Extended nursing thread part 3

[roseola]

Hugs Inoella! I am down to AM and PM Bfs and I almost cry while i am feeding him thinking about all of this ending. But I am not rushing!

[*Ali*]

Hugs Jaci and Roseola.
I have also been wondering about weaning the BT BF. Has anyone done this whilst keeping the other feeds?
Our BT BF is the worst and it is really starting to get me down. I do it in my bed (as we do all ur feeds) in the dark but Cadan just feeds for a few mins and then wants to crawl around the bed, slide down on to the floor, climb on the bedside table, stand up against the headboard etc. It is taking me 45 mins of mucking around to get about 8 minutes of feeding into him. And lately he keeps biting me and laughing and hitting me. I pull him in to me and put him down for a few moments. The other day he did it aboput 12 times and I had to give up in the end. The few times I have stopped the feed and just put him to bed he has woken about 45 mins later and wanted to feed. I am wondering if I could keep his first two feeds at WU(7.30am) and after his first nap(1pmish) and then do the 3rd after his 2nd nap around 5.30pm and then just do dinner at 6.30 and BT at 8pm. Has anyone done anything similar? It isn't ideal as it would mean I would have to make an effort to be home for the feed earlier as sometimes we are at my mum or my sisters. I hate the idea he is weaning. But he is still keen for the 1st and 2nd feed so I don't think he'll be dropping those any time soon.

[inoella]

Well today she has a fever and nursed more often than usual so not sure what will happen about 2nite.
I'm only sort of sad about the weaning - I know it's good for her and it's super handy for sick days cuz at least I know she'll get that for nutrition!  But I won't miss the day time ones - I was just surprised the NT one would go first...

Ali - if it were me i'd just bf when i could and supplement with a snack other days. i never cut a feed dramatically - some days she would take it, others not.  Has your DS woken at 45 min again? Since 45 min. naps are UT for us I was just wondering if it might that rather than a hunger issue? Just a thot.

[LucysMommy]

Hi Jaci,
With the 4:30 wake up and resettling several times, did she eventually go back to sleep for awhile or did you end up nursing her?  My DD did that too during the first few nights... I'm not sure but I think it might be some 'learned' hunger that she was just used to being fed at that time.  Once her body adjusted to eating properly during the day maybe that's why she stopped waking at that time?  It's tough because it made me second guess myself, like does she have gas or teething pain, etc.  But I think really it was just habit and once that habit was broken she was okay.

I see on your next post that she is not well today, maybe there was something to do with that.  I am so glad that I am still bfing so DD can get the best nutrition when she is sick.  And it is so comforting for them.  I know when I am sick I still want my mom to come and take care of me, and I'm 30!  hope she is feeling better soon.

[*Ali*]

Ali - if it were me i'd just bf when i could and supplement with a snack other days. i never cut a feed dramatically - some days she would take it, others not.  Has your DS woken at 45 min again? Since 45 min. naps are UT for us I was just wondering if it might that rather than a hunger issue? Just a thot.

I usually do 3xBF on the occasional 1 nap days we have anyway and if he has a big lunch. But I was trying to cut it to 3 more consistently now he is almost 1yo as I don't think he needs all 4 BFs.
Sorry I'm a bit confused about the 45min Q. We normally do a 2hr-2hr15 AM nap and a 45min PM nap. I often have to wake him from both or he would sleep too long and it pushes BT too late. I don't think it is UT or hunger just that it is just a CN for him and not a full, long nap like he takes in the AM. He used to do 2hrs Am and 1.5hrs PM but I don't think he needs 2x long naps anymore. Is that what you meant? Thanks for you help.
My question really was whether anyone else dropped the BT BF before the other 3 as to me it seems like that is one you would keep the longest no?

[Khalam's Mama]

BT BF is def still one of the two we have kept.

[inoella]

The few times I have stopped the feed and just put him to bed he has woken about 45 mins later and wanted to feed.
I was just referring to the line above - if he's waking up 45 min. after BT. But WOW! I wish we had such good naps - we're doing a lot better but never over 1.5!

Can I just say I'm so so so so glad I stuck with BF!!! Ella is still sick today and super fussy and needy and asking to nurse way more than she has in months and my amazing body - ok boobs! - is just ticking along no problem.  I just think that's pretty cool. And it's such a comfort to know I have this amazing way to comfort my daughter and give her the nutrients she needs. Go BF mommies! 

[*Ali*]

Oh yeah I am with you now, sorry I was thinking naps. No he hasn't woken after BT for a while now and sometimes STTN even on a measley few mins BF at BT.
Cadan is also sick with a chest infection so had 2x NWs at which I fed him last night which he hasn't done for months (or since 4mo regularly). his little throat was so sore and hoarse. It was nice to be able to soothe him with a BF. Have been sticking with the 4 BFs the last 2 days since he is sick and not eating much (except strawberries!). He has anti-Bs now so hopefully they will kick in and we can get back on track.

[gogomama]

Can I just say I'm so so so so glad I stuck with BF!!! Ella is still sick today and super fussy and needy and asking to nurse way more than she has in months and my amazing body - ok boobs! - is just ticking along no problem.  Cheesy I just think that's pretty cool. And it's such a comfort to know I have this amazing way to comfort my daughter and give her the nutrients she needs. Go BF mommies!

Jaci I was feeling the same way last week. DS had two days where he literally ate no food and just BF for what felt like every hour. It is really nice that there is some way to get the nutriants into them.

[LucysMommy]

Can you imagine what we would do without the bf when the little ones are sick??  We would ALL be so unhappy!

I need some advice/help... my plan to wean DD from her early morning bf has failed miserably.  The first few nights were ok, some fussing and then she went back to sleep until a reasonable hour.  The last 3 nights, she was up at 5:45 (her usual time to nurse) and then won't go back to sleep!  I have gone in her room and tried to settle her until 7am when I have gotten her up for the day and done the first bf.  Her naps are all wonky now, I think she must be OT but she won't nap for more than 30 minutes.  I've been experimenting with different naptimes and bedtimes to see what we can get.  She was on 2 naps before and I think she must still need 2 naps since she is now getting 2+ hours less sleep at night over the last 3 days!  Where to start??
We had such a good routine for the last month, now I have messed it up!  Dang! :-)  But at least I'm not back at work yet.

[Whatbit]

Could you send DH in to settle her instead of going in yourself?  That worked for us.  Or try W2S.  I've never done it myself, but I've hear good things... Hugs!!  It's never fun when they get wonky!!

[First Time Mom]

I would try W2S if the early morning wakes are not working for you. Back when my dd was a baby I did W2S for extending her morning nap and it worked wonders for us but you have to get to them before they wake up and just sort of nudge them ever so slightly to get them to 1/2 open their eyes then go back into a sleep. My dd took a paci so when her eyes would 1/2 open I stuck the paci in her mouth and she would drift off into a very long sleep. We had 30 min naps turn into 2 hour naps.

Anyone's lo refusing other liquids to drink? Graydon is now 15 months and will still not drink water or milk. He will take some from a sippy as he knows how but he will then laugh and dribble it all down his shirt. In the end he's not drinking anything. In a day he takes about 3oz of whole milk in his cereal  and that's it! As a result he's still bfing 4-5x a day as I don't want him to go without any liquids. I don't really care if he doesn't drink cow's milk but I want him drinking the water. I don't mind bfing this much as most of the drinks are quick drinks and I'd love for him to go to 2 years if he wants, but I want the water in him!

Any of you getting comments about bfing at this age? I was very surprised at my sister today, she came over to visit and was there when Graydon got up from his nap and I bf after his nap and she was surprised and said "wow, he's quite long for his age... He seems pretty big now.... I can't believe you're still bfing him at this age, when are you going to stop?". Meanwhile, she knew my dd bf until 18 months (though dd only bf am and pm at this age).

[*Ali*]

Yeah I think some people just don't get that BF is not just for newborns. I have had comments from friends and work colleagues who genuinely thought it was only advised to BF until 6mo (getting confused with EBF I think), who thought you had to stop when babies got teeth, who thought it was not "right" to feed once they can ask for it (even by pulling on your shirt/pointing) and so on. My answer to all these people is that the WHO recommend BF until 2yo and beyond so that is what I am aiming for if DS will have me.
Plus like you say lots of LOs over 1yo only have BFs at WU and BT which are probably in the privacy of their own home so it just isn't something you see very often.
And Cadan will drink water from a sippy, Doidy (with help), open cup and straw but only in very small quantities. I just offer it at each meal and he takes what he wants. It is only maybe an oz or two each day though so I would worry about leaving him without BFs.

[Whatbit]

I don't know what to say, Marian.  Will he take juice diluted with water?  I started giving DS water ith his meals when he was 6 months and he still gets it at meal times.  he takes it in a reg cup now or a sippy.  He will take his cows milk in a sippy (was only in a bottle up until a few weeks ago).
I've run into a few people with the whole only BF until 6 months idea.  Other than them, I haven't received too many comments.  Just a few people who ask when I plan to BF until.  My answer at this point in time is, "I don't know.  It depends on DS."  I'm aiming for 18 months and we'll go from there.

[First Time Mom]

I haven't tried diluted juice, I don't want him getting used to the sweet taste, I sort of thought if he did like it it would be that much harder for him to drink water or milk. Again today at snack time he sucked it in and dribbled it down his chin laughing. His shirt got soaked and I didn't bring a change of clothes.