Tata Tuesday: alums, vets, and those still going

[fishbulb]

Welcome to the first tatas reunion! I'm hoping this will be a bigger crowd since it's not just those of us who haven't stopped yet.

1a. For the already weaned: how long did you breast feed?
1b. For the not yet weaned: how much longer do you want to continue breast feeding?
2. What is the best part about being done (or, what are you most looking forward to once you're done)?
3. Questions/complaints/victories, BF related or not?
4. GTKY: What were your must have nursing accessories? 

[fishbulb]

1b. For the not yet weaned: how much longer do you want to continue breast feeding?
Not much longer. I'm hoping to be done by 18 months, but I'm letting him lead.

2. What is the best part about being done (or, what are you most looking forward to once you're done)?
Bras! I hate nursing bras. I never found one I liked.

3. Questions/complaints/victories, BF related or not?
I realized yesterday that his post-daycare nursing session may simply be from thirst. It's crazy hot here this week so I took a sippy of ice water with me when I went to pick him up. He downed it in the 10 minutes ride home then didn't ask to nurse as soon as we got in the door like he normally does. Silly mommy thinking he just wanted snuggles!

4. GTKY: What were your must have nursing accessories?
I loved by Boppy - used it almost every time for the first 7-8 months. Earth Angel Baby nipple butter was great too.

[ellabee]

1a. For the already weaned: how long did you breast feed?
14.5 months

2. What is the best part about being done (or, what are you most looking forward to once you're done)?
Feeling like I gained a bit of freedom back. I would obviously give/do anything for DD, but it's nice to have my body to myself again.

3. Questions/complaints/victories, BF related or not?
I think we weaned at a really great time. DD has all of a sudden gotten more vocal and insistent about what she wants when she wants it. I'm glad that she gave up nursing on her own before getting any more attached to it than she was.

4. GTKY: What were your must have nursing accessories?
Bobby pillow. Nursing bra. Disposable breast pads.

[babycaps]

1a: 12.5mo. He weaned on his own. Sad face.
2. Bras and not pumping at work.
3. None. I wish I had breastmilk to put on a rash on LO's face.
4. Spectra pump, nursing tank tops in every color, good nipple cream.

I miss the sunggles of breastfeeding.

[katka512]

1. We weaned around 15 months.
2. Once we were down to one session a day, I realized how nice it was to have more flexibility in our day. I didn't have to worry about her next feeding and where I would do it.
3. I'm so happy weaning happened without a hitch. She adjusted so well ( and I did too!). I expected more tears from both of us.
4. My Bravado nursing bras, the Bobby, and my Undercover Mama nursing tank. I loved that it clipped to my bra so I didn't have to unhook two pieces of clothing.

[Deleted]

1b. We are just doing the morning session. My milk is mostly dried up from being pregnant so I'm pretty sure we will be stopping any day now.

2. Having my boobs to myself. My H won't be afraid of them anymore either, lol. He doesn't like getting milk on him (I have squirted him too). Wearing regular bras with wire.

4. I feel like DD is a picky eater and I don't know how to stop her from being one. I don't want another picky eater like DS.

5. Tanks, bras, and boppies (yes plural)

[NellieOleson]

1. Still going at 15 months.

1b. Some days I want to keep going indefinitely. Some days (like today) I wish she was already weaned. I'm 11 weeks pregnant and my nipples are sensitive. That combined with her sleeping like crap this week and her wanting to comfort nurse incessantly when she can't sleep is making me a bit fucking crazy. But on good days I love our snuggly milk time.

2. I'm looking forward to seeing her be more confident in her self-soothing abilities instead of resorting to milk when she gets frustrated, can't sleep, etc. I'm looking forward to not having to worry about how she is going to manage if I am gone for too long. Also, not worrying about whether or not I should pump if I'm gone for the day.

3. Overall I'm incredibly happy and proud of myself for nursing for so long. I went into it wilth the attitude that I'd give it a try, but if it didn't work out oh well. Despite a preterm birth and NICU stay we managed to make it!

4. Extra pump parts.

[ellabee]

katka512 I did the bravado bras with undercovermama tanks too! I loved them and thought they were an awesome invention.

[fish8412]

1b. For the not yet weaned: how much longer do you want to continue breast feeding?
If she continues to only nurse at bedtime (and here and there at wakeup), I am happy to continue. Over the past couple of months she nurses for fewer minutes, so I am guessing she will self-wean eventually.

2. What is the best part about being done (or, what are you most looking forward to once you're done)?
Not looking forward to anything about being completely done. I love the snuggles.

3. Questions/complaints/victories, BF related or not?
I am so proud of myself. My initial goal was 1 year and LO is now 16 months. Pumping sucked, but I still have some milk in the deep freezer. It was so awesome to have such a huge stash in the deep freezer. I am so amazed that my body was able to produce so much milk.

4. GTKY: What were your must have nursing accessories?
Nursing bras, extra pump parts

[nattybumppo]

Jul 14, 2015 12:32:34 GMT -5 fishbulb said:

Welcome to the first tatas reunion! I'm hoping this will be a bigger crowd since it's not just those of us who haven't stopped yet.

1a. For the already weaned: how long did you breast feed?
1b. For the not yet weaned: how much longer do you want to continue breast feeding?
2. What is the best part about being done (or, what are you most looking forward to once you're done)?
3. Questions/complaints/victories, BF related or not?
4. GTKY: What were your must have nursing accessories? 

1.  Mid-wean right now at 15 months.  LO is still nursing sometimes at wake up.  Did yesterday.  Not today.  She's gone a couple days and then requests to nurse again so who knows how long this will last.

2.  Since she's not nursing during the day, I've moved back to regular bras.  Hallelujah!!  However, the one (ONE!!!!) non-nursing bra I am wearing is the bra I picked up while I was pregnant with DD1 and everything was expanding.  Ooof.  It's so stretched out - I need a new one.  Or new several.  But need to make the time to get up the bra store and get refitted.

3.  Nursing DD1 and DD2 were such different experiences.  But both have weaned at about the same time (DD1 at 16.5 months and I assume DD2 will be weaned between now and then, too).

4.  Nursing bras and nursing tops.  Too well endowed to get away with nursing tanks.  

[lakecountrygal]

I'm bad at answering questions because I'm mobile that's why I never checked in.

I'm still nursing twice a day, once in an and once in pm but I really want to wean. He's starting to bite more and nurse more for comfort plus I feel like DH and I are starting to drift apart because nursing is becoming a stressor. I've managed to get him to drop the middle of the day nursing session DS thought he needed, and my next goal is to drop the am session.

Please give me any suggestions and advice on dropping these sessions. The am session is hardest because he will scream until he gets to nurse.

I've made it past my goal which was a year although we did supplement in the beginning and the end. My current goal is to be completely weaned by 18 months because then if DH and I are ready we can start to try for 2.0.

[nattybumppo]

Jul 14, 2015 21:23:30 GMT -5 lakecountrygal said:

I'm bad at answering questions because I'm mobile that's why I never checked in.

I'm still nursing twice a day, once in an and once in pm but I really want to wean. He's starting to bite more and nurse more for comfort plus I feel like DH and I are starting to drift apart because nursing is becoming a stressor. I've managed to get him to drop the middle of the day nursing session DS thought he needed, and my next goal is to drop the am session.

Please give me any suggestions and advice on dropping these sessions. The am session is hardest because he will scream until he gets to nurse.

I've made it past my goal which was a year although we did supplement in the beginning and the end. My current goal is to be completely weaned by 18 months because then if DH and I are ready we can start to try for 2.0.

Have DH get him up in the morning and distract him with something else he likes (food or regular milk).  Maybe you should even leave the house for a bit.  And it might take awhile.  I wasn't intentionally trying to wean the morning session, but one weekend, DH got LO up and going and I slept in a bit (both Sat and Sun) and by the time she saw me, she didn't even ask to nurse.  Though when I went in to get her up on Monday, she did want to nurse.    So it may take a few days or a week for your LO to lose the morning nursing association.  

[ellabee]

Jul 14, 2015 21:43:28 GMT -5 nattybumppo said:

Jul 14, 2015 21:23:30 GMT -5 lakecountrygal said:

I'm bad at answering questions because I'm mobile that's why I never checked in.

I'm still nursing twice a day, once in an and once in pm but I really want to wean. He's starting to bite more and nurse more for comfort plus I feel like DH and I are starting to drift apart because nursing is becoming a stressor. I've managed to get him to drop the middle of the day nursing session DS thought he needed, and my next goal is to drop the am session.

Please give me any suggestions and advice on dropping these sessions. The am session is hardest because he will scream until he gets to nurse.

I've made it past my goal which was a year although we did supplement in the beginning and the end. My current goal is to be completely weaned by 18 months because then if DH and I are ready we can start to try for 2.0.

Have DH get him up in the morning and distract him with something else he likes (food or regular milk).  Maybe you should even leave the house for a bit.  And it might take awhile.  I wasn't intentionally trying to wean the morning session, but one weekend, DH got LO up and going and I slept in a bit (both Sat and Sun) and by the time she saw me, she didn't even ask to nurse.  Though when I went in to get her up on Monday, she did want to nurse.    So it may take a few days or a week for your LO to lose the morning nursing association.  

Agree. Have your H get up and give a sippy/bottle of milk (whatever you use). We had to warm E's morning sippy or she wouldn't take it. Or just have H take LO down for breakfast. In a few days he'll get that wake up no longer equals immediate nursing.

[sanibel21]

1a. For the already weaned: how long did you breast feed?
1b. For the not yet weaned: how much longer do you want to continue breast feeding?
I don't know. I think I wanna be done. But then sometimes I don't.
2. What is the best part about being done (or, what are you most looking forward to once you're done)?
I will look forward to the possibility trading off a little sleeping in on the weekends if DH can get up with her.
3. Questions/complaints/victories, BF related or not?
I wish we could get to just am and pm. In the evenings she gets whiny and fussy and starts pawing for it. I don't like it.
4. GTKY: What were your must have nursing accessories?
Bra pads the first six months. Pump, extra parts, and bags.

[jtizzay]

1b I'm hoping to be done soon. I'm 6 weeks pregnant. (Yes! Not 4 like I thought!!!) so those mamas who nursed with preg. Any advice?

2). No more shirt pulling. I hate it.

3) none. Just so tired. She loves boob and idk how to stop

4) nipple butter in the beginning. Medela hosputal grade pump. I just returned the rental this month!

[lakecountrygal]

ellabee and nattybumppo

We've tried that and it doesn't work. He gets physically violent with DH hitting, kicking, scratching, and biting. Plus DH is only home to help maybe 2 days a week otherwise he's at work. I'll just keep trying one day it will have to work.

[Deleted]

jtizzay, by the time you hit second tri your milk supply will drop a lot. DD just started self-weaning. We are down to one session in the morning. She is fine without it bc when MH gets up with her she doesn't even notice. I'm thinking we will be done in about a week.

[fishbulb]

We just had this discussion tonight:

MH: When are you going to wean the baby?
Me: When you handle all of the MOTN wake ups and start putting him to bed without me.
MH:...

At this rate J will probably be nursing until he starts college.

[RandomName]

1a. For the already weaned: how long did you breast feed? 9 months, until I got pregnant again and it killed my supply.

2. What is the best part about being done (or, what are you most looking forward to once you're done)? I'd love to say having my body back or real bras again, but thats not true (yet). I think I have more things I'm looking forward to with breastfeeding #2.

3. Questions/complaints/victories, BF related or not? As happy as I am with how effortless weaning was, I would have liked to nurse DD for a bit longer - at least a year. And I miss the cuddles.

4. GTKY: What were your must have nursing accessories? Supportive nursing bra, comfortable chair...

[zandeela]

1a. For the already weaned: how long did you breast feed?
we Pumped to feed until 6 months. I only actually nursed for 1 month.

2. What is the best part about being done (or, what are you most looking forward to once you're done)?
no more pumping!!

3. Questions/complaints/victories, BF related or not?
Sometimes I wish for a second baby to try again, it was just so hard to feed her with EE boobs. so awkward and I felt I was suffocating her if I didn't hold my boob away from her nose. I always felt like I needed another person to accomplish this task.

4. GTKY: What were your must have nursing accessories? Comfy chair was a life saver, I also put a small TV in the nursery for those late nights that she did not want to sleep. light and sound was never a problem for her, even late at night.