I'll play, even though M gets a lot of formula at DC now.
How long have you been breastfeeding? 8.5 months Best part of breastfeeding for you, right now? The convenience! I hate giving M a bottle! Worst part of breastfeeding for you, right now? Pumping. Ugh! Do you have plans to wean? Probably around a year.
Best part of breastfeeding for you, right now? Convenience and the snuggles
Worst part of breastfeeding for you, right now? Pumping
Do you have plans to wean? Nope
Questions for the rest of us? I'm going away for the night this weekend. If I'm not uncomfortable, it's not a big deal to skip a pumping session, right? My plan is to pump every 4ish hours, but I might skip one depending on what we're doing. That shouldn't effect my supply, right?
How long have you been breastfeeding? 1 year yesterday <)
Best part of breastfeeding for you, right now? He's pretty quick now, and I'm not pumping any longer.
Worst part of breastfeeding for you, right now? The extra 10 pounds that are still hanging on me
Do you have plans to wean? I don't know. I wouldn't mind weaning over the next couple of months, but we'll see how it goes without me pumping and how into DS is.
Post by simpsongal on Apr 22, 2015 13:34:25 GMT -5
How long have you been breastfeeding? Almost 15 months
Best part of breastfeeding for you, right now? He's so into now, it's adorable. I love the snuggles and the bond.
Worst part of breastfeeding for you, right now? None really - I might start getting the side eye from family soon, but I don't care.
Do you have plans to wean? I'm not really interested in tandem nursing, and we're TTC next month (I had a rough pregnancy). So maybe? I'm hoping he loses interest when I get KU. I hate thinking about weaning
Questions for the rest of us? Not really, I usually ask as they arise.
I never posted this but Ada finally WEANED!! Well I forced the issue but it was only painful (from her crying) one morning. Total BFing this time 2yrs 10 days! That was nearly a year longer than I've ever gone before.
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?
C has had this happen every so often since the beginning. The LC saw it once and just made a joke about it so I vote normal!
How long have you been breastfeeding? They'll be 14 months next week, so 14 months Best part of breastfeeding for you, right now? Cuddles. It makes me feel better about how little real food they sometimes seem to eat. Worst part of breastfeeding for you, right now? I wish they would let me feed them one at a time, but they basically insist on tandeming now. Either I tandem or one baby stands and cries while I feed her sister. Do you have plans to wean? Not exactly. Will consider trying night weaning again after our vacation, although the downstairs neighbors have already been complaining about baby noise so I don't know how to handle that. By September we need to be down to morning/night since they're going to start daycare again and I'm not pumping at 18m. Questions for the rest of us? Not really
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.
Questions for the rest of us?
Mine likes to do this too, I just let him. Should I discourage the behavior?
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.
Questions for the rest of us?
Mine likes to do this too, I just let him. Should I discourage the behavior?
It's up to you. I don't like it, so I don't let it happen. If you don't care, it's okay to permit it.
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.
Questions for the rest of us?
Mine likes to do this too, I just let him. Should I discourage the behavior?
If it doesn't bother you, no. He started using it like a tool to go to sleep and I didn't want to start that. I had wanted him to latch onto a lovey to see if it helped with sleeping so I thought it would be a good way to encourage the lovey. He needed something to finger as he fell asleep and I just rather it wasn't attached to me!
How long have you been breastfeeding? Coming up on 9 months with DS. BFd DD for 25 months, so 34 months total. Seeing that number in black and white makes me feel a lot better about all the $$$ I've thrown into BFing (pump, accessories, lactation consultants, nursing tops, procedure to correct a tongue-tie, CST after the TT procedure, more nursing bras after the elastics on set # 1 gave out, etc.)
Best part of breastfeeding for you, right now? It's an amazing way to calm down a teething baby. I also love the cuddles.
Worst part of breastfeeding for you, right now? I still get engorged the 2 or 3 nights per week that DS STTN. Maybe if he STTN every night, my body would adjust. Come on, DS!
Do you have plans to wean? Not yet. However, weaning DD was awful. I hope DS is one of those unicorn babies who self-weans and spares me the heartache of feeling over it myself.
How long have you been breastfeeding? DD is 5 weeks old and EBF. I also nursed DS to age 23 months.
Best part of breastfeeding for you, right now? The "OMG gimme gimme gimme!" whole body wiggle DD does as I'm bringing her to the breast. She's so excited! And the contented sighs when she falls asleep while nursing.
Worst part of breastfeeding for you, right now? Being spit up on all.the.time. No matter how many burp cloths I strategically place everywhere, she manages to miss them. Spit up on my shoulder, in my hair, my cleavage. I smell like sour milk 24/7.
Do you have plans to wean? Nope. She's my last baby for sure, she can nurse as long as she wants. DS self-weaned wonderfully at 23m, I would love for DD to do the same.
Questions for the rest of us? Nope! BFing is going super well, we're really lucky.
How long have you been breastfeeding? 8 months next week
Best part of breastfeeding for you, right now? The bond we have. DD looks directly into my eyes, pops off to smile ear to ear, then gets back to work. Also, I love seeing her little fat rolls on her thighs and thinking wow *my* milk did that! Haha.
Worst part of breastfeeding for you, right now? DD has been very distracted lately and went to daycare hungry a few times (unbeknownst to me) because she was too nosy to settle down and really nurse in the mornings with H running around, the dog barking etc.. Now she gets pumped milk in a bottle most of the time and I just nurse a few times throughout the day to provide comfort/ a little extra milk. I hate pumping so I'm not thrilled with this plan.
Do you have plans to wean? I am ready to be done pumping at one year, but am open to continue nursing until DD weans on her own morning and night.
Just because it's been a while, and I'm coming up on four years of lactating.Â
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.Â
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?
1.) It feels like fucking forever but it has been only like 2.5 years.
2.) The best thing about is that she nurses to sleep for her nap so naps are easy. It is a great thing to do for traveling. And she never expects it except from our 2 sessions a day.
3.) Worst part: I want to wean her but I also want her to nap. Napping is still winning for us.
4,) maybe this summer or fall.
5.) how do you wean a toddler? Did you notice a change in your mood after weaning. She BF before nap and bedtime. She falls asleep on her own at night so that is at least not an issue.
5.) how do you wean a toddler? Did you notice a change in your mood after weaning. She BF before nap and bedtime. She falls asleep on her own at night so that is at least not an issue.
I bribed him with a scooter.
I talked about how "big boys ride scooters, but they don't nurse" for a few weeks. And about how he was almost too big to keep nursing. And then we gave him the scooter and went cold turkey that day.
He was pretty bummed out, but it went smoothly. By a week later, it was no big deal at all.
I can't speak to my mood/hormones because I was still nursing DD. I'm not sure if bribery is the approved method of weaning a nearly 3 year old, but it seemed like the right move for us.
Questions for the rest of us? - how do you deal with teeth and nursing?!?
It's okay! Usually the latch goes to crap for a day or two, and then they adapt and it's fine. Really. Sometimes biting is an issue down the road, but it's usually not. And even if it is, you can take steps to avoid it (like, I couldn't offer the boob as a distraction method when baby was teething).
I nursed J for 15 mos and I'm at 13mos with the girls.
Best part of breastfeeding for you, right now? I tandem nurse during the day but before bed and most motn sessions are one on one. I enjoy that time snuggling with them individually. Plus, extra calories burned for me
Worst part of breastfeeding for you, right now? They are still nursing a lot but that is slowly cutting back so I can't really complain. The worst part is probably that I get a lot of nipple pain around ovulation That lasts for days and tandem nursing makes it worse. I just don't want to nurse those days.
Do you have plans to wean? Nope. I'm trying to cut down the nightime nursing and I have seen improvements in that. But otherwise I'll koko for the foreseeable future. I'd prefer they self wean like J but I won't have pregnancy helping that transition this time.
Post by teatimefor2 on Apr 22, 2015 14:15:33 GMT -5
How long have you been breastfeeding? DS1 for 18.5 months with a six month break and just about six months with DS2. So 24 months in total.
Best part of breastfeeding for you, right now? The cuddles. I love knowing that I can provide everything needs - live, warmth, food. It makes me feel really connected.
Worst part of breastfeeding for you, right now? Feeding him is my solo responsibility. I don't mind it, but it can be stressful.
Do you have plans to wean? I hope to nurse until he's 18 months. Once he's a year, I will start to cut back to just mornings and nights.
Questions for the rest of us? If you nursed a different length with a different child, do you feel guilty? Every once in a while I think I'd like to wean at a year, then I feel guilty as it would be less than I nursed DS1. Or sometimes I think I might like to let him self-wean and I feel guilty because I did parent-led weaning with DS1 due to being pregnant with DS2. And sometimes I think I am just over thinking this.
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?
C has had this happen every so often since the beginning. The LC saw it once and just made a joke about it so I vote normal!
How long have you been breastfeeding? DS1 for 18.5 months with a six month break and just about six months with DS2. So 24 months in total.
Best part of breastfeeding for you, right now? The cuddles. I love knowing that I can provide everything needs - live, warmth, food. It makes me feel really connected.
Worst part of breastfeeding for you, right now? Feeding him is my solo responsibility. I don't mind it, but it can be stressful.
Do you have plans to wean? I hope to nurse until he's 18 months. Once he's a year, I will start to cut back to just mornings and nights.
Questions for the rest of us? If you nursed a different length with a different child, do you feel guilty? Every once in a while I think I'd like to wean at a year, then I feel guilty as it would be less than I nursed DS1. Or sometimes I think I might like to let him self-wean and I feel guilty because I did parent-led weaning with DS1 due to being pregnant with DS2. And sometimes I think I am just over thinking this.
I dont have a second kid but if I did I would really try to work on combo feeding. My DD was EBF after we dealt with her jaundice issue and the idea of BF again just makes me want to cry.
How long have you been breastfeeding? DS1 for 18.5 months with a six month break and just about six months with DS2. So 24 months in total.
Best part of breastfeeding for you, right now? The cuddles. I love knowing that I can provide everything needs - live, warmth, food. It makes me feel really connected.
Worst part of breastfeeding for you, right now? Feeding him is my solo responsibility. I don't mind it, but it can be stressful.
Do you have plans to wean? I hope to nurse until he's 18 months. Once he's a year, I will start to cut back to just mornings and nights.
Questions for the rest of us? If you nursed a different length with a different child, do you feel guilty? Every once in a while I think I'd like to wean at a year, then I feel guilty as it would be less than I nursed DS1. Or sometimes I think I might like to let him self-wean and I feel guilty because I did parent-led weaning with DS1 due to being pregnant with DS2. And sometimes I think I am just over thinking this.
I don't feel guilty...DD1 never nursed, DD2 14mo, DD3 8mo & DD4 24mo. It was based on the kid/circumstances. Don't be hard on yourself, just do what works!
How long have you been breastfeeding? DS2 is 20 months Best part of breastfeeding for you, right now? The snuggles! He frequently wakes up between 4&5 for a quick drink. My H brings him to the bed, I nurse him, and then he taps H on the arm to take him back to bed. While I'd love to STTN, I know that bonding time will soon pass. Worst part of breastfeeding for you, right now? Not STTN. LOL. It's also harder for me to get away at night, as he doesn't always go down well if he doesn't nurse. Do you have plans to wean? Not really. Questions for the rest of us? No, just thanks to everyone here for normalizing breastfeeding!
ETA: linz reminded me of my favorite part of BFing! The money (& time) saved! I never had to buy formula, so I never even looked at the cost. I just noticed it last week! Holy smokes!! No wonder people say babies are expensive! Time savings from not having to wash all of the bottles is a major bonus, too!
It's okay! Usually the latch goes to crap for a day or two, and then they adapt and it's fine. Really. Sometimes biting is an issue down the road, but it's usually not. And even if it is, you can take steps to avoid it (like, I couldn't offer the boob as a distraction method when baby was teething).
This is reassuring, thank you! I'm so nervous. There are a lot of people who are going to laugh and laugh that I'm still nursing even after I made the biggest deal about not going past 6 months lol
Hey, this is about YOU and the BABY. Not anyone else (well, maybe your H, but only a little).
Do what works for you. Just don't quit over a future scary maybe! Ask us questions, even if they're silly ones. We're all making it up as we go along and plenty of us have eaten our words about what we were going to do.
How long have you been breastfeeding? DS1 for 18.5 months with a six month break and just about six months with DS2. So 24 months in total.
Best part of breastfeeding for you, right now? The cuddles. I love knowing that I can provide everything needs - live, warmth, food. It makes me feel really connected.
Worst part of breastfeeding for you, right now? Feeding him is my solo responsibility. I don't mind it, but it can be stressful.
Do you have plans to wean? I hope to nurse until he's 18 months. Once he's a year, I will start to cut back to just mornings and nights.
Questions for the rest of us? If you nursed a different length with a different child, do you feel guilty? Every once in a while I think I'd like to wean at a year, then I feel guilty as it would be less than I nursed DS1. Or sometimes I think I might like to let him self-wean and I feel guilty because I did parent-led weaning with DS1 due to being pregnant with DS2. And sometimes I think I am just over thinking this.
I dont have a second kid but if I did I would really try to work on combo feeding. My DD was EBF after we dealt with her jaundice issue and the idea of BF again just makes me want to cry.
I don't think I'll combo feed. I SAH, zero nursing issues and I do love nursing. Plus it's free. I don't mind nursing, honestly formula stresses me out. With nursing I just whip out my boob - no prep or clean up.
5.) how do you wean a toddler? Did you notice a change in your mood after weaning. She BF before nap and bedtime. She falls asleep on her own at night so that is at least not an issue.
We did a massive schedule shake-up and went on a vacation (with DD). She had to nap in the car, we kept her up WAY too late, and we did lots of very exciting things. She nursed a few times on the trip, but for the most part, she was so distracted or ready to crash that she didn't ask much. Then we got home and shook things up even more by moving her to her big girl room. We didn't do any of that with the intention of weaning, but it happened that way...though I was also 20ish weeks pregnant, and my supply was pretty much gone, so that may have also made her less interested.
I didn't notice any changes in myself after weaning, but I was pregnant, so I was already pretty hormonal.
Best part of breastfeeding for you, right now? Everything! I'm just so thrilled that it's working (so far) this time. If I can lose some weight from it, I'll really be happy.
Worst part of breastfeeding for you, right now? Just the constant stress of "is he getting enough?", "why aren't I pumping more?", "has it been too long since he ate?". I seriously think my experience w/ O traumatized me.
Do you have plans to wean? Not on my mind at the moment. My goal is to make it a year and reevaluate at that point.
Questions for the rest of us? What's a good reference for determining how much he should be eating by age? He's 3 weeks now and took 3oz during a weighed feeding yesterday. I've started pumping to give him a bottle per day and assume I should be offering 3oz then too? It takes me several pumping sessions to get him the 3oz for the bottle - is this because I'm new at pumping? Any ideas on how to improve pumping output? I'm already doing compressions.
Thank you everyone who has offered advice or reached out w/ support. I'm not sure we could have been successful without this board.
YAY! So happy to hear it's going well so far!
Try pumping in the morning - pump one side, feed the other side. 3 oz is a GREAT amount - he may never take much more than that at a feeding, although some babies do. If you pump regularly, you'll start getting more per session, but you don't want to go too far with that this early. I hope you settle in and can be less worried as things continue to go well.
How long have you been breastfeeding? Nearly 5 months.
Best part of breastfeeding for you, right now? When he pops off just to look up and smile at me and then goes back to nursing. It melts my heart.
Worst part of breastfeeding for you, right now? Aside from pumping at work, I have planning everything in 2-hr intervals. Hoping to start spacing out his feedings once he begins eating solids in ernest.
Do you have plans to wean? A couple of months after he turns one next December. I want to get through Flu season.
We are done, weaned about two months ago, but I love reading all your stories. It makes me feel warm inside! And @pnkybrwstr I'm so happy to read it's easier this time!!
Try pumping in the morning - pump one side, feed the other side. 3 oz is a GREAT amount - he may never take much more than that at a feeding, although some babies do. If you pump regularly, you'll start getting more per session, but you don't want to go too far with that this early. I hope you settle in and can be less worried as things continue to go well.
Should I be doing this even if he normally nurses from both sides (I sometimes even switch him back to boob #1)? Also, it seems like my left isn't as good as right - he prefers the right and I pump slightly more.
I wouldn't pump to empty in that case, but pump a couple oz from the right. Feed him from the left, then the right (it will recharge a bit in the meantime), then left again if you need to. If you can space out the pumping and the feeding by a few minutes, that also helps. It doesn't need to be a long time - the breast is always making milk, and it makes milk the fastest when empty.
Or just decide that pumping is too hard right now and try again next week. Also valid. Although my kids became bottle haters, so my advice is suspect.