re: Breastfeeding (the toddler years)

I'm going to spend my first night away from my son soon and I'd love some advice/opinions. How frequently would you pump if you were in my situation?

We are leaving our children at my parent's house just after lunch and returning for lunch the next day (a little under 24 hours). My children nurse frequently through the day and my son nurses several times at night as well. I am borrowing a friend's pump (Swing - single side, electric) since I don't have one and I haven't pumped since Oct 2011. My children are 3.5 years old and 22 months.

Would you pump as often as they nurse?
Would you pump as you felt you needed it?
Would you pump at all? Will skipping 24 hours hurt my milk supply?
What should I do with the milk I pump? I have storage bags and could keep it on ice but I don't know who would drink it  .

I originally thought I'd pump at the following times:
- before supper
- before bed
- in the morning
- plus any time I felt uncomfortable, though it's been a while since I've felt engorged.
Thanks!

I've been away from my son for full weekends before and he's ben fine, and so has my milk supply. Also my breasts didn't get engorged at all. I wouldn't pump unless you really start to get engorged.

Quoting Becky☮Will:" I've been away from my son for full weekends before and he's ben fine, and so has my milk supply. Also my breasts didn't get engorged at all. I wouldn't pump unless you really start to get engorged."

Thanks!

I'm not pumping any milk to give to him while I'm away (I think he'll be fine and I just don't want to  ).

Thank you everyone for letting me know I'm not alone in this struggle of waking up at night.....And that all kids are different!

Quoting Cghhffhnjj:" <blockquote><b>Quoting Becky☮Will:</b>" I wonder what could be causing the pain? ... [snip!] ... be relieved if it was in fact that. I'm waiting to hear back from my doula who is also an LC to see if she can offer advice  "

Sometimes when they get new teeth it takes a while for them to readjust their latch and get used to nursing slightly different with the shape.

With every illness, pain, stress/change, growth spurt and developmental spurt they can increase nursing. They are biologically wired to do this, because it's what their bodies need.

Night nursing is healthy, and at one year old there are so many valid reasons for it. Perhaps if your pain was gone it wouldn't bother you so much? by cosleeping it's easy to nurse and continue sleeping. I think it was 16 or 17 months that it suddenly got a lot easier for us. I rarely remember night nursing anymore. It releases sleepy hormones in mama's gut when you night nurse, so the 1-4x a night i do it, it doesn't bother me. I have some disabilities and health conditions that affect my quality of sleep, and i feel more rested now and believe the night nursing is actually good/helpful for me. My LO is almost 3.

So I'm pregnant again! Due 2 weeks after my son turns 3 so I'm kind of hoping this pregnancy turns him off to breastfeeding. It would be awesome to tandem nurse but maybe with my next few kids lol I was hoping my son would be done by 3. I have him down to twice a day, once in the morning when he wakes up and then once an hour or two before bed. I wonder if I should cut out the morning one, I HATE it. He lays there half asleep nursing forever and if I try to pull him off he starts to wake up throwing a fit.

Quoting Holly and girls!:" I have had a few women on here ( Danielle and Jelena) giving me some pointers on what they do and what ... [snip!] ... So once my daughter turns 1 I will start introducing a cup of milk a couple times a day and probably nurse morning and night."

I tried to do it that way and I was hoping to have my daughter off the boob by the time she was 18 months but my daughter would not go to sleep without BF I have however got her off when she was two and as soon as I did I got pregnant.

My son still does is, and my daughter did till 5  .

Quoting yogini mama:" omg, my son is almost 2 and still gets up for a night feeding most nights (he sleeps through sometimes)....... How can I help him sleep through? I am pregnant again and need my uninterrupted sleep."

I would recommend "the no cry sleep solution".
I can email it to you if you like. just send me a PM with your email and tell me that you want that book.
or you can buy a hardcopy too.

I used that to help partially night wean my son around 21m old when I was pg. I didn't get him fully night weaned until I actually had my 2nd son though (older one was 26m old) when I spent a week in the hospital (mandatory stay) to have the baby.

thank you for the response ladies. i have since switched the whole family except for the baby to almond milk. and we have been having veggie fruit smoothies inthe morning.

Quoting Roe23:" I'm going to spend my first night away from my son soon and I'd love some advice/opinions. How frequently ... [snip!] ... - before bed - in the morning - plus any time I felt uncomfortable, though it's been a while since I've felt engorged. Thanks!"

I would just pump when it is convenient for you, or when you need to if you get engorged. I think your supply is pretty well established by now so one day won't hurt you.

How did you find tandem nursing in the begining? Any tips? My LO will be 21 months when my next arrives and I have a feeling that she is not going to wean before then.

Quoting Lotus Mama:" I would just pump when it is convenient for you, or when you need to if you get engorged. I think ... [snip!] ... Any tips? My LO will be 21 months when my next arrives and I have a feeling that she is not going to wean before then."

I ended up pumping twice when I was away. I got a lot less milk then I expected thought (about 5 - 6 oz each time). It was so nice to be away. My son even slept through the night, that was great! I just wish he'd do that at home  .

The first few days of tandem nursing were great. I did have some clogged ducts though, and those were painful to work though. My milk came in very quickly. The baby did not have a very good latch and it was painful, but since there was so much milk and it came so quickly, he only nursed for about 10 minutes at a time (but very frequently).

My older child wanted to nurse all the time too. For a while I let her nurse every time she asked but I would become overwhelmed in the evenings (the baby would nurse very, very frequently in the evening and I think there was less milk then). I had to cut her back to about 5 times a day (for my own sanity). She was only nursing 3 times a day before my son was born.

I also found the sensations overwhelming at times, so after the first few days or weeks I nursed them alone most of the time. I spent a lot of time nursing and there were times that I felt guilty about not getting other things done around the house (like dishes) but it got easier as time went on  .

Best of luck to you.

Quoting Roe23:" I ended up pumping twice when I was away. I got a lot less milk then I expected thought (about 5 - 6 ... [snip!] ... about not getting other things done around the house (like dishes) but it got easier as time went on  . Best of luck to you."

I've been trying to night wean her and she is down to about 3 feedings/day but I am worried that when I am off work (she is in fulltime daycare now) and home again that she will want more... Also, I have heard from others that when the new baby comes then the big baby nurses more... I just don't know if I am up for it. It seems intimidating!

Quoting Lotus Mama:" I've been trying to night wean her and she is down to about 3 feedings/day but I am worried that when ... [snip!] ... that when the new baby comes then the big baby nurses more... I just don't know if I am up for it. It seems intimidating!"

There were times it was amazing! I have wonderful memories of the two of them looking at each other and my older child touching the baby's head or hand while they nursed  . I also have memories of them fighting  . These days they are mostly friendly to each other while nursing, but occasionally don't like if the other touches them or is on their side.

I was working when my second was born too (and I've been off since then, he'll be 2 soon).

I have my 2 1/2 yr old down to twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening.
This morning I couldn't let him have his morning session though. My boobs are way too sore and sensitive :-/
I think its finally time to wean him, because I don't think I can get through this whole pregnancy continuing to breastfeed him with the way the way my boobs and nipples feel.
He keeps coming over and nuzzling my chest but he isn't throwing a fit or anything that he can't breastfeed, so maybe this will go quickly