-nuh time" (code word for nurse).
How long have you been breastfeeding? About 10 months
Best part of breastfeeding for you, right now? Feeling close to DS.
Worst part of breastfeeding for you, right now? Pumping. I'm so over it. Also: teeth.
Do you have plans to wean? Somewhat. I'm going to drop off pumping starting next Friday and just nurse him morning and night for however long he will do it.
Questions for the rest of us? What kind of hormone shifts can I expect once I pull back on nursing/pumping?
P is 3 months old today and I've BF him the whole time. I nursed C for 17 months.
We have had a bit of a rough start but things have really improved since he had his ties clipped. I'm glad to see that my persistence is paying off. He seems to finally be seeing the boob as comforting and happy rather than frustrating and anger-inducing. And I weighed him last night and be gained 6 oz in the 5 days since surgery.
Pumping at work sucks. Literally. I'm doing it right now. I hate the mindfuck of "keeping up" with him.
Not for awhile. I'd like to make it at least another year. Two flu seasons was my goal with both boys.
Post by timorousbeastie on Apr 22, 2015 12:25:57 GMT -5
How long have you been breastfeeding? Almost 15 months
Best part of breastfeeding for you, right now? It's such an easy way to get her to sleep. 5 minutes of nursing until she's nice and calm, plop her in the crib, and she goes right to sleep.
Worst part of breastfeeding for you, right now? Teeth. She's been chomping when latching on occasionally.
Do you have plans to wean? Not officially. My goal at this point is to reevaluate when we hit 18 months. I'm not ready to give up the easy bedtime procedure yet.
Do you have plans to wean? Somewhat. I'm going to drop off pumping starting next Friday and just nurse him morning and night for however long he will do it.
Questions for the rest of us? What kind of hormone shifts can I expect once I pull back on nursing/pumping?
I didn't notice anything when I went back to work and stopped nursing during the day, other than big full boobs for a few days. With both, my period came back a couple months after that, though.
I've had no problems continuing to nurse indefinitely while working FT and not pumping. Went back at 10 months with DD and 12 months with DS.
Thanks for posting this as I do have a question, and I love reading these.
How long have you been breastfeeding? Nearly 9 months, L will be 9 months on the 28th
Best part of breastfeeding for you, right now? That I don't have to waste a bottle if he's not hungry, he'll just refuse the boob and no big deal. I love the connection we have, I never thought I would 1. like breastfeeding 2. be so emotionally attached to breastfeeding 3. take pictures of my son nursing, lol
Worst part of breastfeeding for you, right now? Wondering if he's going to freaking bite me. He has already and I'm always on guard for it to happen again.
Do you have plans to wean? This is what I struggle with. I feel like a broken record on this, but I haven't been able to do anything about my weight while nursing. Any time I try to do anything it affects my supply which thus far hasn't been worth it. I really would like to be able to go full throttle with my eating/working out to lose weight. I can't fit my pre-pregnancy clothes and during my pregnancy I was able to mostly wear my pre-pregnancy stuff so I can't even just wear maternity clothes. I would love to nurse until he wants to self-wean, I'm just not sure I can be comfortable with my weight until then.
Questions for the rest of us? I wonder when he is less dependent on me for food, i.e. after a year when he eating mainly solids and whole milk, can I "diet" and workout without too much impact to my supply? I'm assuming after this point he isn't nursing for milk right? Just for comfort?
How long have you been breastfeeding? nearly 8 months Best part of breastfeeding for you, right now? the snuggling and convenience Worst part of breastfeeding for you, right now? I loathe pumping, it's so tedious but I can't NOT pump since she can't have formula until after her allergist appointment in May (potential corn allergy) and won't take Alimentum RTF Do you have plans to wean? no, I'll let her self-wean unless I want/need to wean sooner Questions for the rest of us? My pediatrician said Alimentum RTF was the only formula that we could use to supplement if necessary. Unfortunately, she refuses it. I bought some Nature's One Soy formula powder (corn free) but they said because it's labeled as "toddler formula" to not use it. So basically, we are totally fucked if I run out of BM, get hit by a bus, etc.
Would you supplement with the Nature's One soy formula? I don't see the harm since she's getting a majority of breastmilk, but.. ugh.
I would, but you're talking to the person that supplemented a 10 month old with WCM. I just see something they're getting as part of their diet (and a pretty small part) as different that something that's 100% of their diet. I think the issue is that soy formula isn't great for a baby to have 100% of the time.
Questions for the rest of us? I wonder when he is less dependent on me for food, i.e. after a year when he eating mainly solids and whole milk, can I "diet" and workout without too much impact to my supply? I'm assuming after this point he isn't nursing for milk right? Just for comfort?
If they're nursing, they're always nursing for milk (as well as comfort), and the milk is always nutritious and good for them.
But after a year, I kind of do what works for me. I take Sudafed. I miss a feeding if I want to. I'm back on combo birth control (the patch). I know that this risks weaning, but there's a point where I'm fine taking that risk and just seeing what happens. So far, still nursing. So it's okay to pick a point where you want to prioritize weight loss and just see what happens. When they can just eat more food or WCM or whatever, it feels okay to me to do that.
Fourteen months. Nursed DD for 2.5 years, then had a two year break before DS came along.
Best part of breastfeeding for you, right now?
Since he's older and busy, busy, busy it's nice to have a couple times a day where he slows down, cuddles and we just have some calm time together.
Worst part of breastfeeding for you, right now?
He has started to try and grab and pull the other nipple while he's nursing. I give him his lovey to hold while he's nursing and it usually works. Or else I do a lot of holding his hand or guiding it elsewhere.
Do you have plans to wean?
He is really slowing down on his own and I imagine he will wean himself.
Post by bluelikejazz on Apr 22, 2015 12:34:33 GMT -5
How long have you been breastfeeding? almost 5 months
Best part of breastfeeding for you, right now? Extra food And cuddles.
Worst part of breastfeeding for you, right now? I can't keep up with her demand. She get's 4-8 oz of formula/day.
Do you have plans to wean? I'll probably drop a pumping session when she turns 6 months (from 3 to 2/day) since I only get 2.5-3 oz in my afternoon pump anyway. Otherwise, I'd like to BF for at least a year.
It is really the only time I get to cuddle with my very active DD! It's so nice just to have her lay with me.
Worst part of breastfeeding for you, right now?
I think its causing me to hang on to a few extra pounds, which is kind of a drag.
Do you have plans to wean?
No
Questions for the rest of us?
Sometimes it feels like my DD's mouth is, like, vibrating for a couple of seconds, or like her tongue is shaking, while she's nursing. This just started happening in the last couple of months. It's not painful or anything, just weird! Normal?
Post by mellimel19 on Apr 22, 2015 12:38:55 GMT -5
How long have you been breastfeeding? 14 months Best part of breastfeeding for you, right now? That it's a time we get to slow down from our busy day and just snuggle Worst part of breastfeeding for you, right now? I don't think I'm really making much milk at all anymore Do you have plans to wean? Not really. Right now I only nurse in the morning and before bed, plus before naps on weekends. We'll likely continue as long as DD is interested. Questions for the rest of us? I have a little bit of frozen breast milk left. Is there any benefit to giving it to her when she is sick in place of regular milk, like to help give her immune system more of a boost? Or would it not really have an effect once she's already sick?
Just because it's been a while, and I'm coming up on four years of lactating.
I started to write this as an "extended" breastfeeding check-in, then realized all the questions really apply to everyone. So feel free to answer if you've been at it for years or days or if you combo feed.
How long have you been breastfeeding? Since DD was born, July 31, '14
Best part of breastfeeding for you, right now? The snuggles from DD. She is almost 9 months now, and is so curious and constantly in motion that getting snuggles from her is damn near impossible. When she's nursing is about the only time she's not busy and on the move.
Worst part of breastfeeding for you, right now? Pumping. It sucks, I'm so over it. I'm constantly having to fight to use the room I pump in at work which is tedious. I actually gave the other attorney in my office the finger behind his back the other day because I was so frustrated that he felt like he just HAD to use that room when I told him I needed it. He had other options. The only reason I haven't stopped yet is that I want to be able to EBF on the weekends, and since DD still takes a bottle or nurses every 2ish hours I can't drop a pump yet. I have quite a large frozen stockpile, so for now I'm tentatively planning to drop a pump session at 10 months, another at 11 months and be finished pumping at 1 year.
Do you have plans to wean? No. DH and I are in agreement that I will continue to nurse morning and evening during the week, and whenever she wants on the weekends, after she turns one. We will try to stop bottles at one though, and go to just the straw cup. She does a good job of taking milk through the straw cup now so hopefully it will be an easy transition.I will let her self-wean from morning/evening/weekends when she is ready. She's very independent and has already drastically reduced the length of her nursing sessions so I won't be surprised if she self-weans pretty early. Which breaks my heart. I love nursing so much more than I ever thought I would. Questions for the rest of us?
Post by blueberry10 on Apr 22, 2015 12:43:50 GMT -5
How long have you been breastfeeding? 14 weeks with DS; DD nursed until about age 2.5
Best part of breastfeeding for you, right now? Cuddles after being away from him during the workday, and the way his little hand wanders around and grabs on to my shirt.
Worst part of breastfeeding for you, right now? Pumping and wondering if I'll keep up with his future needs. Also sometimes being chained to the couch/managing dinnertime when he cluster feeds in the evening.
Do you have plans to wean? No, though I'm not sure I want to go as long as I did with DD. We'll see how things go.
How long have you been breastfeeding? 27 months (almost 2.5 years) Best part of breastfeeding for you, right now? DD isn't a cuddler and has never been. I still get my cuddles from her when we nurse though so I love that. I love how she plays with my hair, traces my face and pats my arm when nursing. All things that I have always done to her when she nurses and now she's starting to do them to me. (heart)
Worst part of breastfeeding for you, right now? I can't change in front of her without her crying out for it. Sometimes I just want to change my shirt kid!
Do you have plans to wean? No, I'll let DD do it on her own time. I never set out to nurse for 2.5 years so at this point I'm just going with the flow. It's working for both of us so I see no reason to stop.
How long have you been breastfeeding? 5 1/2 months
Best part of breastfeeding for you, right now? She's quick, and feeding are spaced out pretty well.
Worst part of breastfeeding for you, right now? She won't take a bottle, just me, so no date nights for a while.
Do you have plans to wean? Yes, between 11-12 months, depending on how she does with sippy cups. I have no desire to go on after that. I want to be free!
Worst part of breastfeeding for you, right now? She won't take a bottle, just me, so no date nights for a while.
Right around 6 months, my kids (even the awful sleeper) started sleeping a good chunk reliably from about 7-10 pm. Perfect for date nights, no bottle required! Don't give up hope.
1. 6 months 2. It's the only time my "spirited" baby will snuggle with me. 3. Pumping at work. It just takes so long. 4. Not until 12ish months. For a little while I was wanting to wean earlier, but it's going better now so I think I'll stick with it.
2. Best part is when he falls asleep and I get to snuggle him. It's rare these days.
3. Worst part is the elbows in my uterus while he's getting situated.
4. Meh. Not really. I plan to play it by ear and if I get to the point where tandem nursing is making me crazy like it did the first time around, I will encourage weaning.
EPing twins for 6 months now. No supplementing so far.
Best part - weight loss even though I did gain a little back. Also free
Worst part - babies now STTN but I still pump at 230 am. I hate that session but I make just enough each day so scared to drop it. I also HATE pumping at work.
I plan to be done at a year. Depending on what I have left of freezer stash I will try to start dropping sessions beginning of september. I'm really proud I made it this far and will continue but can't wait to be done. I'm lucky I can pump and feed both at the same time so that helps.
Best part? Snuggles, convenience, and extra calories!
Worst part? Limited wardrobe, I have a difficult time finding time to workout, and hauling all of my pump and cooler crap around when I travel for work. Oh, and I seem to have zero sex drive so hoping maybe that changes once we wean.
Plans to wean? Hoping to make it to a year, then whatever else will be a bonus.
How long have you been breastfeeding? Almost 27 months
Best part of breastfeeding for you, right now? It puts DS right to sleep at night
Worst part of breastfeeding for you, right now? The fact that DS nurses to sleep at night and I'm afraid of having to teach him how to go to bed without it
Do you have plans to wean? I'm still hoping DS might self-wean, but starting to think it might not happen on its own
Questions for the rest of us? Umm....does anyone think there's hope DS might ever self-wean from nighttime and MOTN on his own, or am I going to have to force the issue?