Hi everyone! Hope your long weekend was nice.
(For the purposes of this post nursing past one year is considered extended. Lurkers welcome. Questions are occasionally recycled)
1. How old is your nursing LO(s)?
2. How do you deal with nursing etiquette - biting, "twiddling" (pulling the other nipple), gymnastics, etc.?
3. Do you nurse off one side or both sides?
4. How does your DH/partner and family feel about extended BF?
5. Anything else you want to share this week. If you have a question you want me to put into rotation - please post it.
Re: Extended BF weekly check-in (5/29/13)
DD just turned 1 last week! Can't believe we made it!
1. How old is your nursing LO(s)? 12m
2. How do you deal with nursing etiquette - biting, "twiddling" (pulling the other nipple), gymnastics, etc.?
She just started twidding in the last few weeks - I hate it. I usually put my hand in front so she can't and I give her a blankie to hold.
3. Do you nurse off one side or both sides?
She nurses at 5am then again at 7:30 before DC - so 1 side for each of those, then at night both sides before bed. (I'm still pumping during the day at work but weaning from that)
4. How does your DH/partner and family feel about extended BF?
He's fine with the morning & night but both he and I are ready to be done with the pump and regular daytime feeds. He recognizes that DD isn't ready to wean yet either.
1. How old is your nursing LO(s)?
16 months
2. How do you deal with nursing etiquette - biting, "twiddling" (pulling the other nipple), gymnastics, etc.?
She doesn't twiddle thankfully, but she has to have something like a blanket or piece of clothing in her hand while she eats. She also doesn't bite me, but this past week we were in Puerto Rico and I was nursing to sleep on a plane- and I as I tried to unlatch her she CLAMPED DOWN (while asleep) and bit me so hard she drew blood. Ow.
3. Do you nurse off one side or both sides?
She usually nurses on both sides.
4. How does your DH/partner and family feel about extended BF?
DH and family love it. It's an easy way to calm her down, and why not nurse her if she wants milk?
I will say that I was in Puerto Rico last week with the family and since I was with the baby the whole time she wanted to nurse ALL the time. It was pretty annoying because no matter where I was with her, if she was with me she wanted to nurse. Also, she pulls down my shirt and loudly yells "BOOT BOOT" when she wants to nurse. It's cute but there is no need to nurse her so often anymore, she just wants it
Now back at home we're down to nursing mornings and nighttime. I don't think we'll wean anytime soon.
http://balletandbabies.blogspot.com
1. 2.5 yrs
2. He constantly tries to twiddle and I put my hand over my breast to stop it. I have to ask several times for him to stop.
3. DS nurses on both sides, although before nap he usually only nurses on one side before sleeping.
4. My DH is supportive. My family and his have no experience with extended BFing but have been kind enough to say anything about it other than to ask general curiosity-type questions.
1. 12.5 months
2. He bit when he got teeth around 4 months. It was 4 days of biting and I shut the tv off, put the iPad away and focused on him and the biting stopped. Now, once in a blue moon, he'll clamp down as he falls asleep. He doesn't twiddle too much, but if I'm wearing a necklace, he pulls at it all the time and this weekend he pulled my necklace right off and broke it.
3. Most of the time both sides
4. DH is supportive. He washed the bottles and pump parts every night for a year. He also gets DS in the middle of the night and brings him to me. He does joke that I love it so much that he's a bit worried that i'll be nursing when DS goes to kindergarten. The only thing DH doesn't like is that nursing DS is always my go-to if DS falls and gets hurt. He thinks I'm creating a softie. I've been working on this over the past month to just cuddle vs boob.
5. I absolutely love our morning nursing. I love when he unlatches with a big smile and the past couple weeks DS has been saying.. 'ah' when he unlatches like oh that was so good with a big smile. I love it. Like pp said, DS says All Done sometimes too when he's done nursing.
My son is 20 months.
He is a twiddler, but I tell him no, move his hand, cover or any combination.
He nurses from both, usually alternating frequently.
My husband sometimes wants him to wean bc he's a terrible sleeper and sometimes really clingy. But, he's usually supportive. I really only nurse in bed wake up, nap, bedtime, so it's not necessarily a topic for everyone else.
1. How old is your nursing LO(s)? 13 months
2. How do you deal with nursing etiquette - biting, "twiddling" (pulling the other nipple), gymnastics, etc.? If I give him something to hold on to he's typically fine. But if I don't have anything I'll hold his hands for as long as he'll let me. If he's twiddling a lot I'll unlatch him and say no, only had to do that a few times but it's worked.
3. Do you nurse off one side or both sides? both
4. How does your DH/partner and family feel about extended BF? They are pretty okay about it, at least haven't said anything negative to me (I don't think they would dare). DH did say something about me weaning this summer, ehh not sure about that DH.
1. How old is your nursing LO(s)? 18 months
2. How do you deal with nursing etiquette - biting, "twiddling" (pulling the other nipple), gymnastics, etc.? She's pretty good now. She used to bite, and I gently flicked her cheek and then stopped our session. She quickly figured out that she did not want to bite momma. When she is too wiggly, I ask if she's all done and then pull her off, which usually gets her to either focus or be done.
3. Do you nurse off one side or both sides? I do both sides in the morning and in the evening. During the day, I usually only do 1 side because she doesn't need to nurse for very long.
4. How does your DH/partner and family feel about extended BF? I'm not really sure... I don't really care!! Haha, but seriously at first he thought it was really weird. Now he sees how good it is for her (meaning it calms her and makes her very dependent on me!) and hasn't said anything about it for a long time.
5. Anything else you want to share this week. If you have a question you want me to put into rotation - please post it. Some days I think she's getting ready to wean b/c she isn't as interested. But other days it seems like she's constantly asking for milk. I'm not really sure what her plan is but I'm interested in finding out!
1. DS will be 17 months on Tuesday
2. He isn't a biter (thank God) but he has to dig a hole in my belly button constantly. As long as his nails are short its not a problem. When he practices his karate moves, he gets one warning then we're done. I also have to remind him I am not a to-go cup and these are not twist off tops. (sigh)
3. He nurses one side at a time.
4. DH is totally supportive. We just spent the long weekend travelling to see family and found out others also BF-d past 1 or 2 years. Everyone was very supportive, and no one minded when we nursed in public. Nursing a toddler to sleep on a plane may be my new #1 reason for extended BF-ing! LOL.
5. DS just now signed "milk" for the first time ever! I am so excited and it was the cutest thing. This is such a fun age.
1. 16 months old
2. Nothing is really working with the biting and clamping. He only does it when he's teething or has fallen asleep nursing. Sometimes I've smushed into his nose so that he has to unclamp to breathe but he freaks out. He doesn't do gymnastics and I keep the non nursing side covered so he can't get at it.
3. Both sides all the time unless you falls asleep on one side when I nurse to sleep for a nap.
4. DH is really supportive although he feels upset like I do that AF hasn't come back yet bc we want to TTC. His family is not supportive especially his dad. He is anti breastfeeding. At 8 months he told me DS was too old for nursing. I could go on and on with stories of all his ignorance and rudeness. Finally DH has told him he is not allowed to speak on the topic. My side of the family is super supportive though!