TTC/Pregnancy while Breastfeeding and Tandem Nursing: Information and Support

[steph.]

Congratulations heaven! Our babies were born on the same day

 

[roomaloo]

What happens when you're feeding babies of different ages. Surely their milk needs are different? My dd will be 19 months when this baby is born, does the change in milk type affect their tummies at all as I assume it becomes geared more for the newborn?

 

[Celesse]

I used to nurse DS on both sides at night, but during the day they had a side each. Boob's seem to know which child was having each boob and filled accordingly. Obvisouly I didn't have the means to analyse what was in the milk from each, but I really think the boobs made milk for the correct child.

 

[Lauki]

Congratulations Heaven!

 

[DrGomps]

hi!! I heard about this thread and thought I would start following as I just got a and am still nursing my 17 month old!!

 

[LuckyD]

hi!! I heard about this thread and thought I would start following as I just got a and am still nursing my 17 month old!!

Hee hee, fancy seeing you here!

Lots of great info/links on the first page if you are interested....

 

[jcg0506]

Well, my due date was yesterday, and I began marathon nursing my toddler, but no baby yet Even though I had strong contractions during the day, when I started pumping after I had put DS to bed, they began to subside completely-- not the right effect at all! Will keep trying though.

 

[DrGomps]

lucky!!

fx'ed jcg that your LO comes soon!

 

[summer rain]

Well my colostrum has come back with a vengeance (it made a brief appearance at about 12 weeks but then vanished at 17 weeks) strangely though its not leaking at all. My son isn't managing to avoid it though like he was and when I squeeze quite a bit comes out too. He's complaining about it shaking his head and saying 'I don't like that diddy [his all purpose word since he was under 12 months for boobs and mummy milk] it tastes too sweet' I think he means salty because I tried it and it tastes like saline solution, bleuch. Doesn't stop him asking for it though. He is getting used to the idea of the new baby having 'his' diddy but sometimes he gets annoyed and jealous and says 'no mummy no diddy for baby'. He also thinks it is 'water juice and bread' for babies loooool xx

 

[Lauki]

I'm dreading my colostrum coming in! If Sophie doesn't like it then I have the feeling she will really wean .

 

[LuckyD]

I think my daughter is weaning....two weeks before my due date! She hasn't fed for about 48 hours now. I am feeling a bit upset as I am worried that it was me that caused it....she has been clamping down so hard with her teeth that a few times I have had to ask her to stop so we can re-latch, and I have very gently said a couple of times to not put her teeth on me so hard, really trying not to make it into a big deal...but now she keeps saying 'teeth' when it comes time to BF and despite me giving her lots of reassurance and cuddles and telling her that it's ok she still doesn't want to feed - just says she wants a song in her cot instead. So I have been singing/patting her to sleep either in my arms or her cot.

I feel very upset that I might have caused this as it is really important to me that she stops when she is ready. On the other hand I know there's not much else I could have done - I have put up with all sorts of pain BF while pregnant but the teeth clamping done was unbearable and I didn't think gently asking her to open her mouth and re-latch would cause this. Feeling rather emotional!

I wonder if this is just like a nursing strike and she will start again? Or maybe she will want to start again when the baby is here? Anyone been though anything similar?

I have been all prepared to tandem feed - pretty ironic if my daughter weans two weeks before the baby is born!

 

[steph.]

Lucky i think your daughter wouldnt let go unless she was ready. I know no matter how many times I say "TEETH!!" so my dd she wouldnt give it up, so i honestly dont think that you caused her to wean. I know my dd is a fair bit younger than yours but once she went 5 days without feeding. It just seemed she was gradually losing interest in it, then i got pregnant and she became a boobaholic again.

 

[LuckyD]

Lucky i think your daughter wouldnt let go unless she was ready. I know no matter how many times I say "TEETH!!" so my dd she wouldnt give it up, so i honestly dont think that you caused her to wean. I know my dd is a fair bit younger than yours but once she went 5 days without feeding. It just seemed she was gradually losing interest in it, then i got pregnant and she became a boobaholic again.

Thank you steph - that makes me feel better! I do get what you are saying, I have had to go through various re-latching phases with her and it's never put her off before. I just don't want her to be worrying about hurting me. But I am doing everything I can to be reassuring about it if she wants to start again. Thanks for your comment

 

[Teeny]

just a q as ttc, if my af has been regular, should I worry about ovulation?

 

[Tacey]

just a q as ttc, if my af has been regular, should I worry about ovulation?

It might be worth getting some ovulation tests to be sure. Admittedly, my cycles were long, but I had very short LP.

 

[wouldluvabub]

Hey ladies! So glad I can across this thread! I've got a 13 month old little boy who is in love with the boob. I can't get him off but we are down to night feeds only, probably 3-5 feeds depending on the night. I'm still not having AF but really want to have another baby. I'm wondering if there is anything I'm able to do to try to get my cycle back. I've tried getting DS on cows milk with no luck.. So I'm more after suggestions that don't involve weaning as I have tried and am still trying!! Currently my plan is to not feed him before a certain time during the night so before 1 am and slowly move that time to HOPEFULLY get him STTN.

 

[Teeny]

Hey ladies! So glad I can across this thread! I've got a 13 month old little boy who is in love with the boob. I can't get him off but we are down to night feeds only, probably 3-5 feeds depending on the night. I'm still not having AF but really want to have another baby. I'm wondering if there is anything I'm able to do to try to get my cycle back. I've tried getting DS on cows milk with no luck.. So I'm more after suggestions that don't involve weaning as I have tried and am still trying!! Currently my plan is to not feed him before a certain time during the night so before 1 am and slowly move that time to HOPEFULLY get him STTN.

hi, hope it goes well, I am currently night weaning too, I had considered lengthening time between feeds first, but I was worried it would confuse lo that sometimes I would and sometimes I wouldn't.

I only mention it as the whole thing is really hard so u need to make sure u pick the right route for ur lo before u start xxxx good luck

 

[Lauki]

Lucky i think your daughter wouldnt let go unless she was ready. I know no matter how many times I say "TEETH!!" so my dd she wouldnt give it up, so i honestly dont think that you caused her to wean. I know my dd is a fair bit younger than yours but once she went 5 days without feeding. It just seemed she was gradually losing interest in it, then i got pregnant and she became a boobaholic again.

Thank you steph - that makes me feel better! I do get what you are saying, I have had to go through various re-latching phases with her and it's never put her off before. I just don't want her to be worrying about hurting me. But I am doing everything I can to be reassuring about it if she wants to start again. Thanks for your comment

She might just have a bit of a nursing strike? I know it's been 48 hours for you, so not exactly the same. But Sophie sometimes doesn't nurse a day. She'll just say: No! Night night! And lays down in bed and wants snuggles instead. The next day I have to take her off after 30 minutes because I start cramping real bad with braxton hicks. And then the day after she'll only want to nurse for 2 minutes and so on.. All in all it's very very irregular and I never know what's going to happen. I keep offering her before bed and just go with the flow.

Perhaps when she sees the baby nurse, she wants to have a go too. Perhaps not, but you can be happy that she was ready to stop as she didn't need any convinving and there was no upset involved.

I know exactly how you feel though! I'm so ready to tandem nurse and I'm terrified Sophie will wean in the next 10 weeks. But if she's happy to stop nursing I just take comfort in the fact that she finds her peace and quiet in my arms instead .

 

[LuckyD]

Lucky i think your daughter wouldnt let go unless she was ready. I know no matter how many times I say "TEETH!!" so my dd she wouldnt give it up, so i honestly dont think that you caused her to wean. I know my dd is a fair bit younger than yours but once she went 5 days without feeding. It just seemed she was gradually losing interest in it, then i got pregnant and she became a boobaholic again.

Thank you steph - that makes me feel better! I do get what you are saying, I have had to go through various re-latching phases with her and it's never put her off before. I just don't want her to be worrying about hurting me. But I am doing everything I can to be reassuring about it if she wants to start again. Thanks for your comment

She might just have a bit of a nursing strike? I know it's been 48 hours for you, so not exactly the same. But Sophie sometimes doesn't nurse a day. She'll just say: No! Night night! And lays down in bed and wants snuggles instead. The next day I have to take her off after 30 minutes because I start cramping real bad with braxton hicks. And then the day after she'll only want to nurse for 2 minutes and so on.. All in all it's very very irregular and I never know what's going to happen. I keep offering her before bed and just go with the flow.

Perhaps when she sees the baby nurse, she wants to have a go too. Perhaps not, but you can be happy that she was ready to stop as she didn't need any convinving and there was no upset involved.

I know exactly how you feel though! I'm so ready to tandem nurse and I'm terrified Sophie will wean in the next 10 weeks. But if she's happy to stop nursing I just take comfort in the fact that she finds her peace and quiet in my arms instead .

Thank you Lauki I'm glad you understand where I am coming from....she still hasn't fed, although I am still offering - she just says she wants a 'song' instead so we are still having cuddles and songs and sometimes she is going to sleep on my knee and sometimes in her bed....but it's been a few days now so I am thinking this might be it. Unless she sees the new baby feeding and wants to give it another go.

You are right about just going with the flow - that's what we have to do I guess! I never, ever thought this would happen two weeks before I was due!

I hope Sophie continues and you get to have the tandem nursing journey that you are wanting.

 

[Lauki]

I think it's a very emotional thing to stop . Especially if you weren't quite ready or expecting it! But you never know, I've read of many kids who have picked up again after their sibling is born!

But if she's happy with just songs and cuddles then you seem to still have a pretty good thing going .