September 2015 Moms
kzangs15
member
Who's still breastfeeding?
kzangs15
member
LO is almost 10.5 months and I'm still breastfeeding but have been starting to contemplate weaning. I love breastfeeding, but am really tired of pumping at work and now that he has a few teeth, I've been bitten a few times (which hasn't been a big deal yet, but my nipples have been sore afterward). My supply has also shrunk since he's eating solids. I hate to give it up though since it's such an easy way to calm him and put him to bed. Anyone else feeling the same way?
I'm also wondering, which I'll ask the pediatrician, since he'll be so close to a year, do I supplement with formula until then or are liquid vitamins sufficient? He's eating all foods, so I wonder if we can go right to whole milk.
I'm also wondering, which I'll ask the pediatrician, since he'll be so close to a year, do I supplement with formula until then or are liquid vitamins sufficient? He's eating all foods, so I wonder if we can go right to whole milk.
Re: Who's still breastfeeding?
Good luck with whatever you choose!
Married 2013
Kiddo #1: Sept 2015
BFP: 1/19, EDD: 9/30
"I'm having fruit salad for dinner. Well, it's mostly just grapes, actually. Ok all grapes. Fermented grapes. Fine, I'm having wine for dinner."
Right now I only nurse in the morning, sometimes MOTN, occasionally for afternoon nap, and I pump before bedtime. I plan to keep that up for a while longer maybe until 18 months. Maybe until her 2nd birthday. Not sure yet. Just going with it.
She gets supplemental nutmilks, and camel milk as of right now--not formula. She eats a TON of solids (more than me some days!) so I'm not really worried about nutrition. I would let her just eat and have water if she drank enough water. I only give her milk in addition to breastfeeding because I want to make sure she's hydrated.
BFP September 2013 - MMC at 12 weeks
BFP February 2014 - early loss/CP at 4.5 weeks
BFP May 2014 - MMC/ complete molar pregnancy at 11 weeks
BFP December 2015 - DD born 8/18/2015
BFP November 2016 - pending...
LO reverse cycled when I went back to work but I think the middle of the night feeds made breastfeeding successful for me. (Or that is what I tell myself when people gasp that LO doesn't sleep through the night. LOL). The number of middle of the night feeds has been going down so I do feel like we are in the process of weaning. Just not sure how long it will take.
My day time supply certainly had ups and downs with pumping. I can't wait until that is over. However, I feel like the pressure to make enough milk is off now because he is doing so well on solids. That has made it easier to keep going though. If I have a bad pump, I don't stress anymore. I have a freezer stash or he can eat more solids if I am just an ounce short.
I am going to add organic almond and whole cows milk to my milk once we start getting into the freezer stash. Looking forward to having my body back before we start trying for number two. Can't wait to diet and work out hard since I couldn't do that due to how it affected my supply.
I am also having some mom guilt. I feel selfish for wanting to quit. But I have exclusively pumped for more than 11 mos due to his issues latching. It's exhausting. I'm thankful for busting my ass on my freezer stash, but I also look at it and think about all the time I lost building it. Time I could have spent with DS or DH. All the times i stressed to keep DS occupied long enough to finish. Or DH putting him to bed cuz I was pumping. How much extra I had to work from home to keep afloat because I lost 5 hours a week at work to pumping. It's all so complicated.
Hopefully we'll at least make it to a year, then wean together when the time is right for both of us :-)
I plan to wean at a year; I dropped one of the two work pumping sessions last week because I was literally only getting drops at that second session. I dropped the final work pumping session this week since I was only making 1 oz. a session and it just wasn't worth it anymore. I had tried everything to increase my supply, but nothing was working (can't fight ovulation-related hormones!). I had oversupply prior to my period coming back at 5 months, and my supply has been decreasing ever since.
I plan to continue to nurse LO in the morning and at night before bed until his first birthday when I'll switch to cow's milk. I'm going to continue to give him formula during the day until he reaches one year. My pediatrician said not to introduce cow's milk until a year, so I'm just doing formula in the meantime.
LO is eating three large meals a day now, in addition to breastmilk and formula. He's satisfied!
I am thrilled to be done pumping! But I know I'll miss my morning and evening nursing sessions, when LO is sleepy and actually enjoys it. I know I could keep going with just those sessions, but I'm also ready to be done, considering we'll be trying for baby #2 in December and I want my body back for a few months at least before I'm pregnant again!
Yes - I already notice them drooping when I'm not full
My supply has dipped, but I'm not concerned, because it's been gradual as LO eats more of her meals, and nurses less in the day.
J pretty much just nurses at nap and bedtime - with an occasional snack. He is all solids for three meals a day, so I'm sure my supply has dropped (and when I pump I only get about 1/2 ounce per breast in ten minutes), but I see 12 months (my goal) in sight!! He has stopped taking a bottle, so pumping is just for an emergency stash at this point, too.
Congrats to all you breastfeeding mamas out there! Whether it is 12 weeks or 12 months, it's hard work!!
(FYI: I dropped one session at a time, so dropped one session, then waited a week before dropping the other.)