Extended Breastfeeding
Welcome to Breastfeeding Experiences!
If there is one subject liable to divide opinion between breastfeeding mothers, it is that of extended breastfeeding. Whatever we take "extended" to mean, whether it is feeding beyond six, nine or twelve months and beyond, it is viewed by some with distaste. Have you breastfed beyond what others consider to be "normal"? Have you encountered disapproval because of it? Or do you have an opinion on when a mother should stop feeding her child herself?
If so, we'd love you to share all your thoughts on extended breastfeeding using this form.
Extended Breastfeeding
Name: D'Anna
Title: Extended Breastfeeding
I nursed baby #1 until she was 18 months old. However, I started working when she was 3 months old, and started some formula shortly after that. Had I known what I know now, I would not have introduced any formula and been more vigilant with pumping. (She was completely nursed when I was not at work.) Baby #2 I could stay home with. I originally only really wanted to nurse him long enough to keep him on formula, but he weaned a month before he turned 3. He didn't want anything to do with solids, he's 4 now and still a VERY PICKY EATER! Our new baby will be 4 months old on Wednesday and he is totally breastfed as well. He will probably be introduced to solids in a few months, as he has been interested in "our food" for quite some time now. I will nurse him until he decides to stop, but this time I am in no hurry because I think this is our last baby.
Name: Karen Speed
Title: My Breastfeeding Experiences (tandem nursing, nursing while pregnant, donating milk, extended nursing, etc)
I am currently "full-time" nursing my newborn, "part-time" nursing my toddler, and "casual" nursing my just-turned-5 year old, Quinn.
Quinn has always been a die-hard nurser. He was not even two when I got pregnant with my third, and I thought for sure that he would wean during pregnancy, because statistically, 67% of toddlers wean when their mothers get pregnant, due to either the change in taste of the milk, or the loss of milk. My milk dried up almost immediately, when I was about 3 months along. But he stubbornly hung in there, "dry-nursing" or "comfort-nursing" for the duration of my pregnancy.
Did it hurt? Absolutely! It was one of the most difficult, painful things I have ever done. His latch was absolutely toe-curling, my nipples and breasts were hugely sensitive. I had to sometimes count to ten through gritted teeth, and then stop because I couldn't take it anymore. In the last trimester, I was having painful contractions every time he nursed (nipple stimulation). But, I could see how important nursing was to him, and he gets his stubborn streak from me, lol. I was determined to nurse him up to the end, and become a tandem-nursing team.
~~~~~It is perfectly SAFE to nurse while pregnant, unless you are experiencing a high-risk pregnancy, such as carrying twins, or are at risk for a miscarriage~~~~~
Anyway, after baby was born, Quinn continued nursing, and on day three when my milk came in, he was very surprised! He had forgotten that milk even came out! lol, he hated the taste at first, and let it dribble out of his mouth, and I thought again that he would wean, but after a day, he accepted the new milk and began breastfeeding again. I nursed both boys on demand. Sometimes, I would nurse both together, but never in public, because, let's face it, there is just NO way to nurse two discreetly.
I have never had problems with milk supply. I'm like a fountain! I had plenty of milk for both of them. You will always produce enough milk for your nurslings. It's supply and demand...the more you nurse, the more you will produce. Simple.
(I even had enough milk for three! In November of 2006, a good friend of mine gave birth to a baby boy with cystic fibrosis...I was, for short time, expressing 10-15 ounces per day to donate to her baby. Can we say moooooooo?)
And BOY, did it help with sibling rivalry! They bonded over my boobs, I think, holding hands, touching each other's skin...very sweet. I got a great book called "Adventures in Tandem Nursing" by Hilary Flower, which had lots of pictures of how to nurse two at a time, and had lots of great advice for nursing moms of two.
I got pregnant again when Quinn was 4, and Jezek was not quite two. Again, two months into the pregnancy, I lost my mik supply, and I made the decision to wean Quinn. I think he would have happily nursed longer, but I chose to gently wean him. I still nursed Jezek, but when Quinn had his turn, I reinforced the fact that it was "empty", there was just no milk. We began to skip a feeding here and there, until we were down to just morning, before nap, and before bedtime. Then, he missed one night here, another night there. On December 21st, 2007, he tried to nurse, stopped and said, "yep, you're right, it's empty." That was the last time he nursed while I was pregnant.
My pregnancy went about the same as my previous one, Jezek still nursed, I got through the pain again, etc etc. But, at least I knew what to expect this time, and thought, if I got through the pain once, I can do it again.
And I did, and continued to tandem-nursed after my baby girl was born in June, 2008. When this baby was about a month old, we were at a friend's house, and Quinn got his toe nail bent back in a slammed door. He was completely upset and in pain, and surprisingly, asked if he could nurse. I said yes. LOL, welcome back to the nursing team! He now nurses before bedtime again, but he has forgotten how to latch properly, he mostly uses the front of his mouth, and his lips, instead of his whole jaw. He nurses just because his two siblings are, I think, although sometimes he looks forward to it the whole day. "I get to (nurse) before bed!" he declares. lol
Again, no problem with milk supply, and I am donating milk again. So, on top of nursing three kiddies, I am expressing about 6-10 ounces per day to donate to a baby girl who was born addicted to crack and adopted into a loving home.
Did that answer all your questions? Oh, and how do my kids react? Well, my oldest, who is ten, has been around breastfeeding for the past 5 years, and he doesn't bat an eye. He comes up to me occasionallly and whispers, "mom, you're leaking". I apologized for embarrassing him, and he shrugged and said, "I thought it was embarrassing you." I only nursed my 10 year old for 16 months, because, sadly, I really didn't know anything about breastfeeding when he was born, and when he was still waking up at night to nurse at 16 months, I thought the only solution was to wean him. :(
The other two boys understand the "nursing rules". Quinn only gets milk before bed, and I won't nurse the boys while I am at work. (I own a daycare centre, and when we drop by, I can't nurse the boys, lest a child go home and tell thier parents "we saw Mrs. Speed's boob!" I don't need a lawsuit, lol). Jezek knows he always gets milk in the morning, before and after his nap, before bed, and a few other times during the day.
At this point, I'll admit, I often feel weary and "touched out", so I'll try to distract him. Sometimes it works, sometimes not, but I'm not going to wean him before he is ready.