breastmilk question

exhausted8

For those of you with other young children. Maybe this is a silly question, but will you give your older child any breast milk? DS is turning 2 next week so its not like he is going to know the difference, except I think breast milk is sweeter than cow's milk?

 Remembering from last time around, I had a pretty good milk stash going and think I could afford one cup a day for DS. The nutritional benefits are there, so it's still good for him, right? I know that there are moms who still breastfeed at his age, so why not?

Guess I'm just asking if anyone else has thought about this?

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principessa81

I certainly don't see anything wrong with it. I'm not sure yet if I will give breast milk to Tony, simply because my supply kind of dwindled by the time Tony was six months old hopefully the same thing won't happen with this LO, but you never know. We will probably play it by ear.

exhausted8

principessa81:

I certainly don't see anything wrong with it. I'm not sure yet if I will give breast milk to Tony, simply because my supply kind of dwindled by the time Tony was six months old hopefully the same thing won't happen with this LO, but you never know. We will probably play it by ear.

 Yeah, I thought about this too. I would only give it to him if I find that I have a good supply and an ample stash in the freezer. 

agytay

I'm not planning to. The componets of BM change as the child grows, so it is most suitable for the NB and not my toddler (note, I'm not saying that there are no benefits for the toddler to have it).

Also, I have already weaned my toddler and I don't want him to regress. BM will be for baby only and cow's milk is for big kids. Oh and I have heard that when a toddler sees a baby nursing, they sometimes want to nurse to, but we will cross that bridge when we get there. 

exhausted8

agytay:

I'm not planning to. The componets of BM change as the child grows, so it is most suitable for the NB and not my toddler (note, I'm not saying that there are no benefits for the toddler to have it).

Also, I have already weaned my toddler and I don't want him to regress. BM will be for baby only and cow's milk is for big kids. Oh and I have heard that when a toddler sees a baby nursing, they sometimes want to nurse to, but we will cross that bridge when we get there. 

I was wondering about that. I only BF DS for three months and had to stop due to work. So, he doesn't remember nursing, but I know he is going to be soo curious as to what baby is doing. I can absolutely picture him trying to copy the baby when wanting my attention or something. I am hoping to use this to show him that he is a big boy and doesn't do everything that baby does.

Ooglybear

If DD asks to nurse I will probably let her. My sister let my nephew try to nurse again with #2 but she said it was like he forgot how to suck so he quickly lost interest. I don't think DD will really try, but she might try to nurse her dolls. lol. I don't plan on giving her expressed milk b/c pumping sucks.

katie6/26/04

It's a good question.  If I have the same supply I did last time I would definitely consider it because I had a good freezer stash.  DS is 5 so if I did it would only be in a cup mixed with cows milk.  It might be handy if he's sick or during flu season.

AshleyR2452

I don't really see anything wrong with it, but I probably won't.  I had major milk production issues with DD, so unless I have a ton leftover (which I don't see as likely) this time, all the BM will be going to the baby.

exhausted8

Ooglybear:

If DD asks to nurse I will probably let her. My sister let my nephew try to nurse again with #2 but she said it was like he forgot how to suck so he quickly lost interest. I don't think DD will really try, but she might try to nurse her dolls. lol. I don't plan on giving her expressed milk b/c pumping sucks.

I won't let DS try to nurse, it has been too long and I think it would be too strange for me. If I had continued to nurse him for longer I might feel differently, but I would only give it to him in a sippy cup. I am going to be pumping anyway for building up my stash for going back to work, and then continued pumping at work. But, I definitely agree with you, pumping does suck.

UberBiz

If my daughter was younger, I MAY have considered it, but she is 7, and pretty far removed from the whole nursing thing even though we BF'd til she was 2 1/2. If she wants to taste it, I'll let her try it, but I won't offer it to her.

mollyskywalker

Hmmm...this never even occurred to me. I doubt that I will.

elbou

exhausted8:

agytay:

I'm not planning to. The componets of BM change as the child grows, so it is most suitable for the NB and not my toddler (note, I'm not saying that there are no benefits for the toddler to have it).

Also, I have already weaned my toddler and I don't want him to regress. BM will be for baby only and cow's milk is for big kids. Oh and I have heard that when a toddler sees a baby nursing, they sometimes want to nurse too, but we will cross that bridge when we get there. 

I was wondering about that. I only BF DS for three months and had to stop due to work. So, he doesn't remember nursing, but I know he is going to be soo curious as to what baby is doing. I can absolutely picture him trying to copy the baby when wanting my attention or something. I am hoping to use this to show him that he is a big boy and doesn't do everything that baby does.

It never occurred to me to give my oldest breastmilk when my second was nursing. I doubt I will do it this time either. Re: the bolded above...DD1 was definitely interested in trying to nurse again. She was about 2 years old at the time. (I only BF her for about 12-15 months, and stopped around when I got pregnant again I think.) I explained to her that nursing is how her baby sister got her food, and I let her try it once DD2 was finished (I think). She liked the snuggley part of it, but was perfectly satisfied with only trying it once. She was too active to like laying down to nurse for very long, and probably didn't get very much.

I'm not sure if I will let them try that again now. (DD1 is almost 6, DD2 is almost 4.) They have seen lots of babies nursing and haven't been too curious, so it may not even come up. We'll see how it goes.