Extended Nursing Support Thread Part 5

[*Ali*]

Hugs Cath. Are you feeling better about it now?

[*Ali*]

Anyone still going?

DD was 2yo last month and we are still BFing. It's mainly WU and sleep times with occasional extras some days at home if we sit and snuggle. I'm not looking to actively wean her soon. I'll just see how we go.

I've recently joined a FB group for extended breastfeeding but everyone on there seems to be feeding on demand every 10 minutes day and night and it's completely frowned upon to not use the breast to comfort or feed to sleep at every opportunity. One lady said she is feeding 100 times a day and doesn't even get a break from LO's BT at 7 to her BT at 11.30 because she's up and down the stairs a dozen times to feed back to sleep. And everyone just said carry on as it's what LO needs. I struggle to see how anyone is getting restorative sleep but feel like they'd bite my head off if I suggested anything close to sleep training  🤐 And we're talking about kids mostly aged 3-6yo which I have no issue with BFing an older child but that really is tough for mum, huh? Sleepless nights for 6yrs!

Last week I also managed to meet up with a dozen local mums who are feeding 1-3yos and that was nice. I realised I have a very different BFing relationship to them all though. Again most were feding on and off all day and night. I don't think I'd have lasted so long if I had allowed that. I'm looking forward to meeting them again though.

[cath~]

I don't handle disturbed sleep at all well and definitely couldn't cope with that! 

It's such a shame that people have no idea that there are gentle methods of sleep training out there and seem to think it's kind of "all or nothing" iyswim.  It's a shame as well if some people feel they have to give up BFing to get sleep.  You can have a baby that sleeps independently yet still have all the benefits of BFing!

Just wondering, how do the mums that report that kind of disturbed sleep sound?  Are they upset by it, struggling with it, or seem happy enough with it?

Have you shared how you BF?  ie whilst still getting sleep!  I wonder if they would even think such a way is possible...?  POssibly there's others like you though who don't post as it seems against the norm of the group?

[*Ali*]

I did do an intro post when I joined and explained how we fed and sleep etc. Noone really challenged it there. When I commented on another post about gentle sleep training I was told there is no such thing.  Some of the mums who post sound desperate but those who reply are more martyr-like really. They say it's so, so hard but it's what their LOs needs so they just suck it up and enjoy the cuddles. I might post to ask if there are any other mums who just do a couple feeds a day. Wondering if it's not the group for me though.

[*Ali*]

If anyone who's weaned a toddler would care to take a look at my weaning post on the weaning support thread that'd be great. TIA.
https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=248349.msg3164979#msg3164979

[stuckunderhere]

Still going here... 2yrs old last month.. But it is getting harder and harder on both of us as he still doesn't eat, and my supply is super low. His PurAmino formula makes him react so it is not a 100% safe for him either, so I don't want to just drop BFing. My 5yr old was BF til 3.5ish. Micah might be going for at least 3, but I'm not sure we'll make it that far with all our issues.

[*Ali*]

Hi and well done for making it to 2yrs. Sorry you're having a hard time.

I weaned my DD at 2.5yo back in June. I'm just feeding my 6wo now.