re: Breastfeeding (the toddler years)

Our first tandem session

Quoting TantricLemons:" Our first tandem session"

So beautiful  
I'm all emotional and tearing up now lol

So, I know I already asked you this and I dont want to bug you especially since you're probably incredibly busy and distracted, but how does big sis like tandem breastfeeding?! I'm so anxious to do it myself  

Quoting TantricLemons:" Our first tandem session"

That is awesome!! Congratulations!

Is your daughter excited about the extra milk? Or has she shown that she noticed any change?

I remember doing that myself (it helps to have pictures  ). When the milk came in, my daughter came off my breast and said "Mmm, ice cream milk" with a big smile before she went back to nursing, she was almost 22 months  .

Quoting TantricLemons:" Our first tandem session"

Wow congrats on being able to do that   Sadly my little ones were too far apart to do that  

Quoting Sarah1372:" Wow congrats on being able to do that   Sadly my little ones were too far apart to do that  "

I thought they would be, i was sure DD would wean during pregnancy, she is 3 and 9 months. But she kept on keeping on   and still loves boobie

Ha my daughter is back on the boobie agian. lol well I was wrong in my last post i guess i do get to breastfeed more lol.

I am still breastfeeding my 21 month old and I'm about 12 weeks pregnant (we think) and it is extremely painful to nurse my toddler. It's just as painful now as it was when I was first learning to breastfeed with her. Is it going to hurt like this all the way through the pregnancy or will it get better at some point?
Also, I'm not convinced that I was her to still be breastfeeding when they new baby gets here. We mostly nurse laying down and I just don't know how tht will work with two. I thought I would let her nurse as long a she wanted but I hadn't planned on getting pregnant again while she was still on the boob. So ladies who are tnadem feeding, Advice? Do you like tandem feeding? Is it uncomfortable? How does your toddler feel about sharing?

Quoting MommaSav2:" I am still breastfeeding my 21 month old and I'm about 12 weeks pregnant (we think) and it is extremely ... [snip!] ... who are tnadem feeding, Advice? Do you like tandem feeding? Is it uncomfortable? How does your toddler feel about sharing?"

I don't remember completely what it felt like breastfeeding during pregnancy but I know it got better. I was usually very sore for the first 20 seconds and then it got much better. However, I would have to re-position my daughter often.

I have had mixed feelings about tandem nursing. Most days I love it. Early on in my son's life (he is now 2) I only enjoyed it sometimes and usually nursed them separately, the sensations were overwhelming (my son was tongue tied and had a terrible latch, it didn't stop being painful until he was about 4 months).

Around 4 months or so, I usually nursed them together. It was fun most of the time and saved a lot of time, but they did push each other and fight over space occasionally.

Now, I usually nurse them together (when the older one wants to nurse), however, I still have times that I would prefer to nurse them separately (I think that my have to do with the time of the month and sensitive nipples though, I keep meaning to keep track, but I've only had two periods so far - yay breastfeeding  ).

My daughter had no problem with sharing. She only showed jealousy once towards her baby brother, when he was 2 or 3 days over Grandpa held him, Tessa was very upset. Other then that, she has been very affectionate towards him (now they fight over toys and space sometimes but they are usually on happy terms with each other). I have heard that breastfeeding them together can reduce the jealousy, however, I have no way to know if it made any difference  .

We have changed positions so many times over the last two years. Right now, they are 2 and almost 4, I usually nurse them reclined on the couch or sometimes in bed in a semi-seated position (with lots of pillows). I had a rocker/recliner that I used a lot until it broke, I would recline almost fully and have a pillow under each arm. When my son was a new baby and they nursed together, I would position him and then invite my daughter to join us, she would usually kneel beside me and turn towards me, or we'd have lots of pillows.

Your child may wean on her own when your milk supply drops, or she could keep going. She might be easier to wean or you may accidentally encourage her to wean by restricting her nursing sessions (because it hurts). Best of luck with whatever you decide to do.

Quoting MommaSav2:" I am still breastfeeding my 21 month old and I'm about 12 weeks pregnant (we think) and it is extremely ... [snip!] ... who are tnadem feeding, Advice? Do you like tandem feeding? Is it uncomfortable? How does your toddler feel about sharing?"

And here is the Tandem Nursing/Nursing through pregnancy thread: http://forum.baby-gaga.com/about1335570.html

I also recommend reading (buy or borrow from your library) Adventures in Tandem Nursing: Breastfeeding during Pregnancy and Beyond by Hilary Flower. I thought it was a fantastic resource, it really prepared me for some of the feelings I had or thought I might have during pregnancy and after my son was born.

Thank you ladies! I still don't know if I even want to nurse both of them together, I might just wean my daughter before baby arrives. But If i decided to try tandem nursing I'm sure this advice and these resources will come in handy.

http://forum.baby-gaga.com/about2365745.html

Can anyone help me out? My son completely self weaned himself and now wants to breastfeed again and I have no milk left because this pregnancy dried me all up  

My little guy turned 18 months on the first and yesterday I got my first period in over 2 years! It is such a strange feeling. When yours returned, was it regular right away? My hubby is excited because we have been thinking about getting pregnant again and this may mean that I have started ovulating again. It would be pretty amazing to be able to give ds a sibling. I am trying not to get my hopes up too much because it took almost 5 years to get pregnant with him, but it is still a nice thought.

Quoting Toni A:" My little guy turned 18 months on the first and yesterday I got my first period in over 2 years! It is ... [snip!] ... trying not to get my hopes up too much because it took almost 5 years to get pregnant with him, but it is still a nice thought."

After my first, I got my period back at 9 months PP. I had 4 periods (35, 33, and 31 days apart) before I became pregnant in the first month we tried (my daughter was about 12.5 months old).

This time I got my period back at 23 months PP (I think it started so much later because I was breastfeeding two children and my younger child nursed very frequently, and no soothers). I felt ovulation (never happened before) and, sure enough, started my period 14 days later. My next period started 30 days later. And then 28 days (I've only had 3). I also had ovulation bleeding during the last cycle (never had that before either), from what I read, it means that I was very fertile during that time.

I was never very regular before children (when not on pills), anywhere between 30 and 45 day cycles were normal for me. And my period was very heavy with lots of clots and cramping lasting for 7 days. Now, after my second child, my periods have been much lighter, fewer clots, little to no cramping and lasting only 5 days (the last day is just light spotting). I really hope this continues  .

Best of luck with the TTC.

<blockquote><b>Quoting Toni A:</b>" My little guy turned 18 months on the first and yesterday I got my first period in over 2 years! It is ... [snip!] ... trying not to get my hopes up too much because it took almost 5 years to get pregnant with him, but it is still a nice thought."</blockquote>


Yes I got mine back at 14 months PP and it became regular immediately. I was still breastfeeding as well.


Good luck!

I thought I'd come to you ladies for advice/info.

Why do my nipples hurt? My nips get sensitive when I'm pmsing/on my period but I'm not due for another week or so and all week they've been killing me. My nursling turns 2 on 11/15 and still nurses several times a day and throughout the night. I am considering the possibility that she's traumatizing my nipples at night because we co-sleep, I rarely notice/know when she is nursing at night but I know when I nurse her to sleep during the day she sometimes clamps down on them. I've never had thrust or mastitis so I'm trying to make sure that's not what's wrong. The pain reminds me of when you are breastfeeding a newborn for the first time and your nips are all cracked and painful. Any ideas? Also, anything I can do to ease the pain?


PS. In the almost 4 years of breastfeeding I've done, I can't believe this has never really come up. Last time it hurt to nurse or my nipples hurt was when I was nursing while pregnant but I'm definitely not pregnant.