Need encouragement...
So I'm thinking of stopping. DD has been biting and its starting to hurt more to BF. Also, I really want my body back. Exercise has been a struggle for me with the engorged feeling & trying to time it around when DD has last nursed. And then when I do exercise, my supply dips and we have some more frustration. AND I want to be able to be gone from her for longer stretches without the worry & uncomfortable feeling. Oh - and DH is scared of even touching my boobs, so sex hasn't been as fun (or as frequent) for either of us. I don't know how you all BF for so long! I'm so impressed.
I had originally planned to get to 6 months (YAY! We did it!) then I thought I would try for a full year - but I'm feeling discouraged now. Thinking maybe I could stick with a morning and evening feeding? Maybe I could start pumping more? I don't want to give up - but part of me is soooo ready. And I really really hate getting bit.
Re: Need encouragement...
I can not begin to tell you how many times I thought about stopping with DS prior to him deciding to wean himself at 14months and even now with DD. Here are a couple of ways I managed/manage some of the struggles that you are having.
Exercise: I am back exercising with DD and understand your frustration....I am a distance runner. I have been nursing/pumping prior to exercising and then again when I get home...it helps with engorgement and I have not had any issues with supply. It takes some time but you will find what a routine that works for you...I was eventually able to train for a marathon while nursing/pumping with DS.
DH and Boobs: DH is all about my new appearance but he is definitely uncomfortable with them. It was again something that took time and some experimentation (on my part) but I found that wearing a nice bra when we have sex works.
You need to do what is best for you....breastfeeding is not supposed to be a miserable experience. If you elect to stop I strongly suggest doing it slowly as engorgement can be very difficult and it also allows you to change your mind. You made it six months, you can do anything you put your mind to.
Ah, the trials and tribulations of breastfeeding. Sometimes it can be effortless, other times it's amazingly frustrating! What have you tried to get her to stop biting? When does she bite the most? We went through this phase too- she would bite when she was not really eating, just nursing for comfort...so I had to start paying more attention to when she was done and I would unlatch her before she could bite. The times I missed the cues and she bit me, I pulled her off immediately, said "NO BITING" very firmly and stopped nursing- whether or not she was done. I would resume about 10 minutes later, and after 2 weeks she got the idea. She hasn't bitten me in about 2 months.
My personal feeling about breastfeeding is this- never give up on a bad day. If I am having problems, I try all that I can to correct them, and if that still doesn't work and I still want to stop or change what I am currently doing, then I can do so without regrets (because I know I've tried everything). I know that once I stop I can't start again so I want to make sure I've explored every avenue before I make the final decision to wean (or nurse/pump less). You can also contact your local La Leche League leader for more suggestions on how to stop the biting and your other concerns. GL!
I only nurse morning and evening now. It started out because she was biting, disinterested, etc. That was right around 6 months. I would bawl my eyes out because she would bite, hit or just refuse to nurse.
Now that I'm working it works really well for us. I just give formula during the day. I buy the RTF cans with the formula checks and it ends up being really cheap. When I was at home I felt guilty feeding her bottles when I was there but it was such a struggle to nurse her.
I am happy with my decision to do 1/2 and 1/2, it's really worked out well for us and I get her at the times she normally nurses best.
I hope you can find something that works for you.
Francesca Pearl is here! Josephine Hope is almost 3!
I understand wanting your body back and have definitely felt frustrated with BFing. I started to nurse only first thing in the morning, early evening and before bed (and sometimes in the middle of the night) at 10 months. When I dropped down to about 3X/24hr, I felt much less stressed about nursing and now I think I'll continue to nurse 2-3x a day for at least a couple more months.
Do whatever works for you! I was so stressed out thinking about cutting down on nursing sessions and supplementing with WCM, but everything has worked out for the best and DD and I are both happy.