Breastfeeding/weaning/extended breastfeeding etc.

[musicalsilver]

Thoughts on the subject?

Who's still breastfeeding/pumping?

Do you have a plan for weaning yet? Goals you're trying to reach?

Thinking of giving extended breastfeeding a go?

Also, for those still breastfeeding, have you had your first postpartum period yet?

[rivers and roads]

Still here! Breastfeeding. My goal was a year, and then whatever happens after that. I would like to night wean because I would like to sleep more than 90 minutes at a time. Apparently I don't know how to do this, though.

I think I could make it to 18 months easily if he can figure out how to go to sleep without boob. Being tethered for all naps and not being able to go on a date past 7 is hard. We'll see after that. Id like to let him self wean, but I'm not going to drive myself crazy if I'm totally over it.

Still no period in sight.

ETA: if he doesn't stop pulling my hair we might not make it far.

[chocolate]

Still nursing and pumping while at work. Although I'm starting to wind down. My goal was 1 year and I'm totally ok and ready to wean at that point. I did the same with DS. Both kids at that point have been so busy and not putting much time or effort into nursing and my supply suffers.

Right now I'm gradually replacing 1 nursing session with a bottle. Like dropping 1 per week. She's so excited to see the bottle she doesn't even care, so that's nice.

I got my period back somewhere around 4 months. With both kids same thing. I've had very similar journeys with both kids! Once they started sleeping long stretches at night my body kicked back into gear and I get regular periods monthly.

[musicalsilver]

I'm still breastfeeding at home and pumping at work.

Before the holidays it'd been a close thing as to if my three pumping sessions a day made enough for bottles, so I figured after the holidays I'd drop down to two sessions and start working through my freezer stash.

Go figure, pumping just twice is giving me more than I need and now I'm adding to my freezer stash again. Boobs are weird.

I'm trying to plan my pump weaning, but I'm feeling all the feels about it. After DS turned a year old, I dropped to one pumping session a day and kept doing until he was a year and a half, supplementing the rest with cows milk. When he moved up to the toddler room and they started supplying milk at school, I quit.

I feel like I should at least do the same for DD, but I'm so ready to be done with the stupid pump. I'm trying to calculate how many bags I need in the freezer to quit pumping when.

As for full on weaning, totally not on my radar. I'm still breastfeeding DS, so if anybody wants to talk extended/tandem breastfeeding - I'm happy to!

Oh, and no PPAF here yet. Mine didn't return with DS until he was 16 months or so, and I don't know how tandem breastfeeding will alter that if at all.

[chocolate]

I do have a very large freezer stash to get through. We are taking a vacation at the end of February and I'd like DD to be off breastmilk by then so that my mom doesn't have to monkey with it while she stays with the kids. Therefore once I get her weaned and switched over to milk, if there is any freezer bm left I will probably donate it. I have a girl who I've already given some to and she will welcome more if I am able.

[leahks77]

Hi all! Still here
No weaning plans in sight. I nursed DS until he self weaned at 26mos so I'm fine with whatever L has planned. I would love to ditch the pump though. I've developed almost an aversion to it. Ugh. I didn't mind this much the first time around...
As I said up there, I'm fine with extended breastfeeding. Whatever she wants to do
I got my period back on Halloween. Still nursing, never slept longer than 4 hours, and I have an iud. Thanks, body.
Long rant ahead-
My issue is that I'm not really keeping up with her needs with the pump. Schedule as of now- feed her at 730pm and she goes to bed (and then I go to work). She is up for a bottle at 3ish and then again before daycare at 630, 5oz each. She then has 3 bottles at daycare, ranging from 3-5oz. So I need around 20-25oz. Work has been so insane lately that I don't usually get to pump until 4-5, if at all. Then I have nothing to pump before I sleep, so I pump when I get up. So I'm only pumping twice in 21 hours that we are apart. Luckily I'm usually able to get 15-18oz but it's not cutting it. And I'm frustrated. I should add an extra session in (maybe when I get home) but I don't seem to get any more when I do that. So I'm trying to make it until a year and then I can start on WCW or soy, depending on what she's tolerating. I'm just feeling sad because I had such an oversupply with C that I was able to donate, and I'm barely hanging on with Lu.
Haha that was long. It's just been on my mind lately. Stupid work. Stupid pump. Stupid underperforming left boob.

[swim]

I'm still pumping. I'm down to 3x a day - so about 26oz. I was going to try cutting down to 2x a day when I go back to work, but I think I'm going to continue at 3x/day for now. I'm having a hard time letting go.

DS is my last baby, plus DD stopped taking breast milk when she was about 10 months. I beat myself up over it at the time, and it kind of makes me wonder how long I can keep giving DS breast milk before he stops.
But at the same time, pumping sucks and I felt over it months ago.
I'll likely reevaluate my feelings after he turns 1.

As for post partum periods, mine came back in July.

[trtlcrzy]

Things are going well. I nurse on demand at home and pump 2x at work. I already told my boss the last time I will need pump breaks will be the weekend before S's birthday. I'm planning to nurse until 18 months. I have some frozen milk that DH will continue to give her when I'm working until it runs out.

First pp period came in November. I have had one since, that cycle was 40 days and I haven't seen a period yet this cycle but we are getting close to that time frame again.

[morwen]

Still nursing about every 4 hours during the day and some overnight. DS doesn't really ask for it but he gets super excited when he sees boob.

I think I might day wean once he turns 1 - I go back to work in march and I currently don't want to deal with pumping. I'll still nurse when I'm home until ds loses interest I think. I'm not ready to completely wean, and I really love the bedtime nursing session. If I end up tandem nursing I'm okay with that (ds will be 17 months when the next baby is due)

Had my first pp period at 7 months.

[eyelashedviper]

morwen I went back to work when DD1 was 14 months and just day weaned at that point. She would immediately want to nurse when she saw me for the first week but then tapered off from there and was just doing early morning and bedtime. She dropped bedtime nursing on her own a couple months later and weaned completely at 18 months.

I'm still nursing pretty much on demand but alternating solids and nursing during the day (I feel like most of my day is spent feeding little people at this point!)

They have been going through a rough patch with nights so we're back to doing more nursing at night. I've stopped doing One Up Both Up since their sleep patterns are different but it sucks dealing with staggered wake-ups and getting very fragmented sleep for me. I have started letting them work themselves down to sleep for their afternoon nap. DS goes down quite well when put in bed, DD2 is still a work in progress but has actually gone from standing and playing in the PNP to sleeping a couple times so I'm hopeful.

I expect to be home full-time with them until they are at least 18 months so I have nno plans to wean and will probably just day wean whenever I do find work. My goal is to let them self-wean.

No period yet. I guess feeding two and being on the mini pill is enough to keep it at bay. I nursed DD1 on demand but was not using hormonal contraceptive and it returned at 7.5 months PP.

[auchick913]

I feel like we have a pretty delicate BF relationship. Ever since we had that trip over NYE where he refused to breastfeed all day, he's super hit or miss. He'll cry, arch his back and try to roll away from me. Cutting some feeds has helped that behavior some, but he acts really hungry in general and I don't think he's getting enough with the 4-5 feeds we're doing. They are really short and he won't change sides unless he's *really* hungry. I restarted his reflux med in case that was the issue but not really any change.

At this point I'm just trying to get him to 1 year, anything after that is a bonus. I think he'd rather have 3 large feeds a day but that's not really how breastfeeding works. I'm terrified once I try that, my supply will tank so waiting until after 1 year. I'm still pumping before bed to keep up the supply. There's a freezer full of frozen milk he won't take, he'd rather eat real food. Often he'll cry like he's hungry, refuse to breastfeed (or just take a little) then go have a full meal of solids. I'm using the frozen milk to make his oatmeal for breakfast.

ETA: PPAF came back in June

[eyelashedviper]

auchick913 *hugs* Feeding issues are stressful since we want to know they are comfortable and have all the nutrition they require to thrive. My two are only typically nursing 4-5 times during the day (including morning wake-up and bedtime nursing) and they love to nurse. I think if he nursed more infrequently but would then actually drain the breast that your supply would do alright since there would be a demand for what you have produced. (But I'm speaking generally, you know your body best.)

[kellybenelly83]

I'm still bfing and pumping.
Typically it's 6am ish feed, he takes 8 ounces at daycare. Nurses at 1, 3:30 and then 7. With 3 meals. He eats a LOT. I pump while he's in daycare and before bed to help keep it up.
I genuinely don't know what to do when I go back to work.
I work in an office. Legally yes they need to provide me with breaks etc to pump, that's not really the issue. But I travel far. I'd need to lug the pump, an insulated cooler or thermos for my milk back and forth each day. I walk 30 minutes between walking to the train and then from train to work, the train is 1 hr. So I feel like that's a lot of work.
I'm not too sure if I'll be able to keep up my supply. I'm considering waking up at 5:30, pumping my big side, feeding from the other then sending him to daycare and then feeding before his bed and pumping at night. I'm going to see where that gets me. I'm not ready to stop or go full cows milk. Not sure why I feel so strongly about it but I really do (totally personal, nothing against anyone's use of milk). I'm not sure how early I'll really need to get up for all this.
Still no pp period here though. Totally fine by me.

[trtlcrzy]

Jan 13, 2017 13:11:05 GMT -5 kellybenelly83 said:

I'm still bfing and pumping.
Typically it's 6am ish feed, he takes 8 ounces at daycare. Nurses at 1, 3:30 and then 7. With 3 meals. He eats a LOT. I pump while he's in daycare and before bed to help keep it up.
I genuinely don't know what to do when I go back to work.
I work in an office. Legally yes they need to provide me with breaks etc to pump, that's not really the issue. But I travel far. I'd need to lug the pump, an insulated cooler or thermos for my milk back and forth each day. I walk 30 minutes between walking to the train and then from train to work, the train is 1 hr. So I feel like that's a lot of work.
I'm not too sure if I'll be able to keep up my supply. I'm considering waking up at 5:30, pumping my big side, feeding from the other then sending him to daycare and then feeding before his bed and pumping at night. I'm going to see where that gets me. I'm not ready to stop or go full cows milk. Not sure why I feel so strongly about it but I really do (totally personal, nothing against anyone's use of milk). I'm not sure how early I'll really need to get up for all this.
Still no pp period here though. Totally fine by me.

After a year you could definitely let him nurse when you're together and give him cows or soy or whatever kind of milk when you're apart. Also, not sure about Canada's laws but I'm pretty sure in the US employers are only legally required to give pump breaks until the baby turns a year.

[kellybenelly83]

Jan 13, 2017 14:11:44 GMT -5 trtlcrzy said:

Jan 13, 2017 13:11:05 GMT -5 kellybenelly83 said:

I'm still bfing and pumping.
Typically it's 6am ish feed, he takes 8 ounces at daycare. Nurses at 1, 3:30 and then 7. With 3 meals. He eats a LOT. I pump while he's in daycare and before bed to help keep it up.
I genuinely don't know what to do when I go back to work.
I work in an office. Legally yes they need to provide me with breaks etc to pump, that's not really the issue. But I travel far. I'd need to lug the pump, an insulated cooler or thermos for my milk back and forth each day. I walk 30 minutes between walking to the train and then from train to work, the train is 1 hr. So I feel like that's a lot of work.
I'm not too sure if I'll be able to keep up my supply. I'm considering waking up at 5:30, pumping my big side, feeding from the other then sending him to daycare and then feeding before his bed and pumping at night. I'm going to see where that gets me. I'm not ready to stop or go full cows milk. Not sure why I feel so strongly about it but I really do (totally personal, nothing against anyone's use of milk). I'm not sure how early I'll really need to get up for all this.
Still no pp period here though. Totally fine by me.

After a year you could definitely let him nurse when you're together and give him cows or soy or whatever kind of milk when you're apart. Also, not sure about Canada's laws but I'm pretty sure in the US employers are only legally required to give pump breaks until the baby turns a year.

Not sure but my LC said they have to offer, so maybe to a certain age?
I know I can give him regular milk and I'll not be able to pump enough to avoid that, I just don't want to give it up yet? I'll really have to see how it goes and how much I get and feel during the day, because it will be 12 hrs between nursing sessions.

[morwen]

Jan 13, 2017 14:20:10 GMT -5 kellybenelly83 said:

Jan 13, 2017 14:11:44 GMT -5 trtlcrzy said:

After a year you could definitely let him nurse when you're together and give him cows or soy or whatever kind of milk when you're apart. Also, not sure about Canada's laws but I'm pretty sure in the US employers are only legally required to give pump breaks until the baby turns a year.

Not sure but my LC said they have to offer, so maybe to a certain age?
I know I can give him regular milk and I'll not be able to pump enough to avoid that, I just don't want to give it up yet? I'll really have to see how it goes and how much I get and feel during the day, because it will be 12 hrs between nursing sessions.

You'd have to check your provincial human rights code - I know mine has a section that talks about how breastfeeding can include extended breastfeeding, although it sounds like your office is set up for it

I feel you on the long commute - I'll be on public transit for about 2 hours one way :/

[mrssmith613]

I'm still pumping. Planning to go until she turns one and then shut it down. Ha. I'm soooo ready to have my body to myself for the first time in 6years!!

[lilrubberduckie]

Still pumping here. Since AF came back in September there have been a few days that a don't have enough "fresh" milk and have to use some freezer stash. I am only pumping 4 times a day, sometimes 5 depending if we stay up late. she gets a 4 oz bottle every 2 hours on average.

I know she is still very dependent on the milk so i want to keep giving it to her, i want her to naturally wean herself but as i mentioned on Fb not sure how to really go about that. Right now i am offering solids first and then a bottle a little after instead of the other way around.

We are TTC since AF came back and i worry that getting pregnant will cause supply issues, but also want her to have as much milk as possible.

Part of me struggles with not actually breast feeding her, it is 100% the right choice for our family to pump and give her bottles and we have done so much better since switching to just pumping instead of nursing, but there is something in my Mama heart that struggles with not actually nursing her, so i am hoping if i can keep up pumping through being pregnant I will be able to nurse baby #2 , i know its ridiculous because she is still only getting BM but those are my feelings about it.

i guess i had a lot to say. TL/DR: still pumping, AF came back in Sept., Hoping to keep up pumping through a pregnancy

[mrssmith613]

Jan 14, 2017 16:08:55 GMT -5 lilrubberduckie said:

Still pumping here. Since AF came back in September there have been a few days that a don't have enough "fresh" milk and have to use some freezer stash. I am only pumping 4 times a day, sometimes 5 depending if we stay up late. she gets a 4 oz bottle every 2 hours on average.

I know she is still very dependent on the milk so i want to keep giving it to her, i want her to naturally wean herself but as i mentioned on Fb not sure how to really go about that. Right now i am offering solids first and then a bottle a little after instead of the other way around.

We are TTC since AF came back and i worry that getting pregnant will cause supply issues, but also want her to have as much milk as possible.

Part of me struggles with not actually breast feeding her, it is 100% the right choice for our family to pump and give her bottles and we have done so much better since switching to just pumping instead of nursing, but there is something in my Mama heart that struggles with not actually nursing her, so i am hoping if i can keep up pumping through being pregnant I will be able to nurse baby #2 , i know its ridiculous because she is still only getting BM but those are my feelings about it.

i guess i had a lot to say. TL/DR: still pumping, AF came back in Sept., Hoping to keep up pumping through a pregnancy

I have started out nursing all three of my kids for the first weeks and then ultimately end up pumping partially due to my lack of patience and partially due to not being comfortable nursing in public. I too have the feels of not having that bond of nursing quite often. So I understand those feelings that you're having.

[britterrss]

We are still BFing 6x/d on average. Sometimes 5, sometimes 7. My goal was 18 months, but I also want to get pregnant. I got my period back at Thanksgiving, but am now on CD56 of that cycle. Womp womp. I don't think I'd want to tandem for my own sanity's sake. I love breastfeeding but might would like a break between babies.

[kelle017]

Still nursing

No plans to wean yet. Ideally I'd like to go until fall time. I went 22 months with Eleanor and would like to shoot for close to that.

No period yet. Eleanor was 17 months when I got mine back.