Nursing moms, what's the plan?

runrinserepeat

It sounds like we've got a lot of moms who are still nursing their kiddos. Have you given any thought to what you're going to do in the next couple of months?

I'm really not liking the idea of tandem nursing. But my toddler is still very attached to nursing. I was really hoping my supply would tank, but I'm starting to think that might not happen (or that DD just won't care and will still want to comfort nurse if it does). I always said I wouldn't be done until she was ready, but now I feel like both of my choices (tandem nurse or wean her before she's ready) kind of stink... Just wondering how everyone else is planning to approach this?

rboisvert

I'm hoping that DD weans on her own.  I've been putting more limits on her (not when others are over, not in public etc) in hope of starting her down the road.  I have no illusions that if she does wean she wont have a sudden interest again when baby is here.  So I guess I really have no plan other than I'm not really into tandem either.

iris427

Ugh. I really don't want to tandem nurse. My son seems to be losing interest a little bit, but not enough that I think he will wean himself in the next few months. I weaned my daughter when I was pregnant but he seems more resistant. I may start bribing with candy.

pfeilele

I'm thinking he'll wean on his own. I'm kind of force feeding him until at least after the holidays (being around a ton of sick people). If he still isn't completely weaned by May, then I'll help him with that. I have no desire to tandem, and I have this phobia about low supply so that doesn't help either.

AutumnBonfire

I have no plans to tandem nurse. It was hard enough nursing a newborn all the time without trying to do the same with a toddler. I'm letting DS self wean for now. We're down to once a day and that's getting shorter. So we'll see what happens. I honestly don't think he'd miss it if I just stopped. 

allardr

I weaned before getting pregnant. I feel it's a lot on a body to breastfeed & grow another child. Not that it can't be done, I actually am impressed with you ladies

LPetra

Still going over here, usually 4x a day.  Starting a week ago, we offer WCM with meals.  I'm sure my supply has dipped with morning sickness, but it is still going!  LO has refused a few before-bedtime feedings after big dinners, so I don't think it will be too hard to wean her.  I am hoping it is kind of a natural process... most likely when my supply is gone.

No way on earth will I be tandem feeding.  I think 18 months is my cut off anyway.

runrinserepeat

Ha, @LPetra, my DD is 21+ months and going strong.

She doesn't drink WCM. I'm not seeing any real signs of self weaning. I'm feeling pretty SOL lately.

LPetra

@kleMcK well, crap. #-o

nursecramer

Have hope, ladies. My son weaned himself at about 20 months almost overnight. At that point, I was mainly only nursing him before nap/bedtime if he requested it, and he just quit asking. There weren't any signs of it beforehand.

bzbear2

My 22mo is still nursing but the plan is to wean him after our trip to the states for Christmas. Nursing when traveling is just so damn convenient.

paxilchyk

We're down to once a day and I'm pretty sure she'll self wean before too long. I want to make it to 18 months (3 more weeks) and then we'll see what happens.

fmb2011

We're still nursing mostly at night (and when I say at night, I mean it seems like all night long!) but I don't want to tandem nurse either so I think once we stop cosleeping (in January when we move) it will be easier to stop. At least that's what I'm hoping!

mag2point0

I have none and that got me into a lot of trouble last time. Everyone said DD would probably wean and she slowed down when my milk dried up for about 6 weeks, but picked up when the colustrum came in and then again when I had DD2. I felt guilty about weaning her when I was pregnant because it wasn't her choice and then I felt guilty weaning her when DD2 came along because I didn't want her to have any resentment towards her sister. So, I ended up tandem nursing for 10 months. It was hard.

This time I'm feeling guilty because I nursed DD1 for 3 years and I had no intention of cutting DD2 off so soon. She's not ready to wean now and I'd try 18 months but she'll be moving to a new room at day care then and those transitions are hard. So, maybe I'll tandem nurse for a few months and wean her when she turns two? Ugh. Maybe I'll get lucky and she'll wean herself if/when my milk dries up.

Kristy917

I was hoping my supply would tank too.. I want to be done by 30 weeks preg. DS is 17 months and super attached. I don't know what to do :-/ we have cut down significantly, but I would like to stop before this baby.

aboynamedbarry

About 3 months ago I started getting horrible irritation on my nipples, which literally forced me to cut her back to 1x/day. It was that or quit and she isn't ready (she's 22months) so we had cut back a lot before I got pregnant. Now sometimes we will skip a whole day, but when we do, she will often wake at night asking for it... usually I cave, but the last two weeks I decided absolutely no night nursing. I just can't handle it anymore she is so sad and that makes me sad I almost always try to offer something else if she asks and I say no, other milk, crackers etc it is getting easier and easier... so I'm hoping within the next 7 months it fades out altogether

Lottie&Paul

I don't have a plan but am hoping that my 19 month old self weans before the baby comes. I really want him to do it when he's ready, but I don't think I want to tandem nurse. I do need to do some reading about it ; maybe it is something I'd be willing to try. We'll see.

sunflower717

Within a week, I had cut down to only nursing before bed because my nipples were so sore. I don't plan on cutting that out until he seems like he wants to or I just can't take it.

vicachka7

I weaned at a year, but I'm really impressed with you moms who are still nursing!  I do have a huge fear that DD will be really pissed when I nurse the newborn and will want some too.  She loved nursing, but more for comfort than food.  We were down to once a day though for a while and the rest of the time she was drinking pumped milk since i work full-time and stopped night feeding at 9 months.  I then slowly weaned her from BM replacing one bottle with whole cow's milk per week and then I nursed her every other day, then every 3 days, etc for a couple weeks so that my supply dropped painlessly and she got used to not nursing.  She doesn't ask for it at all anymore and is totally ok without it, but I bet that will change when she sees the baby nursing.