Extended BF check-in 2/11/15

[jfresh]

Hello ladies! For the purposes of this check in we are defining extended breastfeeding as beyond one year. As always, feel free to suggest any questions you'd like to see in the check in! 

1. How old is LO? How many times a day do you nurse? 

2. Which nursing session was the hardest to drop? 

3. What's one piece of advice you'd give to a new mom about breast feeding? 

4. What does your LO call breastfeeding? How do they ask for it? 

Non-BF question of the week:

What do you and your SO do for Valentine's Day? 

[casey]

I can't believe she is 19 months today!

1. How many times a day do you nurse?
Generally 2-3 on weekdays and 4ish on weekends.

2. Which nursing session was the hardest to drop?
We're still following her lead - she's dropped them on her own. If I decide to persuade her, I think wakeup will be hardest.

3. What's one piece of advice you'd give to a new mom about breast feeding?
So cheesy, but trust the process.

4. What does your LO call breastfeeding? How do they ask for it?
She used to sign for milk. In the last couple weeks, she's started asking "nuss" and prompting "oorr side?"

Non-BF question of the week:

What do you and your SO do for Valentine's Day?
We aren't big v-day people. We definitely don't go out. We'll probably open a nice bottle of wine and make a good meal after Leah goes to bed.

[mooncharm]

casey I love that she is saying nuss and oorr side. How sweet! I can't wait for my little guy to start using some words, too!

[mooncharm]

1. How many times a day do you nurse?
We routinely had 4 nursing sessions (wake up, before both naps, and bedtime), but we add as needed for fussiness or if he didn't nurse much before a nap. I'd say at least half the days we're just down to those 4 sessions. I'm not actively trying to wean anymore from here for now.

2. Which nursing session was the hardest to drop?
Nothing yet, since I'm not actively trying to wean him from anything. The one extra session he sometimes needs is late afternoon or early evening. He's usually pretty fussy when he wakes up from his afternoon nap, and sometimes that lasts a while.

3. What's one piece of advice you'd give to a new mom about breast feeding?
Don't supplement with formula blindly. Obviously deal with medical issues appropriately, but it frustrates me to see new moms failing to establish supply because they don't put the baby to breast at every feeding.

4. What does your LO call breastfeeding? How do they ask for it?
So far no words. We have a little speech delay here. He just says "eh, eh, eh" which is what he says when he wants anything, and he pulls at the collar of my shirt, or pulls at my breast if he can reach it.

Non-BF question of the week:
What do you and your SO do for Valentine's Day?
Not much. We usually go out for dinner, but we don't have plans yet this year.

[jennlin]

1. How old is LO? How many times a day do you nurse?
16 months and also one a few days shy of 3 years

2. Which nursing session was the hardest to drop?
I've always nursed on demand.. So I never had official sessions to drop.

3. What's one piece of advice you'd give to a new mom about breast feeding?
It's not as easy as people try to make it look.. It's a huge commitment.

4. What does your LO call breastfeeding? How do they ask for it? 
My little one calls it Mimi and signs for milk.. My big one just calls it milk.

Non-BF question of the week: What do you and your SO do for Valentine's Day?
Every year I think it'll be different and that he'll plan something special.. Every year he doesn't..... 10th valentines this year.

[honeylemon]

1. How old is LO? How many times a day do you nurse? 18 months, 1-4 times a day

2. Which nursing session was the hardest to drop? She's mostly dropped sessions on her own so I haven't had to deal with that.

3. What's one piece of advice you'd give to a new mom about breast feeding? It's ok if it doesn't come naturally to you.

4. What does your LO call breastfeeding? How do they ask for it? Nursies. She signs and says "urse"

Non-BF question of the week:

What do you and your SO do for Valentine's Day? Our only plan this year is to take the kids on a "hike" and spend the day with them.

[Sparkly]

1. How old is LO? How many times a day do you nurse? Almost 14 months and 5-7 on average.

2. Which nursing session was the hardest to drop? We nurse on demand, haven't really "dropped" any, just stretch out the time between.

3. What's one piece of advice you'd give to a new mom about breast feeding? Get help, get support, get education. Don't just throw in the towel. Don't believe you "can't" breastfeed. It's hard work, but it's worth doing. I believe a lot of people are misinformed about breastfeeding, and many do not get the kind of support the really need to make it work when they want to.

4. What does your LO call breastfeeding? How do they ask for it? She doesn't call it anything yet. She sometimes says "ma" when she wants me or to nurse, but mostly just "uh uh uh," positioning herself in my lap and banging on my chest. It's quite obvious what she wants and when she wants it.

Non-BF question of the week:

What do you and your SO do for Valentine's Day? Usually go out to dinner. We're going to our favorite restaurant and my SIL is watching DD on Friday night.

[spacedew]

1. How old is LO? How many times a day do you nurse? 18 months. We nurse on demand still except at night.

2. Which nursing session was the hardest to drop? Night sessions. I am not sure if I dropped them to soon. She still isn't STTN. She wakes up at 11, 1, 3, 4:30, and is up at 5:30. I thought once we night weaned she would STTN but it's been close to 2 months and she still wakes up.

3. What's one piece of advice you'd give to a new mom about breast feeding? It will be difficult for most New moms and that's ok. Get help and keep at it even when you are exhausted and can't see straight.

4. What does your LO call breastfeeding? How do they ask for it? She signs for it or crawls into my lap and says num, num, num, num licking her lips. Them when I say yes she gives me the biggest grin. Melts my heart.

Non-BF question of the week:

What do you and your SO do for Valentine's Day? Probably a nice dinner at home.

[casey]

Don't you just love that grin, spacedew. I was trying to think how to describe it, but it's just a moment I know all is right in my girl's world. Makes all those frustrating phases and early days stresses worth it.

[noname]

1. How old is LO? How many times a day do you nurse? 16 months. Twice a day- morning and bedtime

2. Which nursing session was the hardest to drop? Well we dropped the pre-nap session over the weekend with no issue. I actually offered and she wasn't interested. I think the hardest one was right when we got home from daycare. I knew she didn't "need" it- she had a 4oz bottle right before I picked her up, then would nurse when we got home 30 minutes later, ate dinner 30 minutes after that, then nursed to sleep an hour after that. I tried redirection with snacks and water and she still fought it a bit for a few days. It was after she turned 1 and I still hadn't had my first PP period, and we were wanting to TTC, so I was trying to cut back the nursing a bit to see if it helped. Apparently it did

3. What's one piece of advice you'd give to a new mom about breast feeding? I found that being really informed on any potential issue was really helpful. That way when problems arise, because they most likely will at some point, you know what is going on and how to fix it. When I had a clogged duct, oversupply, etc. I knew what was going on immediately. When DD started having blood in her stool I immediately suspected MSPI and knew what to do about it.

4. What does your LO call breastfeeding? How do they ask for it? Mimis. She runs around screaming "mimis" and signing for milk. If I'm sitting down she'll pull my shirt down or up. She is very insistent.

Non-BF question of the week:

What do you and your SO do for Valentine's Day? We have a breakfast/brunch tradition. When we started dating it was just a few weeks before V-day and I was very commitment phobic and turned him down for a fancy dinner because I thought it was too soon. I made plans to have a girls night instead. He later casually asked me to go to breakfast on "Thursday" before work/school and I agreed not realizing it was on V-day. So now we get breakfast every year.

[litzo27]

Hi guys! I'm so excited to join you. My (tiny) claim to fame is that I started this check-in!! Two and a half years ago as my DS2 turned 1 I started the Extended BF check-in on the Dump and was initiating it for a year until we weaned at 2 at which point I handed the reigns over. Anyone here from that time by any chance? I'm so happy that it is still going and now I'm back with DD - she turned 1 last week and I'm hoping to keep going to 2 just as I did with her older brothers.

[litzo27]

Oh, and:
1. DD just turned 1.

2. No difficulties so far - only dropped after work. But I'm anticipating dropping the overnight soon which will be a challenge (but so looking forward to that).

3. Get help and support. A good LC is worth her weight in gold.

4. Nam-nam. She doesn't really ask too much but gets excited when I tell her we're going to nam-nam.

Nothing for Valentine's. It's overrated and restaurants are packed. He will get me flowers probably - but he gets me flowers regularly because I love fresh flowers in my kitchen.

[melody330]

1. How old is LO? How many times a day do you nurse? DS is 12.5 months. He always nurses morning, before his nap and bedtime. If he is fussy or asks for it during the day I don't discourage it. So anywhere from 3-8 times a day (when I am not at work).

2. Which nursing session was the hardest to drop? The first MOTN feeding. He has never been a good sleeper, and has been waking up 2-3x a night since about 6 months old. I finally started sending DH in if it was before 3am, and it took a while. He now wakes up 1-2x a night. Not sure what to do about this

3. What's one piece of advice you'd give to a new mom about breast feeding? Don't stress out if baby wants to eat 45 minutes after a feeding is over - it doesn't mean you are starving your baby or have supply issues! Put baby to breast anytime they want it during the day. I have a lot of friends that think they are feeding on demand, but are really stressing if LO isn't going 2-3 hrs in between feedings. It's fine!

4. What does your LO call breastfeeding? How do they ask for it? No verbal phrases yet, but he can sign milk. Usually he comes over to me, and when I pick him up he throws himself sideways, signs milk and tries to pull down my shirt.

Non-BF question of the week:

What do you and your SO do for Valentine's Day? We don't do anything. We aren't "anti-Valentine's Day", but its just never been a holiday we celebrate. Usually just a card, definitely no presents or anything.

[vvvvvfee]

1. How old is LO? How many times a day do you nurse? DS will be 30 months on Saturday. 1-2x per day.

2. Which nursing session was the hardest to drop? I didn't deliberately drop any sessions until I got pregnant. I was having nursing aversion, so I cut out the after-work session to get us down to 2x a day. It was relatively easy to do- I first tried to distract DS, and if he was really insistent, I'd let him nurse to a count of 5 on each side. After a couple of weeks, he stopped asking.

3. What's one piece of advice you'd give to a new mom about breast feeding? "Watch the baby, not the clock." Also that it is really difficult at first, but having a newborn is difficult, period! It's worth it to stick with it, because it becomes so much easier and more rewarding as time goes on, and there are so many benefits for both you and your LO.

4. What does your LO call breastfeeding? How do they ask for it? "Boobies." "I want boobies now, Mom."

Non-BF question of the week: What do you and your SO do for Valentine's Day? We usually go out to eat at some point, but not on the day of. I might make a little cake because it's both Valentine's Day and DS's half-birthday.

[Deleted]

1. How old is LO? How many times a day do you nurse? Almost 14 months. Usually 2 times a day

2. Which nursing session was the hardest to drop? None. We dropped sessions very slowly and were fortunate to have a baby who accepted the changes happily.

3. What's one piece of advice you'd give to a new mom about breast feeding? Despite being a natural way to provide nourishment for your baby, it may not come to you naturally and that's okay. It's a learning process for you a baby between learning to have a proper latch and how to position baby and it's okay to ask for help.

4. What does your LO call breastfeeding? How do they ask for it? He signs "milk please"

Non-BF question of the week:

What do you and your SO do for Valentine's Day? We will just go out for dinner and I took 3 pictures of LO dressed up holding signs that say I love my daddy

[bicyclebride]

1. How old is LO? How many times a day do you nurse?
22 months. We nurse when he wakes up and goes to sleep at night and a nap and MOTN. We also nurse sometimes if he gets hurt or I've been away from him for several hours, or I need him to be quiet lol.

2. Which nursing session was the hardest to drop?
I always nursed on demand until about 15 months when I started cutting back on nursing out of the house and then cut back to how we are now. He is a nursing addict and asks me all day every day and really gets mad when I say no. Now that I'm pregnant again I'm working on reducing the duration of his nursing sessions since I am so sore and he has a tendency to use my nipple as a pacifier.

3. What's one piece of advice you'd give to a new mom about breast feeding?
Find someone who has breastfed successfully to talk to about it, especially at first.

4. What does your LO call breastfeeding? How do they ask for it?
He doesn't have a word for it but signs milk.
Non-BF question of the week:

What do you and your SO do for Valentine's Day?
We have dinner reservations with another couple.

[lauranicole91]

1. How old is LO? How many times a day do you nurse? She will be 3 next month! She nurses 2-4 times a day

2. Which nursing session was the hardest to drop? Not sure if this counts, but night weaning was pretty tough. She was 18m when I finally put my foot down. It was hard but so worth it!

3. What's one piece of advice you'd give to a new mom about breast feeding? I like to find a good balance between telling them all about the puppies and rainbows and the warnings of hardships. If that makes sense. I don't really have one particular thing.

4. What does your LO call breastfeeding? How do they ask for it? Mmmm-ahs. "I have mmm-ahs please?"

Non-BF question of the week:

What do you and your SO do for Valentine's Day? We usually just exchange cards with giant handwritten novels of mushy gushy stuff. Then we hit up the candy clearance sales after the fact. Haha.

[TheAnalyticalMommy]

My LO turned one yesterday - can I come in?

1. How old is LO? How many times a day do you nurse? 12 months yesterday and about 3-4 now.

2. Which nursing session was the hardest to drop? I'm still trying to get him to sleep through the night, so i'd have to say his MOTN feed(s) but i'm still working on it.

3. What's one piece of advice you'd give to a new mom about breast feeding? "Never stop on a bad day" really helped keep me going. Also, I know it's not popular to do, but during my first two weeks when I was chapped and bleeding (despite him seeming to have a good latch), I pumped a few days at a time and fed him the milk in a bottle instead of nursing him. It hurt a lot less than nursing and gave my nipples a chance to heal before trying again. I don't know if i could have made it through those first few weeks without doing that. It hurt so bad!

4. What does your LO call breastfeeding? How do they ask for it? He doesn't call it anything yet but i'm bad and ask him if he wants my boob. I'm sure when he starts talking he'll ask for "boob" so i need to stop doing that! He will wiggle in my arms when he's hungry and turn himself around (no matter how hard i try to stop him) and pull down my shirt to get to me. He's silly strong when he's hungry!

Non-BF question of the week:

What do you and your SO do for Valentine's Day? Not much. We're pretty low key. We exchange gifts and try to find a quiet minute to spend together.

[memcgee]

1. How old is LO? How many times a day do you nurse? 21 months; 2-3 times/day

2. Which nursing session was the hardest to drop? MOTN was the most challenging

3. What's one piece of advice you'd give to a new mom about breast feeding? Don't be afraid to ask for help--whether it's from a LC, a friend/relative who successfully breastfed, etc. It doesn't come "naturally" to everyone, and a solid support system is key in those early, challenging days.

4. What does your LO call breastfeeding? How do they ask for it? LO just says, "nurse" when she wants to nurse

Non-BF question of the week:

What do you and your SO do for Valentine's Day? We don't celebrate Valentine's Day. Will probably eat a nice meal after DD goes to sleep and then cuddle on the couch with a movie.

[mrssqueegy]

1. How old is LO? How many times a day do you nurse?  28 months, 1-2x a day, usually in the evenings.

2. Which nursing session was the hardest to drop?  I miss the morning one the most but he dropped it on his own so I don't think he cares.

3. What's one piece of advice you'd give to a new mom about breast feeding?  Let that baby nurse as much as possible in the first few weeks.  And make sure to look for ties if something seems off.

4. What does your LO call breastfeeding? How do they ask for it?  He asks to have "muk".

Non-BF question of the week:

What do you and your SO do for Valentine's Day?  Take out Thai and a movie.