BFing your older baby: 6-12 mo check-in

[ashanne88]

How old is LO? 8 months tomorrow
How is nursing going? Pretty well. Lately he has wanted to sit up while nursing, especially right after getting home from DC. He keeps trying to lift his head if he's sideways until I adjust him. Not sure what's up with that. Also, I think his first tooth is coming in. Hopefully it isn't too much of an obstacle when it finally appears.
How often is LO nursing? he takes 3 bottles at DC and nurses 3-5 times at home with me but sleeping through the night.

GTKY: What is your nursing goal? One year. After that we'll see. He really loves to nurse so who knows.

[mully626]

Hi Nunz!

How old is LO? Almost 8 months

How is nursing going? Oh, pretty good. I don't feel like her latch has ever been great even after clipping a tongue tie just because she never wants to open wide but the last week it's been a bit rough. She has some cold/congestion and I think it's messing with her latch even more. Hopefully things go back to normal soon. Also, I can relate on the having a very distracting toddler running around thing - it's so annoying sometimes.

How often is LO nursing? Weekdays, 2-3 times with 3 bottles (2 pumping sessions) while I'm at work. Weekends, 6-7 times. We only do solids at lunch for now, but are starting to add in some more finger foods and snacks.

Any questions?

GTKY: What is your nursing goal? A year, then likely begin to wean. I will stop pumping at work around then but we'll see how long we go nursing at home. She's my last baby so I'm sure that I'll have a tough time with it!

[liziz]

How old is LO? 7 months today!
How is nursing going? Nursing is awesome. Pumping, much less so.
How often is LO nursing? Weekdays - 3-4x from me, and 3 bottles at DC, 6-7 nursing sessions on the weekend.
Any questions?
GTKY: What is your nursing goal: I'm counting down to the day when the pump can go away at work (July 10, 2015), but I'm happy to keep doing morning and bedtime feedings for however long LO wants to.

[ellabee]

Thanks for starting this @nunzchucks!

How old is LO?
DD is almost 10.5 months.

How is nursing going?
It's going well. I haven't had any major issues lately. Occasionally when DD is tired she gets lazy and will unlatch and scrape me with her teeth when she wants to latch again. It's not real biting and it's only happened a few times, so hopefully it's doesn't become a habit.

How often is LO nursing?
Daycare days: 1 AM session, 1 bedtime session and 3 (5oz) bottles.
Home days:4 to 5 times.

Any questions?
Sometimes DD only nurses 4 times a day with me, so I dropped from 3 pumping sessions at work down to 2. The problem is, she still gets 3 bottles at daycare. I'm starting to see a decrease in my supply and I know I won't be able to keep up with the oz. I guess it's not a question, more of a thinking out loud....but I figure I'll just be okay with pumping at a deficit and hope I make it to 11.5 months with my freezer stash until I can top off with WCM (pedi approved). That sounds reasonable, right? Right? Someone validate my plan lol.

GTKY: What is your nursing goal?
At least 1 year. After that, I'd LOVE to dump the pump at work and just nurse in the morning and at night until DD weans herself. I'm sure I'll have questions about that when we get closer.

[Deleted]

ellabee,
In Canada they recommend earlier on for a mom running a deficit when pumping to supplement with WCM in a limited amount. If baby's bulk of nutrition is breastmilk I would treat WCM like any other solid--small amounts in moderation before a year. So your plan is fine.

[ellabee]

Feb 9, 2015 16:27:50 GMT -5 @amyg said:

ellabee,
In Canada they recommend earlier on for a mom running a deficit when pumping to supplement with WCM in a limited amount. If baby's bulk of nutrition is breastmilk I would treat WCM like any other solid--small amounts in moderation before a year. So your plan is fine.

Thank you!! So far I'm either breaking even or just under by ~1 oz. I have about 60oz frozen so I should be able to use that for a bit. 

[Deleted]

ellabee,
some moms in the last few months in first year begin to see a drop in amt pumped, and instead of freaking out and using formula, they just begin to send what they pump. daycare can offer a bit more solids and baby will make up for any lost breastmilk when you are together. of course some babies start to reverse cycle and nurse all night and mom doesn't get enough sleep but it is an option. but if it's just an oz I'd probably just send what you pump and see what baby does. if it's a negative reaction, send 1 oz from frozen but if baby adjusts just fine, then go with it.

[ellabee]

@amyg - thanks for pointing this out. Sometimes I forget that DD will probably be just fine with a bit less in her bottle, especially since she LOVES solids. I get caught up in doing freezer-stash-math and need to remember that it'll all be okay.

[cgab36]

Thanks for this @nunzchucks!!

How old is LO? 7.5 months
How is nursing going? Nursing and pumping are still going pretty well!
How often is LO nursing? During the week 3 - 4 times nursing with 3 4.5 ounce bottles at daycare; on the weekend it's usually 5-6 times I guess (Every 3 - 4 hours)
Any questions? I'm trying to decide when to stop pumping, or at least drop a pump, and still nurse nights and weekends. Right now I'm getting about an extra bottle or two a week but I have a ton frozen (By a ton I estimate somewhere around 1000 oz still, I keep rotating though)
GTKY: What is your nursing goal? A year which I should be able to do I think She definitely still likes nursing! I'm really just over pumping though. I know I'll have to do it at least for a couple of months but I"m hoping I can get some advice on dropping a pump at least.

[fish8412]

How old is LO?
11 months

How is nursing going?
Really well, but trying to stop nursing in the middle of the night. My husband is giving a bottle in the middle of the night (using freezer stash) in hopes that she will eventually drop the middle of the night feed and sleep through the night.

How often is LO nursing?
4 times during the day (wake up, before morning nap, before afternoon nap, at bedtime).
Any questions?

GTKY: What is your nursing goal?
When I was pregnant my goal was 1 year. But I didn't know how much LO and I truly enjoy nursing. I'm sure we will surpass my goal. I will let LO self wean.

[anotherdreamer]

How old is LO? My twins are 7 months

How is nursing going? Very well, to my relief. I had issues with my DS, poor latch + low supply, so I stopped nursing him at 3m. My supply has kept up very well this time though. One of my twins is a boob girl, loves to comfort nurse. The other one likes to bite and gets distracted easy.

How often is LO nursing? Still frequently. I think we tandem nurse 7-8 times a day. They aren't really eating solids yet, one likes purees and the other refuses still.

Any questions? Not really... but I tandem nurse and one is a biter. I think I'm going to have to start nursing them individually until I break her of that habit, she doesn't have teeth yet but they're coming. I'm a little scared. I've looked it up, and lurked on here, but any advice or commiserations are always welcome

GTKY: What is your nursing goal? A year minimum, and then however long we all want to past that.

[Leapinglizards]

LO is 6.5 months old

Nursing is still rough. Have been trying to go places where she is less distracted but she is still wrecking havoc on my nipples. They literally look like shredded meat when I get out of the shower

DD nurses around 7 times a day. She just started sleeping though the night so we are kinda working out a new schedule

I just want to know if the pain ever stops. I am scared to death when she gets teeth. She starts off with a good latch and then slowly closes her mouth

I am making it a year come hell or high water

[quinncat]

How old is LO? 7 months

How is nursing going? Going great. Dd just got teeth and has bitten me a few times. I pump for my boy twin and am slowly cutting back my pumping sessions.

How often is LO nursing? I feel like she nurses a lot. I don't keep track. She isn't that interested in solids yet.

Any questions? Not at this time.

GTKY: What is your nursing goal? My pumping goal for Ds is 9 months, then start using my freezer stash. I will bf dd as long as she wants.

[ladytiffany24]

How old is LO? DD is 7 months and 6 days old.

How is nursing going? Pretty well. She's definitely becoming more distracted during nursing sessions, but we're working on that. No teeth yet but she's taken to clamping down on the nipple with her gums and pulling back. Not fun.

How often is LO nursing? She nurses at night anywhere from 1-2 times. One session anywhere between 5-6am before leaving for the sitter. She usually takes 3 4oz bottles at the sitter. Then nurses once around 5:30pm before solids and then I top her off at 7:20pm before she goes down for bed.

Any questions? I really hesitate to wean any of her night feedings because I feel like, if she's hungry, I should feed her. But I get really frustrated on the nights when she wants to feed twice. There are times when I do feel it's more of a sleep association than actual hunger. But at the same time, she's definitely eating eating and not just suckling (towards the end she will do that but at that point, I will pull her off). Her sessions at nigh are also much longer than sessions during the day (15-20 mins vs 7-8 mins) So I guess my question is, thoughts on trying to wean at least one of those? How would I go about it? Suggestions are welcome!

GTKY: What is your nursing goal? I definitely want to hit the 1 year mark. At that point, we'll see how I feel about still at least doing a morning and a night time feed. I definitely want to wean from the pump at that time.

[mana8503]

Hi! New to the board. Figured I'll start with this:

How old is LO? 5 months next week.

How is nursing going? Going good. I was just thinking last night how we got into a good spot here recently.

How often is LO nursing? Weekends 6-8 times a day, work days I usually nurse 2 times before bed and nights are between 2 and 5... She gets a 4 oz bottle when she wakes up, and 3 oz bottles during the day. Seems to be around 12-15 oz total since we mix some with Oatmeal.

Any questions? Not really, just chugging along.

GTKY: What is your nursing goal? Like others, I'd like to be done pumping at a year, but I want to nurse at night if she still wants to. When I get home from work she always wants to nurse, no matter when her last bottle is, seems like a comfort thing.

[anotherdreamer]

Feb 9, 2015 23:41:56 GMT -5 quinncat said:

How old is LO? 7 months

How is nursing going? Going great. Dd just got teeth and has bitten me a few times. I pump for my boy twin and am slowly cutting back my pumping sessions.

How often is LO nursing? I feel like she nurses a lot. I don't keep track. She isn't that interested in solids yet.

Any questions? Not at this time.

GTKY: What is your nursing goal? My pumping goal for Ds is 9 months, then start using my freezer stash. I will bf dd as long as she wants.

Have to commend you for nursing and pumping for your twins like that. I don't think I would have been able to handle that so well, I might have done formula and nursing, but the whole combination? Definitely a major commitment and takes a lot of dedication. I know that this hasn't been easy for you, physically or emotionally, but you've really done well!

[puffandstuff]

How old is LO? 6 months
How is nursing going? Ok, I think she's teething so I'm a little sore.
How often is LO nursing? She nurses 7-8 times a day, she gets 3 4 1/2 ounce bottles at the sitters. We started BLW last week and she's not interested in food at all.
Any questions? Nope
GTKY: What is your nursing goal? 18 months, but I'm packing the pump up at a year.

[ardent]

Wanted to jump in in this board so I thought his might be a good place!

How old is LO? 10 months his week
How is nursing going? Fine, no issues
How often is LO nursing? Usually 6-7 times in a 24 hour period. BUT
Any questions? She has been sick and refusing all solids. Nursing like a newborn. Is it going to be horrible when she cuts back down?
GTKY: What is your nursing goal? No goal. Just keep going as long as it's working for the both of us. No plans to stop anytime soon.

[quinncat]

anotherdreamer. Thanks,

[TheAnalyticalMommy]

Hi everyone!

How old is LO? 1 year tomorrow (I'm not ready!)
How is nursing going? Good but he's become pretty agressive while nursing. Always seems to be trying to run away while latched on!
How often is LO nursing? Usually 3-4 times a day plus bottles.
Any questions? Teeth.... what do i do with all those teeth! Last night he fell asleep while nursing and he set his jaw in his sleep and OUCH!
GTKY: What is your nursing goal? No goal but I think i'd want to stop at or before 2 years old. My husband has been very support but i'm sure he quietly thinks i'm crazy.

[mully626]

cgab36, How often are you pumping at work? That is a HUGE freezer stash! I had about 700-800 ounces with DD1. I dropped down to one pump at work around 10.5 months then quit pumping around 11.5 months and she still got a mix of BM and WCM until 14 months. The only advice I can give for dropping a pump is to gradually have your first session be a bit later or split the difference in between sessions. Tuesday I had a meeting that ran late so instead of pumping at 11 and 3, I pumped once at 1. I still got enough to cover bottles for the next day, just not my extra 2-3 ounces I get with my twice a day pump.

Note: I don't have as big of a freezer stash this time around so I won't be dropping a pump until at least 11 months I'd think. I purposely tried not to get a huge stash with DD2. It was a pain to wean off pumping with DD1 and I really didn't need all that milk. Also, we have started buy a lot of our meat from local sources so our freezer is already pretty full!

[flcl]

Thanks for starting this @nunzchucks!

How old is LO? 11.5 months, I can't believe it!!

How is nursing going? Pretty good, although he likes to do gymnastics while nursing. He doesn't like to nurse in his room before sleep anymore so we've had to change up his nap/bedtime routines a bit

How often is LO nursing? Inconsistent. Sometimes he'll nurse a handful of times, sometimes it seems like he nurses all day long

Any questions? None at the moment

GTKY: What is your nursing goal? A year and then we'll see... Almost there!

[flcl]

cgab36: I had/have a huge freezer stash too. I ended up donating 400oz to cut down since I couldn't get through it all. I will donate the rest after a year and LO has transitioned to WCM. I agree with mully626 to work at dropping pumping sessions if you don't need all that milk. Great supply though

[flcl]

ardent LO nurses like a newborn whenever he isn't feeling well. Once he feel better, he goes back to normal. I'm uncomfortable for maybe a day or two and then the body settles back down. Hope LO feels better soon!

[catsinawindow]

Feb 9, 2015 13:00:26 GMT -5 @nunzchucks said:

How about Mondays for this check-in? Anyone is welcome to start it.

How old is LO?
How is nursing going?
How often is LO nursing?
Any questions?
GTKY: What is your nursing goal?

I'm late to this but would like to participate!

1) 8 months today! First Friday the 13th since the day she was born

2) going well. She's really starting to cut back how often she nurses and is taking more solid foods. Only issue is how very distracted she is by everything. She never wants to just focus on nursing!

3) about every 4 hours during the day, longer stretches at night, but not yet sttn.

4) I would like her to self-wean. My son self weaned just after he turned 3 so ive done it before. I'll stop pumping at work once she turns 1 year, though.

[amackattack]

Hi! I'd like to join in!

How old is LO? 8 months tomorrow
How is nursing going? Nursing is going well. She has 4 teeth and 2 more just broke through. She's had bouts of biting in the past but it hasn't been a problem lately.
How often is LO nursing? She takes 2 6 oz bottles of BM at daycare, nurses 3 times throughout the afternoon/evening, and 2 times overnight. I am super happy with the 2 times overnight. My babe tends to have pretty epic sleep regressions for unknown reasons that last a week or 2 and we've just come out of one and I feel alive again.
Any questions? Tell me if you think this is progressing too fast. She loves solid foods, not puree for some reason, but actual foods. Lately she eats 12 oz of BM at daycare (in about a 7.5 hour period), but used to eat around 17, which I know is a ridiculous amount. I also think she'd ignore one of our nursing sessions in the evening if I let her, and sometimes I do. That's two feedings she seems to have dropped. Is it too soon? I already dropped down to 2 pumps at work. Has anyone else dropped any feedings with a baby 8 months or younger?
GTKY: What is your nursing goal? My goal has always been to BF exclusively, so I'd like to make it to a year. I know we won't be stopping at a year, though I wouldn't like to go too much longer. I'm not really sure what my limit is but we both love nursing so I feel like we'll go awhile.

[ellabee]

amackattack my DD started to really love solids around 8 months too. I think that's when she made the connection that she could eat if she was hungry in addition to taking bottles. Around that time we dropped from 6-8 sessions/bottles a day to 5-7. We did it all based on her cues. She definitely let us know when she was still hungry or wanted to nurse. I also took note of her dirty diapers. If it seemed like she was straining, or they were a bit too hard I would know we overdid it with the solids a little.

[cgab36]

mully626 - I'm still pumping 3 times at work. And I pump my second side on the weekend after first feeding (she only nurses on one side). I'm so scared of losing my supply if I drop to two lol. This week I made it through but have been a little low. I think it's time to change membranes but not sure if that's the only issue. We'll see how next week is. Ideally I'd like to drop to two pumps if possible especially since I am interviewing for a new job. I'd hate to walk in and have to be away from my desk three times a day.

flcl I thought about donating but can't because I'm on BP meds

[Deleted]

Are you gonna start a new check in for 6-12 mos on Mondays?
I just started other ones because I'm pushy like that