Who Else Is Still Breastfeeding?

[briarrose]

I am guessing that I might be the leader of the pack here as to bfing a toddler, but maybe I will be wrong! DS is 2.5 and I am still planning to let him self-wean. I am actually hoping to be able to bf at least until late in pregnancy, as I am guessing he is not going to be giving it up willingly anytime soon. I am also not anti tandem breastfeeding at this time.


DS was a fairly high needs baby as far as breastfeeding/touch/needing mama for comfort goes, and breastfeeding has always been a huge part of our relationship.


So far I am not having any pain or aversions, so I have everything crossed that we will be able to keep going!


Anyone else still bfing your older child? How is it going?

[bubblefan]

My son is two and he isn't showing any interest in weaning yet. I'm experiencing some pretty intense pain at this point, unfortunately, so I am starting to look into the weaning process. He still nurses to sleep, so I am not excited!
I am really happy with our bf'ing relationship other than the pain but I never thought I'd be nursing a two-year-old-- but I got a kid with lots of allergies early on (outgrown now), reflux, a strong gag reflex, no teeth until he was one, and just wouldn't take bottles.
I think I will assess the pain as we continue and see what happens to my supply!

[arimaythea]

I am still nursing my 18 month old. Just before we got the pregnancy news, I had started trying to get him down to just nursing for sleep, and that's been going OK. We are currently cosleeping at night and he nurses all through the night, so that's next up - we are going to try and move him to his crib this week. I've been putting it off, but cosleeping isn't going to work later in pregnancy judging by how many pillows I needed in bed when I was pregnant with DS.

Once my cycles returned, I had pain with breastfeeding a few days before each period would arrive. Now that I'm pregnant, that pain is persisting. Not enough to really hurt, but an annoyance for sure.

[briarrose]

arimaythea, I also cosleep with DS. the only thing that was a hard enough kick for me in the butt to night wean was that DS has tooth decay and he is going to have to have work done on his front two teeth. I have lots of mom guilt about that. right now he does start out on a crib mattress on the floor, but he usually moves in by me sometime between 11:30 and 1:00. if DH didn't work nights, things might be different, but we did what we needed to do to survive back when he was younger. he was until recently a total, complete crap sleeper, so it has always been a do what you gotta do situation. we are going to be working on finding bunk beds now and see if he will have any interest in those. DH will take at least 3 weeks of FMLA when the baby comes, so he will be able to sleep in the bunks with DS. I have my fingers crossed that he will be ready for that by then. I don't know what I am going to do when I start to need my body pillow.

bubblefan, I am sorry you are having so much pain. I really hope it subsides. did it start right away?

[bubblefan]

briarrose it started the week before my BFP, went away, and came back this past week (around 7 weeks). It feels like my nips are covered in blisters

[bubblefan]

arimaythea, we co-slept until 18 months too! The crib-transition actually went a lot better than we expected. It sucked for about 3 nights but really wasn't bad after. We've become lax recently and need to re-incorporate some of our training. We will probably stick with the Sleep Lady Shuffle again.

[abfor3]

I'm still nursing my 17-month-old and am really praying he continues all through the pregnancy and maybe then tandem nurse. My DS has a casein protein allergy and refuses to drink any other kind of milk and I genuinely love our breastfeeding relationship. He just wakes up once at night and then sleeps through until 7 am - TOTALLY different from my firstborn who was on the boob all damn night until we weaned at 23 months.

[briarrose]

abfor3, did you tandem until your first weaned, or no overlap?

[London]

DD is 17 months and nurses before bed, if I am the one putting her down. I don't think she is getting much, if any, but she still asks for it. I will keep it up so long as it doesn't become painful or otherwise problematic.

[CoachTsWife]

I still nurse my 19 month old at bedtime. I just stopped offering in the mornings a few weeks ago and he hasn't asked so we're officially down to once/day. I can't tell how much he's getting, but I don't think it is a lot. I'm not sure when I'll stop offering at bedtime, probably in a couple months.

[augustblooms]

My daughter is 20 months, I breastfeed most mornings as well as she will occasionally ask for it during the day but not very often and usually only after she gets up from a nap. I did not plan on breastfeeding this long but it's been going well. I'm planning on weaning by the time #2 arrives.

[abfor3]

briarrose no overlap. I had to wean my first to start infertility testing, but then got pregnant with DS2 right away!

[bubblefan]

Those of you planning to wean before new LO's arrival, what are your strategies? I guess I'm going to be doing a LOT of distraction/redirection because this child throws a huge fit when he is denied. I'm also planning on being outside/out doing activities a lot as the weather improves and hopefully that will help.

[briarrose]

bubblefan, if you are a reader, La Leche League has a book called How Weaning Happens. It is a quick read. I think distraction will be key.

[bubblefan]

Feb 24, 2017 11:05:21 GMT -5 briarrose said:

bubblefan, if you are a reader, La Leche League has a book called How Weaning Happens. It is a quick read. I think distraction will be key.

I will check that out for sure! Thank you!

[trinitrotoluene]

bubblefan, if my son hadn't already weaned himself i would be in your shoes. For me distraction and a change of scenery were apparently key. We went to visit my parents for Christmas, and that was it. He asked a few times on the drive up, but not only didn't ask again after, but refused when offered at bedtime.

[versed2]

Im not nursing now, but I nursed through my 2nd pregnancy and then tandem nursed for 7m. It was a challenge, and I ended up weaning my big sooner than I had wanted, but it just got to be too much for me. Highly recommend Adventures in Tandem Nursing if you can get a hold of it!

www.goodreads.com/book/show/207210.Adventures_in_Tandem_Nursing