Good time to stop?

[Amy92x]

Chloe is fast approaching 2 years old and I always said that I would breast feed her until that age at least.

But, I'm now over 30 weeks pregnant with 2nd baby and it is getting less and less... Practical, shall we say, to BF Chloe.

I'm tired, my belly is getting bigger and my boobs are ******* sore. I feel bad for saying it but when this baby is born I'm going have to start from scratch again, and I just want a couple of months BREAK before that happens.

All the advice both on the internet and from my doctor is to "stop when you feel ready", but that doesn't help. I feel so guilty and although it sounds stupid, I keep thinking that Chloe will associate her BF stopping with her brother/sister being born and will somehow blame him/her??

Hopefully somebody else has been in this position and can offer advice. I'm just going round in circles here.

 

[BunnyN]

I cant really help because I think only you can decide I can say I found BFing DD during pregnancy one of the hardest things I've done in my life. I didnt stop and was ready to tandem feed but DD slowly cut back by herself and in the last couple of months and by the end of pregnancy was only feeding every few days. After DS was born she fed once after my milk came in, loved it, but oddly decided not to feed again. I am proud I carried on and dont regret it but when I got pregnant again while BFing DS I wasnt sure if I wanted to do the same again. I started cutting back his feeds a little from the start and decided I would wait and see how it went. Saddly I lost the pregnancy at 9 weeks but not sure if I would have carried on or not. I am very pro breastfeeding and my mum fed my sister until she was 4 which I think is great but it really is something only you can decide. You have done amazingly to feed through pregnancy, it is hard work, and your LO is getting to be a reasonable age to stop but if you decide to carry on that is great too. Sorry that doesnt really help much . How do you feel about tandem feeding? If that is out of the question for you I'd think it would be better to stop now so that your LO can get used to the idea before the birth.

 

[Amy92x]

I cant really help because I think only you can decide I can say I found BFing DD during pregnancy one of the hardest things I've done in my life. I didnt stop and was ready to tandem feed but DD slowly cut back by herself and in the last couple of months and by the end of pregnancy was only feeding every few days. After DS was born she fed once after my milk came in, loved it, but oddly decided not to feed again. I am proud I carried on and dont regret it but when I got pregnant again while BFing DS I wasnt sure if I wanted to do the same again. I started cutting back his feeds a little from the start and decided I would wait and see how it went. Saddly I lost the pregnancy at 9 weeks but not sure if I would have carried on or not. I am very pro breastfeeding and my mum fed my sister until she was 4 which I think is great but it really is something only you can decide. You have done amazingly to feed through pregnancy, it is hard work, and your LO is getting to be a reasonable age to stop but if you decide to carry on that is great too. Sorry that doesnt really help much . How do you feel about tandem feeding? If that is out of the question for you I'd think it would be better to stop now so that your LO can get used to the idea before the birth.

Hey, thanks for the reply

I don't think I could feed both Chloe and the new baby simultaneously. Even if my body physically could I couldn't cope with it mentally. I need to have things organised in my mind and the only way I could cope is if I stop breastfeeding Chloe before this one is born.

The question is, do I keep going for another couple of months until I'm full term (which seems right morally) or take the (IMO) selfish option and stop early meaning I can let my body recover and have a rest in the final 4-5 weeks of pregnancy?

I know when I was full-term last time I was in so much pain with my back and braxton hicks, not to mention painful and swollen nipples (TMI!) and that was without any BF. I just can't imagine breastfeeding a 2 year old whilst all that is going on.

I think I'll just have to say **** it make the decision, and to be honest stopping early is best all round as it won't harm Chloe in the long run but carrying on and the stress I'd be under could harm the baby inside me.

 

[BunnyN]

A new baby is a big adjustment for a 2 year old so personally I actually think it would be kinder to stop feeding her now rather than going cold turkey on her at the same time she is getting used to a new sibbling. Like that she only has to deal with one thing at once and wont hold resentment about it against the baby. If it is hard for her to stop it also gives you the chance to do it a bit more gradually.