Extended Breastfeeding Check-in, 1/12

[vvvvvfee]

For the purposes of this check-in, we will define extended breastfeeding as breastfeeding beyond 1 year. Questions are repeated and suggestions are appreciated!

1. How old is your LO?
2. How many times per day does your LO nurse?
3. What would you title this chapter in your BFing journey?
4. Does your LO drink other milk besides breast milk? How did you introduce it?

Pregnant & BFing Moms: How are you doing this week? Any issues with supply, pain, aversion? Questions for other moms?

Tandem Nursing Moms: How are you doing this week? Any current challenges? Questions for other moms?

Non-BFing question of the week: Last TV show you binge-watched? Would you recommend it or no?

[seamonster]

1. How old is your LO? 23 months on Sunday


2. How many times per day does your LO nurse? 0 this week so if it stays 0 this coming week I'll consider us weaned

3. What would you title this chapter in your BFing journey? The End is Here

4. Does your LO drink other milk besides breast milk? How did you introduce it? Just wcm. Introduced it at a year in his bottle or sippy cup

Non-BFing question of the week: Last TV show you binge-watched? Would you recommend it or no? House of Cards by myself and Real Husbands of Hollywood with H. Yes the both.

[BabyStandish]

1. How old is your LO? 2!! OMG I cannot believe we've made it this far.
2. How many times per day does your LO nurse? 4-6 (probably 3-4 during the day, and then a couple times at night)
3. What would you title this chapter in your BFing journey? This well is dry
4. Does your LO drink other milk besides breast milk? How did you introduce it? not really. He doesn't like it. I do put WCM in his smoothies, but that's pretty much the only way he'll drink it. Once in awhile he'll drink it, but it's very rare. We introduced at 12 months and just at meals.

Pregnant & BFing Moms: How are you doing this week? Any issues with supply, pain, aversion? Questions for other moms? I have a feeling my supply is non-existent. When he nurses during the day it's usually only for like ten seconds. He nurses to sleep though and those are longer. I no longer offer my left boob. It's been over a week since I've let him. The pain for whatever reason was way worse on that side. I'd be okay with him weaning, but I have no idea how to put him to sleep since that's what we've done since day 1.

Non-BFing question of the week: Last TV show you binge-watched? Would you recommend it or no? Friends on netflix...and of course!!

[billyhorrible]

1. How old is your LO? 19 months

2. How many times per day does your LO nurse?2 - 5

3. What would you title this chapter in your BFing journey? This won't last forever, right?

4. Does your LO drink other milk besides breast milk? How did you introduce it? We introduced WCM at one year, he hated it. We had to mix it with breastmilk (75/25, 50/50, 25/75) to transition.

Non-BFing question of the week: Last TV show you binge-watched? Would you recommend it or no? We binge watch most shows since we don't have time to watch them so they stack up on the DVR. I'm currently trying to get through all my Legends of Tomorrow episodes. Which is a show is recommend if you're into superhero science fiction.

[lilyelayne]

1. How old is your LO? - 22mo

2. How many times per day does your LO nurse? - 3-4/day, 0-1/night (sigh. It's been almost a month with night waking again)

3. What would you title this chapter in your BFing journey? - "mik mik please!" or I Am Your Safe Place

4. Does your LO drink other milk besides breast milk? How did you introduce it? - yep. He loves whole cows milk. Introduced in a sippy a little after a year old, so I could give my BFF's daughter all my stash & any I could pump when she came home from the NICU. Now he drinks it with breakfast when he requests it, probably 4-5x a month.


Non-BFing question of the week: Last TV show you binge-watched? Would you recommend it or no? - currently binging The Magicians on Netflix. It's a Syfy channel show. Really good! Season 2 starts at the end of the month.

[vvvvvfee]

1. How old is your LO? Shit, I guess he'll be 18 months on Saturday!
2. How many times per day does your LO nurse? 4-5
3. What would you title this chapter in your BFing journey? I Need My Bobbies (DS2's new way of saying "boobies" which cracks me up)
4. Does your LO drink other milk besides breast milk? How did you introduce it? He has a cup of WCM with his lunch at daycare. Towards the end of my pumping days (12-14 months), I would sometimes top off what I pumped with WCM, so I guess we introduced it gradually. DS2 was not an immediate super-fan of WCM the way that DS1 was.

Non-BFing question of the week: Last TV show you binge-watched? Would you recommend it or no? The OA on Netflix. It gets a conditional recommendation from me. I was mesmerized by it for a while, but it kinda went downhill in the last two episodes, fell off into a WTF cliff at the end of the last episode. But it did have me puzzling over little details for days. If you like supernatural/mindfuck-type shows I'm sure you'd be into it.

[seamonster]

BabyStandish nursing to sleep was our roadblock. I had to switch our whole bedtime routine around to get DS to stop nursing to sleep. We went from PJs, brush teeth, sleep suit, and read stories and nurse to PJs, nurse for count of 60 on each side (came down to 30 on each side over time and then only when he asked), teeth, sleep suit, stories, and in bed awake. I started bedtime a little earlier because very tired toddler meant he wanted to nurse to sleep to get to sleep. There was some fighting early on and I'd give in, but he fairly quickly started not asking to nurse.

[BabyStandish]

seamonster thanks for the tips. We just moved him into his own room/bed last week after bedsharing FOREVER. Once he gets more used to that I may try to give him a little push to night-wean. I'm really hoping it just naturally happens because I won't deny him it if he asks especially when it's MOTN since it's so easy. Hopefully he'll start sleeping through the night regularly, he's done it 2x so far since we moved him.

[hurricanerek]

Hi all! I have time to pop in again. Hope everyone is doing well!

1. 2y5m

2. 3-4

3. Feeding all the tiny humans (my two that are tandem nursing plus I pump to donate for 9 month old twins)

4. She drinks wcm. We just introduced it in a straw cup around 16 months. She didn't really drink it frequently until my supply started to dry up during the pregnancy.

Tandem: our biggest challenge is my toddler. She cannot seem to handle the baby breastfeeding without needing to nurse herself. I'm hoping it's a phase that she'll work her way through. Now that DD2 is 4 months, she's started pulling dd1's hair, which may deter them from nursing at the same time eventually.

GTKY: Gilmore girls, yes I'm really loving it.

[geners]

1. How old is your LO? 13.5 months
2. How many times per day does your LO nurse? 4-5 and once MOTN. Pretty much down to just am, pm and before naps now, occasionally with one more thrown I
3. What would you title this chapter in your BFing journey? Just Chugging Along
4. Does your LO drink other milk besides breast milk? How did you introduce it? No, not yet. I will in a few months bc he will be starting at daycare and they don't allow BM in the toddler room

Non-BFing question of the week: Last TV show you binge-watched? Would you recommend it or no? We are watching Sherlock right now - not bingeing though. Probably the last show we binged was that OJ Simpson mini series, would definitely recommend.

[yummeecookee]

Still here!

1.How old is your LO? 14mo

2. How many times per day does your LO nurse? Just once now: first thing in the morning. I think I'll be phasing that out next week

3. What would you title this chapter in your BFing journey? "It Ain't Over Til It's Over"

4. Does your LO drink other milk besides breast milk? How did you introduce it?
He drinks WCM. We just gave it to him in a sippy cup and he had no issues (total opposite to my DD, whose I had to mix w BM initially).

Non-BFing question of the week: Last TV show you binge-watched? Would you recommend it or no?
Guise, I haven't binge watched shows since late Nov 2013, waiting for spontaneous labor w my first baby. I split time between Shameless and Modern Family. I'd totally recc both.

[Deleted]

1. DD is 19 months

2. She has a cough/stuffed nose this week so she's nursing more then usual. 5-6 during day 2-3 at night. Usually it's 3-4 during day 1-2 night.

3. Current nursing mood...Cuddles and snuggles

4. She drinks WCM from a cup or a sippy cup at breakfast and after dinner. Both my kids love milk.

5. Current challenge. I still nurse her to sleep for her nap and bedtime. Eventually I want to switch up the routine but I'm unsure how.

6. Binge watch show. I just got into watching Chelsea lately on Netflix so I'll watch 2-3 per night. I've also been watching Brooklyn nine-nine. I'm not huge on binge watching shows. I watch 2 and I'm done for the day and I'm on to another show.


one of the only shows I've ever binge watched is parenthood when DD was just born. I could not stop.

[aves0708]

1. Tail end of 14 months

2. 4-6

3. The Angry Left Nipple - my left nipple is just so sore and it's not really improving. I'm not really sure what to do about it. I thought about getting out the pump for a day or two and just pumping on that side to give it a break but I don't respond well to the pump much anymore and I don't want to affect my supply on that side.

4. Right now only BM but I've been meaning to start offering wcm once a day if she's interested. Might start that this week.

DH and I binged the first season Westworld on HBO go. We loved it would definitely recommend.

[lilyelayne]

aves0708 could you let LO nurse right side and then hand express left immediately after? This takes advantage of the letdown the nursing session likely triggered. When I had no response to a pump, that's how I built a stash to go out of town.

[aves0708]

Jan 15, 2017 21:10:50 GMT -5 lilyelayne said:

aves0708 could you let LO nurse right side and then hand express left immediately after? This takes advantage of the letdown the nursing session likely triggered. When I had no response to a pump, that's how I built a stash to go out of town.

Thank you for the suggestion! I hadn't though of that so I think I'm going to give it a try tomorrow!

[Deleted]

aves0708 have you talked to your doctor about the soreness? I had nipple pain and it turned out to be treatable with a creme type of medication. I forget what it was since it was years ago. I want to say it was a bacterial or yeast infection on my nipple

[aves0708]

@poppyc8 I haven't talked to a dr about it. It hasn't been bad until the last couple days. I think it's sore because she's constantly moving and yanking my nipple around while she nurses but if it doesn't improve I will definitely bring it up to my dr. Did you have any visual signs that it was a yeast or bacterial infection? Or just the soreness?

[Deleted]

Jan 16, 2017 12:47:46 GMT -5 aves0708 said:

@poppyc8 I haven't talked to a dr about it. It hasn't been bad until the last couple days. I think it's sore because she's constantly moving and yanking my nipple around while she nurses but if it doesn't improve I will definitely bring it up to my dr. Did you have any visual signs that it was a yeast or bacterial infection? Or just the soreness?

I just remember it happened well into established breastfeeding. DS was around 12 months old and it felt like a stabbing pain anytime he latched on. It was horrible. I told my OBGYN and he right away knew what it was. The only visible sign was redness at the nipple.

[vvvvvfee]

aves0708, thrush (yeast infection) usually involves nipple soreness (plus possibly dryness and flaking), as well as shooting pains in the breast when LO nurses. if you are not having shooting pains, i'd try mixing up your own all-purpose nipple ointment. that will help with soreness and if there's a little bit of thrush starting up it should take care of that, too.

after LO nurses, apply equal parts of the following over-the-counter creams to your nipple:

Antibiotic: Bacitracin or Polysporin (not Neosporin)
Anti-fungal: Lotrimin AF (clotriamzole- found with jock itch products) or Monistat (miconazole- found with yeast infection productions)
Anti-inflammatory: Hydrocortisone 1%

you can also try saline soaks- soak your breast in a bowl of warm water with salt mixed in.

could the soreness be due to a sloppy latch in your LO? that often happens when LO gets new teeth.

[byjove]

1. 13 months
2. a few times during the day, seemingly all night
3. why sleep when you can nurse?
4. not yet

Non-BFing question of the week: Last TV show you binge-watched? Would you recommend it or no? Jane the Virgin. The first season was fun. I stopped watching it at that point.

[samelly]

1. How old is your LO? 14 months
2. How many times per day does your LO nurse? About 3 times a day and once MoTN
3. What would you title this chapter in your BFing journey? Hmm, I don't know.
4. Yes, he drinks whole cow's milk at daycare in a sippy cup. We introduced it around 12 months which is around the same time he started at daycare.

Non-BFing question of the week: Last TV show you binge-watched? I don't get to binge watch much, but I have been watching Gilmore Girls. I'm part way through the final season and then I'll watch the Netflix revival. I'm very behind!

[packmomma]

vvvvvfee how do we fix the latch when they're this big? When tds was little I could just fix it myself but now he's more in control of his latch and frankly it sucks sometimes. any tips?

[vvvvvfee]

packmomma, don't be afraid to de-latch if LO is in an uncomfortable position! if you don't already, try sitting LO on your lap, facing you. at some point they get to big for cradle/cross cradle and their latch may not be the best in that position. you could also try side-lying.... or a laid-back position where you're sitting up leaning into pillows and you just let LO latch on in whatever position is comfortable. if LO is too distracted/bouncy to latch well, then take a break and try again later. sometimes things are awkward for a couple of days as LO adjusts to new teeth, but repositioning should help at least a little. also break out your nipple cream if you still have some!

[lilyelayne]

Jan 17, 2017 16:31:37 GMT -5 packmomma said:

vvvvvfee how do we fix the latch when they're this big? When tds was little I could just fix it myself but now he's more in control of his latch and frankly it sucks sometimes. any tips?

Like vvvvvfee said, unlatch and try again. I would say "open wide" and then open my mouth super wide. DS would copy me, and I'd make sure he got a big mouth full of breast to keep his latch that wide.

Now I can tell him "get a better latch please" and he lets go and tries again. Or waits with his mouth wide open haha.

I can still flange his upper lip with my fingers if it gets tucked in sometimes.

[BabyStandish]

kelltothekell it's going pretty good. He's STTN 3x so far (2 weeks in now), but still wakes up 1-2x the other nights. I'm hoping as time goes on it gets better since I'd love for him to STTN. We keep his door open so most of the time when he wakes up he comes into our room. The last 2 nights he's fought going back to his room so it takes a little longer for him to fall back asleep. I think he knows that once he's asleep I leave. I'm glad we waited a little longer since I can fit in a twin bed with him pretty comfortably so getting him back to sleep is relatively easy. I've fallen asleep in there a few times too.

Edit to add: One of the biggest reasons for transitioning was that we have a queen bed so poor DH would end up on the floor most nights and since I'm pregnant I knew that I wanted him out before the new baby comes. Plus with him being 2 it was definitely time  

[BabyStandish]

kelltothekell Honestly I feel like I was having a harder time that first week rather then DS. I was waking up constantly and checking the baby monitor making sure he was okay. I'm finally not doing that as much.

[vvvvvfee]

kelltothekell, RE transitioning from co-sleeping- it's probably easiest to have someone go to sleep with LO on her bed, and then transition away from that, so she's still in your room but on a separate bed, and then transition her into her own room. FWIW that's what we did with DS1 starting when he was about 2 1/2, but the process took a while and there was plenty of backsliding. unfortunately we're only just now starting to transition him to his own room (at 4)-- but YMMV depending on how high-needs your kid is and how hardass you'll be about it (my answers are 1) very and 2) not very ).

[vvvvvfee]

kelltothekell, we got an inexpensive twin mattress at ikea (amazon also sells twin mattresses for cheap- they ship rolled up) and DH slept on it with him. DS1 was older than your LO when we did this, but it doesn't much matter if LO is contained if they're still in the same room with you.

[aves0708]

vvvvvfee Thank you for the great info! It's feeling much better today. Not fully back to normal but definitely improved. I do think she gets a sloppy latch when she's moving around nursing. I think I need to be better about unlatching her when this happens. I also carry her all the time on my left and my left boob gets squished. When I switched the side I carried her on I noticed an almost immediate improvement. Hopefully it'll keep improving!

[dramaphile]

1. How old is your LO? 14 months in a couple of days
2. How many times per day does your LO nurse? on weekends, once in the morning and then 2-3 times in the evening and once or twice overnight. on weeknights, usually only evenings and overnight (I leave for work before she wakes). She doesn't nurse midday on weekends because the extra feed triggers my oversupply and I end up needing to pump when I am back at work on Monday.
3. What would you title this chapter in your BFing journey? Snuggly Boob Monster
4. Does your LO drink other milk besides breast milk? How did you introduce it? We introduced cow's milk at 12 months and she's hit or miss with it. She drinks maybe 4 oz of milk a day, but she loves to drink water. She gets dairy from other sources and nurses, so I'm not too worried about how much milk she takes.


Non-BFing question of the week: Last TV show you binge-watched? Would you recommend it or no? Stranger Things. It was really good, very Goonies meets old school X Files.