Nursing while pregnant check in

mishmosh26

i've never started a discussion thread before, but I am really curious how all you ladies are doing! We haven't had a check in since the start and while reading the crying post I saw a few had their babies wean.  I have made a lot of progress with my 28 month old.  I stopped letting her nurse all night about two weeks ago and it took her about 3 days to get used to it.  I did possibly start a new habit to help this and I reintroduced her to the pacifier.  She had given up the pacifier herself around 4/5 months.  Im sure there are some dentists that would be mad at me but I need to have my body back.  My boobs and nipples have been so sore this pregnancy!  I am still nursing DD to sleep for nap and bedtime but if I tell her it hurts at least she switches sides.  I'm planning on dropping one of the nursing sessions soon but haven't decided which yet.  Definately feeling better about our nursing situation though.

ellie111227

We are cutting back, too, but we are already down to nursing just broke naps and bed and first thing in the morning a could months ago, that just kind of happened naturally for us when she stopped asking for it other times, I think around 10 months. She's 14 months now. Maybe a month ago I transitioned her to whole milk before her morning nap because it is only two hours after she wakes up and I never seemed to have much milk by then. She won't take it in any kind of cup, even warn, but she loves it in a bottle. It's a little weird, but whatever. Then I switched her only whole milk for her second nap, too because it seemed like the next natural step and I wanted her pretty close to weaned in case my supply disappears so that isn't traumatic for her. I thought bedtime nursing would be the last to go, but the last week or so she asks for "more" when she finishes my milk, so last night I just gave her a bottle instead so she could have a bigger amount than I can give her anymore. She slept for 13 hours then, so I think it went well. She still asks for it in the morning though, and it is nice to start the day snuggling. Then we go have breakfast, so it doesn't really matter if I don't have a ton of milk for her. I am expecting my supply to drop again with cutting another feeding, but I am hoping we can keep that last session at least for a couple months. I think it is a good way for her day to start to cuddle up quietly for milk, and I'm not ready to lose that yet either. Of course, it will be fine when it happens, and I guess it would be good for her to be out of the habit of coming into our bed in the morning by the time the baby is sleeping in our room.

Sorry for the novel!

mombod

I mentioned this in the crying post but yep DS is now weaned. Right about when I hit 12 weeks. He was only down to one morning session. Im sure its a combination of supply drop, changes in the milk, and his age. We made it 20 months so Im happy with that. Only difference I noticed in myself is an onset of sore boobs. No leaking or mood changes which is great. Good luck ladies, it can be suprisingly emotional.

virginiaunicorn11

Love this post, thank you!

DS is 18 months and we have cut down from 5+/day to once before bed and once at his 5:00 am wake up (when he comes into bed with us). I am 12 weeks along and it's not super comfortable but manageable.

He still cries every now and then for "side" (his word for nursing), and I feel really guilty. My plan was to just go with the flow til 24 months then evaluate/consider weaning...but with the pregnancy, I just didn't have the energy to keep all three of us well fed with my body. 

I traveled for work a lot in a two week period, which really helped to cut down the number of nursing sessions without a fight. I may have to keep that in mind for full weaning!

halfthetree

We have cut back quite a bit as well. DD is 3 soon, and only nurses to bed now. It hurts pretty badly for the first 10 seconds, and since there is barely any milk, I ask her to stop after about 5-10 minutes. 

I got really sad yesterday, when I realized that she hadn't nursed for two days, that I offered it to her. I guess I'm not totally ready for her to wean quite yet.

MrsCaliRN

DS is 18 months and usually just feeds upon waking, right before bed and maybe once during the night if he wakes up. Everything has gone to sh*t lately though because we've been doing a lot of travelling out of state and of course with the plane rides and everything else, he's up to 2 or 3 daytime feeds now, too. I had to stop him a few times because of severe breast/nippple tenderness- almost feels like the first few months when I started breastfeeding postpartum UGH! No plans to tandem feed so little guy is definitely going to be weaned by his 2nd b-day  (mid-June, baby due late-June). Most of my girlfriends stopped around age 2 with their LOs and felt like it was a pretty natural process. I'm really banking on this because DS LOVES the breast and is showing no sign of losing interest! 

delujm0

I thought DD (18 months) had weaned last week after 2 straight nights of just wanting to be rocked, but she started up again.  I think it's just routine at this point...I may try to actually wean after we are back from holiday travel.  

keniialise

We are down to only one nursing session and that's right when she wakes up... honestly it just feels like it's out of habit at this point and she's only doing it for me. She seems to want to talk and laugh and look around it almost feels like she's just latched and not really nursing. I'll continue as long as she likes. My midwife recently told me that our milk becomes salty like during pregnancy, it's ever changing with our hormones. 

jesselayne8

i weaned DD about 10 days ago.  She was down to just bedtime and asked to nurse the first 4-5 nights but was easily distracted with extra books.  I'm pretty relieved.  I didn't enjoy nursing her anymore especially those nights when I was on the verge of vomiting.  I think I will be sad when I wear my last baby.  

MrsCaliRN

Hey @mishmosh26@virginiaunicorn11@keniialise@halfthetree  and @ellie111227
Are you all still BFing your LOs? If so, any plans on weaning or tandem BFing come June?

I weaned DS last month cold turkey and he STILL tries to reach down my shirt or grabs a breast to try to BF every now and then. @delujm0 and @jesselayne8  since you both have weaned, any set backs with your LOs? Also, did you have issues with engorgement, pain, leaking during the process? If so, how long did it last? I'm feeling full breasts now and can't figure out if it's just from the pregnancy or leftover from weaning. 

ellie111227

I'm still going, still just when dd first wakes up (she's 16 months now). She didn't ask for it for a couple days, so i thought maybe she was done, but she got back to it. She only nurses for a couple minutes though, so I think it is more about the routine and a little snuggle than it is about the milk. I have been researching tandem nursing, and I don't think it will be a big deal if she is still going when this lo is born since it is only once a day, so I'm going to just keep letting her nurse in the morning if she asks to and see what happens. If she loses interest or it gets painful for me, I'll stop, and i don't think she'll have a huge adjustment to make, but I figure as long as we are both happy with what we are doing, we'll go with it. Part of me also thinks that maybe if i am still BFing when lo is born, the first couple months won't be as awful as they were with dd. Like my nipples will be more ready or something? It doesn't make any sense, but it's helping me not dread starting over with a newborn who doesn't know what they are doing, so I'm letting myself feel that way lol. 

I bet it is nice to have a little break before the next one is born though! Especially after, what, 20 months or so for you? 

MrsCaliRN

ellie111227 said:

I'm still going, still just when dd first wakes up (she's 16 months now). She didn't ask for it for a couple days, so i thought maybe she was done, but she got back to it. She only nurses for a couple minutes though, so I think it is more about the routine and a little snuggle than it is about the milk. I have been researching tandem nursing, and I don't think it will be a big deal if she is still going when this lo is born since it is only once a day, so I'm going to just keep letting her nurse in the morning if she asks to and see what happens. If she loses interest or it gets painful for me, I'll stop, and i don't think she'll have a huge adjustment to make, but I figure as long as we are both happy with what we are doing, we'll go with it. Part of me also thinks that maybe if i am still BFing when lo is born, the first couple months won't be as awful as they were with dd. Like my nipples will be more ready or something? It doesn't make any sense, but it's helping me not dread starting over with a newborn who doesn't know what they are doing, so I'm letting myself feel that way lol. 

I bet it is nice to have a little break before the next one is born though! Especially after, what, 20 months or so for you? 

Yeah, we made it 20 months and I seriously considered tandem, but I needed a break! DS was BFing a lot, and when I started clinicals for school my schedule became really random. After an "accidental" 36 hours without BFing, I just decided to stop altogether. DS didn't even notice until Day 3 and freaked out! By then, I was committed, plus DH had been wanting me to wean for awhile. I am totally afraid of the nipple/breast pain when it comes time to BF this LO, but I think DS always had a shallow latch that I was too lazy to correct, so I'm hoping this LO will be a nice deep-latcher and the painful part will be over sooner than with DS.

Best of luck with tandem BFing! I think that is so awesome that you're going with what feels right for you and your DD  

keniialise

My DD quit on her own, literally woke up one day and was done over Christmas break. I wasn't ready, but I guess she was  my midwife was telling me that our milk changes often during pregnancy because of the hormones and she could have been turned off by the taste. I'm curious to see how she'll react to the new baby nursing, and if she will want to start up again.

mishmosh26

We are definitely still on our journey towards weaning my now 30 month old.  At nap time she still likes to nurse if we are home, but she doesn't seem to miss it if she falls asleep in the car or stroller on a walk.  We have definately made progress at night.  Every other night she has still been asking for milk but the session is often very short and she is happy to switch to just cuddles or getting tucked in tight and having me lay next to her until she's falls asleep.  Sometimes it really hurts for her to nurse now and if I tell her it hurts she is very sensitive to that and will try to relatch or will initiate just cuddling on her own.  I feel like she will be totally weaned by June. I have also been telling her that we need to save up milk for the new baby but it hasn't clicked with her yet that I will nursing the new baby.  She is very possessive of her food even when she doesn't want it, so I am interested to see how she feels about me nursing the baby.

virginiaunicorn11

Thanks for bumping this! I weaned my son almost 2 weeks ago. We were bouncing between 1-2 sessions/day, but one breast had stopped producing entirely. He was then getting really frustrated that the other also wasn't producing much - and it was all REALLY uncomfortable for me. I went away for 36 hours on a business trip, and just never nursed him again after that. (He doesn't have breast milk when I'm away, so I knew he was ok without it.) I figured, if it was a bad experience for us both, what's the point?! 

The first two days he cried a lot for it at bedtime, which was hard. But then I just explained that "mommy has no more milk. It's all gone." And offered him a cup of milk, and that did the trick. Sometimes he still asks for it and cries very briefly. I'm sad that he's sad, but I don't feel bad or regret it at all. It's helpful to hear your babe still asks for it @MrsCaliRN, though I'm sure that's hard on you, I'm sorry. 

I had planned to allow him to nurse until 2 if he chose, then re-evaluate. I honestly just feel relieved to be done. I was afraid I'd be emotional, but I wasn't.

My breasts were very sore for about 8 days, but then felt much better. No leaking or anything, just painful at the softest touch. Now they feel full in a different way, not painful, which I assume is from pregnancy.

So so great to see the mamas here making decisions (or letting their kids do it) that work for them! 

jesselayne8

No engorgement with any of my kids after weaning maybe because I wean really slowly over 6-8wks? She sees my naked boobs at this point and I'm not sure she even remembers nursing anymore.   

halfthetree

@MrsCaliRN

We actually weaned about a month ago. It was becoming so incredibly painful, and her latch was sloppy, so I called it quits. I still feel guilty, she is obsessed with my breasts now and is always trying to cuddle them. We are just figuring out the best way for her to still feel that connection she needs. So far she has replaced it with lifting up my shirt to cuddle the babies. 

ellie111227

It's great to see everyone evaluating what is working and what isn't and making decisions accordingly! I'm sure it is hard to have your kids asking for it still, for those of you in that situation, but hopefully you can feel good that you know they have this chance to find other ways to feel that connection to you before the new babies come. That's one thing that makes me question whether I am doing the right thing to keep going in case i do feel like i can't handle tandem nursing when the time actually comes and want to wean when the new one is born. 

MrsCaliRN

@keniialise I also wonder what it will be like when DS sees me BFing the new LO in June. Have you thought about what you would do if your DD somehow remembers and tries to BF alongside her sibling? I've considered starting up again and tandem BFing if DS seems really interested.

@virginiaunicorn11 We totally have the same weaning story in a way! Yeah, I feel like my breasts are super full/heavy almost as if they are still producing milk. I tried expressing maybe 2.5 weeks after the last BF session and nothing came out though, so I'm just thinking pregnancy-related fullness? DS is more easily calmed/distracted when he wants to BF now than he was 2 weeks ago, so keep at it, it gets easier!

@halfthetree So cute! My DS is completely unaware of the baby in mommy's belly. It would be adorable if he cuddled my belly the way your DD does! I agree, it's a great way to get that closeness with mommy

@ellie111227 Your DD is still so young! There was a marked change in my DS between 18 and 19 months which seemed to just feel like the right time to wean. I think he would've freaked out and weaning attempts would've failed if I had tried before that point. Maybe you can do some research on other ways to bond with you DD in preparation for weaning closer to your due date, that way you're ready when you feel it's time to stop. I wasn't 100% planning to wean, so I just made it up as I went along and DS ended up going with DH into another room when it got really tough because I didn't know what else to do!

keniialise

@MrsCaliRN oh yeah, I would definitely be all for tandem but like @jesselayne8 said mine has seen my naked breasts often and hasn't tried once. I'd be super surprised if she wanted to start again. 

delujm0

@mrscalirn no setbacks here.  DD will sometimes ask to nurse at night, but she doesn't really mean it...she also asks for water and milk and snacks and books bc it's bedtime and she's stalling haha.  I just tell her no.  I rock her for about 10 minutes and then put her in her crib, sometimes groggy and sometime fully awake and she rolls around quietly and puts herself to sleep within 20 minutes usually.  I wish she would forget entirely about nursing so that she won't get jealous when I nurse the new baby, but I don't have high hopes.  We'll see how it goes.

virginiaunicorn11

I'm open to nursing DS again if he actually needs it...we'll see, but probably not. He will be 25 months by my due date, so that's probably past the point he will need it. And I imagine it would make it harder for my body to regulate milk production, but nature is pretty smart.

 I've been able to take a chill approach to breastfeeding. I don't make any plans or have any expectations, which helps to adjust to whatever works for baby and me along the way. Last time I rarely pumped. This new kid may have to go into childcare earlier, so pumping may be needed. We'll see. 

So helpful to read these stories. Thank you for sharing, ladies, and wishing you and your children comfort and ease along the way!

mishmosh26

At my doctor appointment last Friday she told me that she wanted me to stop nursing.  I had been having braxton hicks contractions this pregnancy, and had none with my first.  She said while I may have some BH anyway and it's not a problem she didnt want to add to it with nursing now. She said she didn't want to see my water break at 28 weeks and leave us wondering if it was the nursing that caused it. I felt like this was a scare tactic, and they were trying to cover their own behinds.  This was my first time seeing this doctor and I don't think she is the most BF friendly in the group, however I have followed her advice.  It has been a week now since we weaned and I didn't suffer from any engorgment or pain.  Also the BH contractions have almost completely gone away, I only have had a couple in the last few days. So maybe her advice had more merit than I originally wanted to think.  DD has only asked for milk a couple times at bedtime but doesn't fight when we tell her no and give water instead.  Only a few tears were shed by me in realization that my little girl is growing up.  All in all the final stage of weaning wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

virginiaunicorn11

@mishmosh26 It sucks to feel bullied into decisions. I'm sorry you had to experience that. I'm glad the weaning went pretty smoothly, though, and the BH have lessened.

My son has started asking to nurse again, in the mornings. It's been almost a month since he last nursed!! I was able to re-read my previous post, which was a relief. I was starting to second guess weaning, but no. It was the right decision. But man, way to trigger the guilt, kid!!

ellie111227

@mishmosh26 I'm sorry you didn't feel supported by your doctor. That sucks. I'm glad weaning hasn't been too bad for you and your son though. It sounds like it was probably the right decision for you even though it came about in a not great way.

I thought dd might be weaning last week because she didn't want to nurse from one side in particular every time she tried it and only was on the order side for a few seconds. I think my milk on one side has changed to colostrum, maybe, and she didn't like it as much. She seems to have gotten used to it though, because she is beck to doing a few minutes on each side every morning. We'll see what happens.

mishmosh26

@ellie111227 and @virginiaunicorn11 Thanks for the support!  I like my primary doc a lot, but trust all the doctors in the group, some are just a little more matter of fact about things.  I like to be presented with the facts but feel like I make my own decisions.  Adding extra cuddle/lap time has helped us transition too! Good luck to both of you!

ellie111227

Well, if looks like I am done! Dd hasn't asked to nurse in four or five days, and i am feeling no fullness at all, so I doubt she'll get anything if she tries again. I was pretty sad about the thought of her weaning and being so grown up the first time she ever skipped a day a month or two ago, but so far her actually weaning this week hasn't felt particularly emotional for me. Maybe it hasn't hit me yet, or maybe growing her new brother/sister is just wearing me out too much to care lol. How is everyone else doing?

mishmosh26

Glad it went well @ellie111227!