BFing Check In

linzeek44

Happy World Breastfeeding Week!

How is it going? Any new joys or challenges?

ellebee2

The nursing acrobatics are killing me! DD is constantly trying to stand up, roll over, assume downward dog position, etc.... all while latched on!

Other than that we are doing good. We are about 50/50 BF and FF now. She is getting better at the bottle which, while it doesn't have much to do with BF-ing, makes me happy. 

Happy Breastfeeding Week, ladies!

linzeek44

@ellebee2 gymnurstics. crazy babies!

@harti09 we aren't going to worry about WCM right at 12 months. We will start to transition when he is isn't nursing as often, but with him still nursing so frequently, I don't think it'll be right at 12 months. His pedi was fine with BFing and figuring out WCM later since he eats other sources of calcium and vitamins.

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ellebee2

@ameyer8009 - I had the same apprehensions about weaning when we started. DD has actually been responding really well to cuddles and hugs for calming down (as well as looking at her mobile  she loves that thing) and really enjoys sips of water here and there to help with hydration on hot days. She doesn't wake much in the night, but when she does I still nurse her for now. 

These babies are remarkably adaptable.

eshee8198

I jinxed it by saying last time that there was no biting. There is biting. Nothing to break the skin, thank gawd, but still. She threw an all out tantrum last week because she was NOT allowed to bite me.

She's also been crazy sporadic with her daycare intake, which has made it hard to match pumping. I'm just hoping we can coast into the 12 month finish line.

melody921

Happy BFing Week! Still going strong here. I maintain my "nursing is great; pumping is the devil" attitude. I had to travel for work earlier this week and could not get the pump to appropriately drain one side. Talk about uncomfortable!

I have close to 600 oz in the freezer. So, my plan is to drop the one pumping session I'm doing at work and just use the freezer stash for her daycare milk (right now she takes 8 oz there then nurses AM and PM). Does anyone know, if I stop pumping at work, but still nurse her in the afternoon on the weekends, if that's going to cause a problem?

danabsd

I am so incredibly excited that it is August because I plan on being officially done nursing/pumping as of August 30.

I feel very fortunate that I was able to BF with no issue for so long but I am beyond ready to be done.

Oh and the prenatals I take are $35 a month.  That's $35 a month that will likely find a home hanging in my closet.

danabsd

melody921 said:

Happy BFing Week! Still going strong here. I maintain my "nursing is great; pumping is the devil" attitude. I had to travel for work earlier this week and could not get the pump to appropriately drain one side. Talk about uncomfortable!

I have close to 600 oz in the freezer. So, my plan is to drop the one pumping session I'm doing at work and just use the freezer stash for her daycare milk (right now she takes 8 oz there then nurses AM and PM). Does anyone know, if I stop pumping at work, but still nurse her in the afternoon on the weekends, if that's going to cause a problem?

I am down to pumping once at work (from 3) and nursing AM/PM and weekends.  No issue.

I'll likely be dropping the once at work in the next week.  

MRoxy0628

harti09 said:

Still doing well! Nothing too new to report. I do have a question though. For those planning on BFing past a year, how are you going to go about adding WCM? All the talk about transitioning got me wondering, since essentially we're not replacing anything, when are you going to offer it and how - if at all?

I'm wondering this too. I'm off for the summer (sorry I keep saying that, I think I mention it every time) and when I go back to work, I was not planning on pumping and just having her drink WCM during the day. She'll be 11.5 months at that point.

Now I'm not sure. I really don't want to pump again, but I think I'll have to pump a little bit as not to get engorged. I also don't have a freezer stash at all.

I guess this whole transition is my biggest concern as she still nurses a lot both day and night. I'd like to day wean, but still bf when I'm with her. Hopefully stopping during the day won't kill my supply.

Otherwise it's going well. I'm so happy to have been able to bf her this long.

Eta: just read @Danab_sd
response. Glad to hear it hasn't been a problem for you! That makes me hopeful!

ifwisheswerefishes

Still BFing, no plan on weaning. Pumping is nearly non-existent though. I used to get close to 5 oz in about twenty minutes, now I'm lucky if I get 2. She's mostly STTN so no more night feeds except for when she's teething/sick and it's all she wants. 

jbBeans

Going well. She almost never wakes at night now, unless we're travelling, but my body hasn't figured it out yet so I'm often engorged in the am.

Just recently I started feeling a little burned out from the reality of being on call to this little person 24/7, but I still planned to BF probably until she's about 2. I know it'll be easier as she takes less milk.

I'd like to be able to give her milk without me there sometimes but she hardly ever takes a bottle and I dont really want to start that now. So I'm trying to figure out what to do--pumped milk in her sippy, WCM in sippy once in a while, etc.

linzeek44

@jbBeans E won't take milk from a bottle well, but he'll take a couple ounces from a sippy. Only like an ounce and a half, but that's better than nothing, right?

Stasi

@jbBeans and @linzeek44 Kate won't take milk from a sippy very much either...the most she's ever done is 2oz. and she's a bottle baby, so you're not alone in that camp. We're just going to keep gently trying to offer it to her and see if she'll take it. (totally lurking BTW)

linzeek44

Things are going okay here. Sunday ERy and I are going to NYC because I'm doing a teacher training on M an T. It will be his first extended time not with me, and first real time with a non-family babysitter. I'm not sure if I will really need to pump or not. The most he has really taken from a cup is about 1.5 ounces. I'm planning on nursing him when he gets up, nursing right before the training starts, and then having the babysitter bring him to me at lunch time. Then I'll nurse him when training ends, and then in the evening and before bed. Originally, I thought I'd have to step out and pump, but I think I'll be nursing him about 5 or 6 times in the day and giving a sippy (when he normally averages about 7 nursing sessions a day) so I'm not sure I'm going to need to bust out the PISA. I'm definitely bringing my pump, but I'm hoping I won't have to really use it. 

We were going to go to a big latch on event this morning, but I'm sick. And there's one tomorrow, so I'm hoping to be feeling better. Thankfully, E isn't sick too. Maybe it's the BFing antibodies?

linzeek44

@stasi Yeah, I think for E it's just the whole "milk comes from a boob, mom, geez" thing. He knows the bottle and sippy aren't the boob, so he'll only take a little if he's really hungry. I think cow's milk may be easier because he won't associate that with a boob... or at least I'm hoping that's the case, although we're not rocking the WCM until we start weaning. 

pharmer78

So sad that this will probably be the last time I contribute to this post (not that I've contributed much!). I had a horrible sinus infection/strep throat/laryngitis and after a week of fevers and poor nutrition (I could hardly swallow my own saliva!) my body decided that investing energy into making milk was a no-go.  Part of me is ok with it, since my daughter stopped breastfeeding in her 10th month too, but I'm also hugely disappointed since this is our last baby and I didn't stop BF because I was ready to stop BF.  I'm sure I could try really hard to get supplies back up but ultimately I guess I'm ready to throw in the towel on this one.  And it may be coincidence, but in this last week with almost exclusive formula intake, my son has been sleeping through the night on the regular! 

melody921

danab_sd said:

melody921 said:

Happy BFing Week! Still going strong here. I maintain my "nursing is great; pumping is the devil" attitude. I had to travel for work earlier this week and could not get the pump to appropriately drain one side. Talk about uncomfortable!

I have close to 600 oz in the freezer. So, my plan is to drop the one pumping session I'm doing at work and just use the freezer stash for her daycare milk (right now she takes 8 oz there then nurses AM and PM). Does anyone know, if I stop pumping at work, but still nurse her in the afternoon on the weekends, if that's going to cause a problem?

I am down to pumping once at work (from 3) and nursing AM/PM and weekends.  No issue.

I'll likely be dropping the once at work in the next week.  

Awesome! Glad to hear it. I can't wait to ditch the pump.

pharmer78

Oooh and putting away the pump has been AMAZING!!!! So glad for that part, but I already miss the way way he would attack the boob like it was the best thing he's ever experienced!

Jennifer Ruth

melody921 said:

Happy BFing Week! Still going strong here. I maintain my "nursing is great; pumping is the devil" attitude. I had to travel for work earlier this week and could not get the pump to appropriately drain one side. Talk about uncomfortable!

I have close to 600 oz in the freezer. So, my plan is to drop the one pumping session I'm doing at work and just use the freezer stash for her daycare milk (right now she takes 8 oz there then nurses AM and PM). Does anyone know, if I stop pumping at work, but still nurse her in the afternoon on the weekends, if that's going to cause a problem?

No, you will be fine :-)

I quit pumping at work when LO#1 turned a year old.  We nursed until he was 19 months old.  I just nursed morning, before bed, and weekends before naps.  Your body will adjust.

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Bighair12

Going strong here. Plan to start weaning around Labor Day weekend. My boss actually had the nerve to ask me to stop pumping yesterday. Blew my mind. We will make it to a year and that makes me happy. I live in the number breastfeeding state and that made me feel good.

Hyaline

DD is doing great still.  We're nursing four times a day, and on occasion once at night.

To be honest, I'm developing kind of a love-hate relationship with BF.  I still love the closeness, how easy it is to feed her, all that.  But she will NOT take a bottle, and it's starting to really wear on me that I'm responsible for her nutrition, have been for almost 11 months, and will be for the foreseeable future.  Maybe it's time to think about pushing weaning a little more than I was planning to...I'm conflicted.

Par13

Still going here - nothing new or exciting to report!

I don't have a large stash (about 30 oz) so that's always in the back of my mind making me nervous. DH spilled 4 oz the other day and I about cried! But, 1 year is right around the corner, so the ability to introduce WCM will take some of the stress off of me. 

linzeek44

@ambekirt Why did your boss ask you to stop pumping? That's odd! 

Bighair12

@linzeek44 she said it was taking a lot of time out of my day. Which is crap because I pump when I have a light patient load. She also thought I threw the milk out. She is older and tries to tell me she was able to rain her breasts to just work on the weekends. Completely silly.

bosha711

Still going well. It's very non-eventful!
She did have her first taste of WCM today though, when she stole DS's sippy cup!

Anoe1113

Still EPing.....its been 9 months. I wish I could sleep through the night, just once. I don't know if I plan on stopping.

jbBeans

Hyaline said:

DD is doing great still.  We're nursing four times a day, and on occasion once at night.

To be honest, I'm developing kind of a love-hate relationship with BF.  I still love the closeness, how easy it is to feed her, all that.  But she will NOT take a bottle, and it's starting to really wear on me that I'm responsible for her nutrition, have been for almost 11 months, and will be for the foreseeable future.  Maybe it's time to think about pushing weaning a little more than I was planning to...I'm conflicted.

Yes, this is sort of how I've been feeling. I do think it'll pass as she gradually takes less milk. Many women I've spoken to who EBFed beyond a year have said that by 18ish months it's mostly morning and bedtime feeds, sometimes a nap. Already I can tell that Linden can do longer stretches.

linzeek44

ambekirt said:

@linzeek44 she said it was taking a lot of time out of my day. Which is crap because I pump when I have a light patient load. She also thought I threw the milk out. She is older and tries to tell me she was able to rain her breasts to just work on the weekends. Completely silly.

Bizarre. 

Gray99

Going good here. After next week DS will be 11 months and so I plan to start transitioning myself to not pump. I pump 4xs a day. 3 at work and 1 at night. I have enough stash to start mixing in WCM so that's what he's having while I'm away. I still plan to allow him to hopdully self wean and continue to nurse till around 2.

It's sort of bitter sweet right now. I can't wait to ditch the pump, but after DSs first bday I go back to work full time. I never thought I would be the person that wanted to give up their career especially after everything I did to get my degrees.

biggdaddy4605

Still going strong here!  Although, I think DD's teething finally and bit me a few times today with her gums.  I have about 40 oz frozen but it never gets used because DD has always refused bottles and really hasn't taken to a sippy at all.  Any suggestions for getting her to drink from a sippy would be great!  Oh, and we don't plan on weaning any time soon as long as my supply stays.

mrsbhk22

I'm looking forward to dropping down to 1 pumping session the 3 days a week that I work. Honestly, I'm really excited that she's approaching 1 and we are almost done. I've nursed kids for a total of 33 months and counting. I'm beyond ready to have my body back and have less guilt when I leave DD.

While on vacation this week, we learned that DH can calm her down in the middle of the night with a nice butt pat. It'll be nice when he can calm her at night when we are home sometimes too.

We have 400oz in the freezer. She's now getting 1 sippy a day of milk from the freezer to help with the transition.

I'm very happy we've made it this far, but I'm ready for 12 months to get here. She hates bottles so I don't think that will be a hard transition.

I'm going to take my pump into a field and smash it office space-style.

Flamingemu

Still going here as well. L just started skipping a bottle at DC this week. She only took it once. I am assuming this is permanent. If so, I will start dropping a pump session at work in the next week or so. I plan to continue BFing after a year at least morning and night, but I am so sick of pumping. I am also starting to eat healthier again, I really need to stop eating like a teenage boy or I am going to gain a shitton of weight when I ween. I am not looking forward to eating like a normal person or my period returning. I haven't bought tampons in almost 2 years - ha!

ellebee2

mrsbhk22 (and all you other pumpers). You deserve it!!

[Deleted User]

rachelandjon09 said:

Still BFing, no plan on weaning. Pumping is nearly non-existent though. I used to get close to 5 oz in about twenty minutes, now I'm lucky if I get 2. She's mostly STTN so no more night feeds except for when she's teething/sick and it's all she wants. 

This is us too. We nurse AM, PM and right before bed. On the weekends she usually nurses 2x more during the day as well. 

We will probably intro WCM a bit after 1 year and get her off formula for daycare. 

jayja2007

It's going better than last week. No more sore Boob's! We've been trying to get her used to drinking milk from a sippy cup but no luck so far. Other than that I still live it but I'm also ready to wean. Only have less than a month until she's a year old then we will start weaning.

britt1217

Still going strong. The biting is the only real challenge at this point. DD doesn't do it that often but when she does OMG does it hurt. I think she's learning when I tell her "no bite" and take her off the boob. Sometimes she cries for a second but then she's fine.

amandad715

Positives-still going strong; nursing 5-6x a day, despite some MOTN wakeups and extra feedings last week. Is there an 11m growth spurt? Or maybe it's the 2 new teeth poking in? I don't know but nothing worked but nursing him. I love the cuddles (not really at 2am but whatever) and I am trying to soak it up and bottle it, since school starts again next week. Negatives-we were out of town this weekend and I had to pull out the pump. Which reminded me that I don't like to pump,I would rather just nurse. (Sidenote-HUGE props to the EPers.) which then reminded me that I am going back to work next week and I need to come up with a plan. A WCM/sippy-vs-bottle/weaning/pump-at-work???/do-I-have-enough-of-a-freezer-stash plan. ::sigh:: ( (