BFing moms of 2 or more close in age

[buddyleebaby]

How long had you been BFing before you became pregnant?
Did you continue to breastfeed once you became pregnant?
If so, for how long?

[heidis2girls]

I became pregnant when Hannah was 9 months old. Hannah stopped nursing a week or so after I discovered I was pregnant. She stopped cold turkey, she just started biting me - ouch! I've heard that the hormones when you are pregnant can change the taste of the milk and some babies don't like that. Obviously Hannah didn't! Unfortunately, I had a miscarriage at 9 weeks. I was upset for all of the obvious reasons, but also because Hannah stopped nursing and I felt that it was all for nothing. I got pregnant again 4 months later and had Sarah and nursed her for 14 months.

Probably more information than you wanted, but I hope it helps!

[ribbit1019]

Um, well I just got preggo, but I am still nursing DD. She has been really mad at the breast lately though.
I think this is due to:
A- Less milk is being produced because I stopped pumping during the day.
B- The taste has changed since my hormones are raging.
C- I have less tolerance for her sliding back and then off and biting me because the girls are sore...

I had been BFing DD since birth so 12 months. And intend to do so until she wants to stop, which she did not want to eat last night before bed, but did want to this morning, so who knows.... ;)

Christy
Maddy says "Hi baby!" Such a little parrot!

http://lilypie.com/baby2/040609/3/4/0/-5/.png
Surprise!
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[buddyleebaby]

Congratulations!

[Mikesa3]

Not sure how close in age you mean.My 2nd baby was 16 months when I got pg with #3.I nursed till I was 3 months pg.I nursed till about 5 months pg with my other kids but they were older. I did find it painful around 5 months so I weaned but know it's possible to continue to nurse through a pregnancy and even tandem nurse if you want.
Nancy-Mom to 6 great kids

[Rachels]

I was still nursing my daughter when I got pregnant with this baby. She stopped nursing about 19 weeks into my pregnancy, although I had lost my milk abruptly at 12 weeks. I was definitely very tender, and then once I lost my milk it hurt like crazy. But it was a very gentle, easy ending for my nursing relationship with Abigail. She cut down of her own accord slowly and steadily with no upset. Sometimes she still says, "Nurse!" in her sleep, but she has never asked during the day or when she wakes up at all. I had been sort of hoping she would wean but also was willing to tandem nurse if she really wasn't ready to stop.

If you nurse when you're pregnant, just be prepared for a double whammy of hormones when and if your baby stops. It's common for women to go through kind of a hormonal upheaval when they wean, but weaning during pregnancy-- yowza. I was a wreck for about a week.

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02
New baby coming in October!
(Holy smokes, it's a boy!!!)


"When you know better, you do better."
Maya Angelou
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_amethyst_36m.gif
Nursed for three years!

[JMS]

I got pregnant right after Honor's first birthday. We continued to nurse until she was about 15 1/2 months old. At that point I was just so tired and it seemed my milk supply was really lagging. It also was pretty uncomfortable. I dreaded weaning b/c nursing was such a bonding experience and I really wanted to breastfeed until she was 18 months old. But looking back, weaning was fairly easy and she adapted very well. I have to admit I am thrilled to have a break from nursing and our bond is just as strong. HTH.

[nd93]

I nursed DD#1 until she was 2 and I was 7 months preg when we stopped. I nursed DD#2 until she was 20 months old, and I was again about 6 months preg when we stopped. I think the most uncomfortable part was having a toddler rest near a large, and sometimes moving, belly. But otherwise we were fine. I had no supply issues, and we weaned very easily. I did want to wean by the time the new baby came (I was not interested in nursing 2 at the same time, although people do do it) but in our cases it just happened. I guess they were ready too!

[wagner36]

Oh, that is so incredibly sweet that she says nurse in her sleep. What an incredible thing you've given her.

\

[annabellesmom]

Just curious, as I'm thinking of jumping on the ttc wagon, were any of your kids really vocal about wanting to bf? I have a hard time imagining weaning because Annabelle is so determined sometimes. She tugs on my shirt and says boob whenever she wants to nurse (boy do I regret teaching her that word) I've pretty much cut down to morning, nap and bed times but she'll ask several other times throughout the day, I try to distract her with a sippy cup and teddy grams. Anyway, I guess I'm just looking for a little encouragement that she may eventually wean herself. Sorry for the big long ramble,
TIA

[shishamo]

My #1: I bfed for about 18 months before I got pregnant, continued until 21 months (just till I finished first trimemster).

My #2: I bfed for about 20 months before I got pregnant, continued until 22 months.

I still guilty over weaning my kids, because they did not want to wean AT ALL. And my supply was pretty much gone also. I have no problem with the idea of tandem nursing, but it is quite uncomfortable to nurse when you are pregnant, and I started to loathe nursing sessions. I firmly believe that bfing should be a two way street, and both mother and a child should be comfortable in the process. When I started to not enjoying nursing, I knew I was going to wean. (I would have keep going if my children were under one, but at that point, they were both almost two)

I hope this helped somewhat :-)

[buddyleebaby]

I'm glad weaning went easily for you and Abigail.
I think my little sister was about Abigail's age when my mom "weaned"
her.
They arrived home from a family vacation and my sister asked for GAGA.
(No, my mom did not teach her that term. That's just what she called it.) My mom told her "You drank it all in Florida." My sister said "Oh.OK." and that was that.

[Rachels]

Lol. I completely sympathize. :) I never thought Abigail would wean. Even at two and a half, she was still a very prolific nurser. It was pretty amazing to see her slow down and then stop. I had started to think I might need to accompany her to college, and because I had never really imagined myself nursing beyond a year, I had no frame of reference for being the mother of an older nursing toddler. But it all worked out just fine. I honored her needs, and she stopped when she was ready.

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02
New baby coming in October!
(Holy smokes, it's a boy!!!)


"When you know better, you do better."
Maya Angelou
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_amethyst_36m.gif
Nursed for three years!

[mamicka]

NAK.

I was still nursing *a ton* when I got pregnant. DS was just over a year. We were weaned by the end of the first trimester. I'm partly sorry I weaned but I was very sick the whole first trimester that it was just too exhausting.

[C99]

I got pregnant when Nate was 19 months old. He completed the weaning process at 20-months, when I was around 9 weeks pregnant. I remember thinking "I'll never wean this kid!" when I found out I was pregnant (and due to history of PTL, I *had* to wean by 20 weeks). By then, I was only nursing once/day, before Nate's nap. I think my milk must have changed because I still remember his last nursing session: he bit me, which we hadn't done since he got his teeth, and then when I reoffered, he bit me again. I didn't offer again and he didn't ask again (until he saw me nursing Rose...he bit me that time, too... yeeeowch!).

[sbjf]

How long had you been BFing before you became pregnant?

I was breastfeeding for about 6-8 weeks when I became pregnant. My son had been sleeping large chunks of time at night, so my body got into repro mode.

Did you continue to breastfeed once you became pregnant? I sure did. I wanted to keep b'feeding for as long as my first son wanted to.

If so, for how long? Unfortunately my milk supply suffered as soon as I got pregnant. I had begun taking Reglan and Fenugreek to boost it (this was before I knew I was pg) and they helped, but then once I knew I was pg I stopped taking them and so my supply was just not what it should be for John. I continued to nurse him when he wanted but I also had to supplement with bottles (formula). By the time he was maybe 5 months old he no longer nursed. Luckily he was never a major nursing baby, did it for food and then wanted the binky to soothe suck, so the transition was very easy.

[RwnMayfair]

I had been breastfeeding for just over a year when I became pregnant with this second one, and Taran continued breastfeeding until about a week after he turned 18 months (so I was about 6 months pregnant when he stopped). He just stopped on his own - he'd pop on and then immediately pop off and exclaim, "All ga!" (Which at the time was "All done!" or "All gone!" for him.) I know it wasn't all gone, but he didn't seem to be interested anymore, and I wasn't going to force him. ;)

So basically, I only stopped breastfeeding about a month ago. ;) I had intended to go until he wasn't interested anymore, so I guess we reached that! My mother has commented several times that he may be interested again after the baby is born and he sees the baby nursing. (She's a lactation consultant.) We'll see!

It was occasionally uncomfortable to nurse Taran early on in my pregnancy, but stopped bothering me too much after awhile. I was also a little sad that he stopped, even though he chose to do so himself. I mean, I certainly didn't want him to breastfeed for forever, but at the same time, it was definitely an emotional thing when he weaned. :)

-Melissa

Taran, November 20, 2003

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_emerald_18m.gif - Eighteen months!
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