Breastfeeding
kittylove
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Nursing Toddler Check In
kittylove
member
Welcome to our FIRST nursing toddler check in! Everyone is welcome here and this is to be a supportive group. I also would like it if people could not be anti formula, milk and weaning, I hope that isn't to much to ask. I hope eveyone gets something out of this group. Check ins will be on M and Th, at 11eastern time (I live on the west coast so 8am works well for me).
QOTD:
1) Why are you nursing a toddler? Was it a choice you made long ago or did you get to a year and just decide to not give it up?
2) What do you think is the best part of nursing beyond the age of one?
3) Got any questions? Post them and I will use them in check ins.
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Re: Nursing Toddler Check In
Hi:-)
1) Why are you nursing a toddler? Was it a choice you made long ago or did you get to a year and just decide to not give it up?
My son is one year and one week old. I planned on nursing until his first birthday, but I'm still going. I'm not quite sure how to go about weaning, and he seems to still be interested in nursing, so we're still going strong!
2) What do you think is the best part of nursing beyond the age of one?
Hmm, this is a selfish one, but I enjoy the weight loss. Also, it is comforting to my son, and I know breastmilk has a nice amount of fat, so nutritionally I think it's good for him.
3) Got any questions? Post them and I will use them in check ins.
1) Why are you nursing a toddler? Was it a choice you made long ago or did you get to a year and just decide to not give it up? At 6 months I almost weaned, DS wasn't having it though and instead at 8 months I simi-night weaned/sleep trained with the plan to be done at 12 months. DS then went through a biting phase and so then I really wanted to wean but after two days of following strict nursing advice from a LC, he stopped. Now nursing is wonderful! I love it and if I try to skip a feed hell ensues. So I am a BFing a toddler!
2) What do you think is the best part of nursing beyond the age of one? I love the quite bonding time. DS is high energy and loves to run and play. I love that it is a time for snuggles and I like that he is so attached to me because of it.
3) Got any questions? Post them and I will use them in check ins.Ok, seeing a check-in "in action" is helpful to answer my question from the prior post about whether people would be interested in a check-in.
1) Why are you nursing a toddler? Was it a choice you made long ago or did you get to a year and just decide to not give it up?
Because my DD's need to nurse is not yet filled. Because we both still like to. Because the immunities are great for her.
Once we got to a year, I wanted to go to at least 18 mo. Once we got there, I had my eye on at least keeping it up thru our big overseas trip (knew it would be helpful to have in my toolbox), when she was 20 mo.
Also, after 18 mo I always kind of had my eye on at least 2 years, because that's what the World Health Organization recommends...
But in large part, because it's just something we do every day (on the days we're together--have had some separate trips lately) and it just continues to be normal.
2) What do you think is the best part of nursing beyond the age of one?
-Nursing is such a great thing to have in your mothering toolbox. It soothes all of life's upsets. She can be having a meltdown and life is just not going her way, and then I say, "want to have more sides?" (what she calls it) and she says "YEAH." Like she didn't even know that's what she needed until I suggested it, but it was exactly right. And we nurse, and are close, and she is calm and happy afterward.
-When they get a stomach bug and won't eat. Breastmilk is considered a "clear liquid" and it's been the only thing my DD will keep down when she gets a bug. So glad I was still nursing at that time.
I am so glad to hear that! I was a little put off by your question at first to be honest. I hope my answer below and this post helps.
QOTD:
1) Why are you nursing a toddler? Was it a choice you made long ago or did you get to a year and just decide to not give it up?
My goal was always to make it to 1 year. There was a time I remember so clearly in the very beginning before we got the hang of it when I sat on the bed crying and convinced I couldn't do this. That picture seems so far away but it is so clear in my head. Once we made it past a year I figured lets see what happens from here and now I'd like to make it to 2. I don't know how much longer he'll want to go but every time I think he's finished he surprises me.
2) What do you think is the best part of nursing beyond the age of one?
DS is very active and as a working mom I appreciate the time we have together where everything is calm for once. I love that one on one time so much and even though I know there are other ways we can have that calm bond, this one is more special to me.
3) Got any questions? Post them and I will use them in check ins.
1) Why are you nursing a toddler? Was it a choice you made long ago or did you get to a year and just decide to not give it up?
My DS seems to need the milk and the cuddling, so we keep going. It's an easy way to get him to go back to sleep at night and a great way for us to reconnect after a workday. I knew I would go beyond a year old, but I thought between 18 months and 2 years I would work to wean by 2. Now that I see my daughter at 2, I doubt we'll be ready to wean when my DS is 2. That and I have no idea how to wean.
My DD has also started latching on (finally!), but she only takes a drink or two then is done. I have wanted to nurse her since she came home to help solidify the bond since we adopted.
2) What do you think is the best part of nursing beyond the age of one?
Bonding, cuddles, ability to soothe quickly, nutrition during illness, strong immune system.
3) Got any questions? Post them and I will use them in check ins.
When and how do you plan to wean? Any good resources you've heard are helpful?
Do you get family/friend support on ExtBF?
What does your LO call nursing?
How many calories do you have to eat to keep up with toddler nursing?
Do you worry about supply problems?
Have you done any extended trips away from LO (or do you plan to)? Will you pump?
1. My son is now just over 19 months and shows no signs of wanting to stop, so we continue 2x/day. I wanted to make it to atleast 1 year....
2. My son enjoys it and it is comforting to him. Very few illnesses.
3. Question....how do I wean him completely from morning/night time sessions? Any tips on how to do this as painlessly as possible for him? I am getting ready to be finished now before we get ready for #2.
1) Why are you nursing a toddler? Was it a choice you made long ago or did you get to a year and just decide to not give it up?
I guess I always planned to nurse for 2 years - especially when I found out that I was (almost certainly) nursed for at least 2 years. My mom passed away when I was fairly young, and my baby book was destroyed...so I don't really know a whole lot about how I was mothered when I was really young. Anyway, I had figured I'd nurse to 2 years before I found that out, but that somehow reinforced my desire. (Now if only someone would tell me how my single mother-of-two young children got through rough nights....)
2) What do you think is the best part of nursing beyond the age of one?
The best parts for us have been:
a) being able to "press pause" in the middle of a shiddy day. Some days I just need to zone out for a few minutes after battling DS, or just plain running around like a mad woman...I mean toddler mom! It's nice to sit and snuggle him and have some quiet time. Plus I can usually get him laughing toward the end of a nursing, no matter how bad things were beforehand.
b) the illness stuff, as a pp said. He's had a couple stomach bugs during which he gave up solids completely and mostly gave up water, too. Being able to nurse - and knowing he lived on breastmilk alone for most of his first year (he was pretty slow to start eating solids) - takes a lot of worry out of it for me. Plus he hasn't seemed to skip a beat - he throws up or whatever and keeps running around laughing. Crazy kid :-)
1) Why are you nursing a toddler? Was it a choice you made long ago or did you get to a year and just decide to not give it up?
I thought that I'd want to go past one, but never knew just how important that would be to me until we'd gotten through the first few months. It just seems like the natural thing to do at this point - kiddo is still a frequent nurser and we both still really enjoy it so why not?!
I like what someone said above about it being a good tool in the mothering toolbox - I think it's even more important as kiddo gets more independent that he's able to reconnect and settle in such a quick and easy way.
2) What do you think is the best part of nursing beyond the age of one?
Well, it's only been 3 days but...now that kiddo is more mobile and "busy" it's nice to have a few quiet moments here and there with him. And I'll never get over just how cute that milky little grin is looking up at me.
I'm also glad to still be able to provide the nutritional benefits (we haven't tried cow's milk yet and will likely wait for some time) as well as the health benefits.
Plus no matter what, I always have a handy snack on the go ;-)
3) Got any questions? Post them and I will use them in check ins.
I'm very curious as to how often others are nursing and when you started to notice a decrease. I'm also wondering about how others have handled cow's milk, especially with a frequent nurser. And I'm wondering if anyone else is TTC - we would like to but AF is still MIA. I'd love to hear nursing while pregnant or tandem nursing stories too as I'm hoping I'll get pregnant in the next year and be able to keep on nursing kiddo #1.
Breastfeeding Counselor with Breastfeeding USA
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1) Why are you nursing a toddler? Was it a choice you made long ago or did you get to a year and just decide to not give it up?
I knew that I wanted to nurse to a year even before DS was born, but as we got closer to his birthday and all the swine flu mess this year, I decided it was important to keep nursing through the winter as much as possible. So we'll hopefully get till then and maybe even further.
2) What do you think is the best part of nursing beyond the age of one?
the best thing is NOT PUMPING! Seriously, it made my life so much more relaxed to not have to constantly stress about having time to pump at work/home. Now we just nurse in the am/pm on work days and he nurses a couple of times on the weekend during the day.
I also love having my "tool" to calm him down, and I enjoy passing on immunities and all the other good stuff. Plus I don't worry that he doesn't really drink much cow's milk yet (although that's what he gets at school now).
1) Why are you nursing a toddler? Was it a choice you made long ago or did you get to a year and just decide to not give it up?
My goal was 1 year. Then after a year I just figured I would see how it went and here I am nursing a nearly 21 month old!
I try to practice don't offer, don't refuse. We are pretty much just down to mornings and before bed though he occasionally asks for it other times.
As much as sometimes I'm ready to be done, I'm hoping to let him self wean because he's such a sensitive little guy.
2) What do you think is the best part of nursing beyond the age of one?
I definitely have more than one....
The snuggles and downtime to hold my busy busy guy
It's a great tool to calm down an angry/tantruming/hurt toddler
Illness. Thankfully DS has only had one BAD cold but BM/nursing was all he would take and I really think it made his more comfortable and aided his recovery.
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I'm glad to have this check in....sometimes I feel like I'm the only person nursing an almost 2 year old. No one in my circle of friends or at work made it much past 6 months.
Thanks for putting this together!
1) Why are you nursing a toddler? Was it a choice you made long ago or did you get to a year and just decide to not give it up?
My goal was to make it to one year. Now, I just want to keep going as long as I can. I'll go as long as he wants to continue. I nurse him 2-3 times a day and it is great.
2) What do you think is the best part of nursing beyond the age of one?
The bonding. He doesn't let me cuddle with him very often and nursing is our time to cuddle. I also like knowing that I made it to one year and beyond. When he was born, I kept saying to myself if I can make it to when I go back to work, then great. It's now going on 17 months. Plus, when he is upset or sick, he relaxes and I can tell that he is very comforted by nursing.
3) Got any questions? Post them and I will use them in check ins.
My main question is how to people deal with others saying "You're STILL nursing?" I get it from my family and co-workers. It's none of their business, but I'm sick of all the unsolicitated comments. Because of that, I've become very secretive about nursing him yet. I don't talk about it anymore.
1) Never really thought about it, honestly. DH and I both came from families of extended breastfeeding and we agreed I'd nurse as long as our LO(s) wanted. Our first major hurdle was me getting pregnant, but we agreed, given DD's affinity for the breast, that it would be an easier transition if we continued nursing.
2) It is a good time to relax and reconnect. And it is the only thing DD will eat/drink when she is sick. I can't imagine how much more stressed I'd be if we didn't have the option of nursing. . .or how much sicker she would get.
3) ????
Hi!
1. I got to a year and it seemed insane to wean him and I just figured I'd go until he self-weaned. I have a lot of friend still nursing past one year. I also read a lot and talked to people from different cultures and made the choice for both of our benefits. My goal was 1 year, but why in the would you take something that your child enjoys away from him just because some guide recommends it? Especially since it's so good for him.
It's also the superhero mothering tool. Calming, nutricious, sleep inducing, loving, illness preventing, bonding, teething and other pain remedy, healing, always available, and always able to keep down:) FREE!!!!
2. It's easy, and he is super confident and independent. I also no longer pump.
"it's also the superhero mothering tool. Calming, nutricious, sleep inducing, loving, illness preventing, bonding, teething and other pain remedy, healing, always available, and always able to keep down:) FREE!!!!"
well said!!!