Extended nursing thread part 3

[LucysMommy]

I never notice a difference in comfort, etc. when I miss a feed with DD now.  When she was an infant I would have CRAZY leaking and no problems pumping but now... nothing.  I guess I could bring my pump with me and give it a try.  Maybe after missing more than one feed I'd have more luck?
It seems to show me that DD is nursing mostly for comfort, which is fine too!

[Khalam's Mama]

 I went away for 3 nights recently. I only managed to express less than an oz each day even after 3 days. I am pg too so was really worried my milk would dry but it was fine when I returned. I used to have to get up in the night and express or be really uncomfortable when ds was younger and easily get 6oz in 5 mins but now nothing really. I wasn't full at all even after 3 days. I know it gets harder to pump after 7 or 8months asyou make the milk on demand so baby might be getting loads but you get nothing when you pump. My friend recently gave up bfing and took 3 weeks for her to stop making milk - her lo was 11mo.

[*Ali*]

Yes I was going to say as well Lucysmommy that not being able to pump is not an indication that your LO isn't getting milk. It is really common after 6mo to not be able to pump even though your LO is getting sufficient milk. As KM says it is because the milk is made on demand and your baby is MUCH better at stimulating that on demand production than the pump. The pump was better for getting the milk that was made in advance and stored in the breasts until needed back when DD was a wee one. Now the pump just can't "trick" your breasts like it once could.
I wonder how much I could pump now? I haven't tried for about 3months. I need some to take in a sippy for a wedding we are going to on next week as I think I will need to have a least one feed in a busy wedding banquet and there is NO chance of DS supping there. Plus I will be wearing fitted clothes that are not BF friendly.

[Khalam's Mama]

You best start saving up that milk now Ali.

[LucysMommy]

Good to know ladies!  Thanks for the info.

[inoella]

just need to tell someone ---- i'm so happy my baby is growing up but i'm sad that now that we aren't nursing before naps she doesn't want to cuddle either!!!!  when i take her up to her room and put her sleep bag on she points to the rocking chair once (where we nurse at night) and then when i say - no nursing now - she points to the crib and pushes away. i still get hugs when she wakes up, but i really enjoyed just that quick one minute snuggle before putting her down in the crib.
just needed to share...

[*Ali*]

Oh hugs Jaci! That must be hard. Do you use music at all? Maybe you could introduce a slow dance as part of your winddown?

[LucysMommy]

What I have started doing with my LO, is after her diaper change and story I hold her 'like a newborn' horizontally and sing her a lullaby and gently walk/bounce her like I did when she was a wee one.  She wouldn't let me hold her like this for ages, but once she is wound down and has her soother in she lets me and her eyes get sooo droopy.  Just for one song then into the crib, and I like it because it's like she's my little baby again.

[gogomama]

Aw Jaci..lots and lots of hugs I do something similar to LucysMommy and sing a song and tickle his nose..he seems to like it. I do think that all the LOs go through their independent phases though. She may be down for the cuddles in a few weeks...DS has been having the opposite issue the past few days. Hes been a little under the weather with a runny nose, but he's been comfort nursing more than he ever has before. It feels like every time I sit down hes pulling at my shirt and he will drink for a few seconds then turn away.

[inoella]

thanks so much ladies! so nice to know you're all out there loving your los the same ways! I'll def. try the slow dance/song idea! and thanks for the reminder about independent phases - i just feel sad (and a little terrified!) cuz she's already sooooooooo independent! such a big little girl.

today we were out for lunch and i was hoping she would make it home so she could nurse before the pm nap (still doing that but down stairs and not technically part of the wd routine) but she fell asleep just a block from home - not kidding! - i still can't believe i managed to get her out of her car seat and into the crib while still sleeping! i'm guessing she'll be demanding to nurse after this nap!!!

[First Time Mom]

Hi ladies! Not much new here, still bfing about 5x a day and only drinking about 1-2 oz of water in a sippy (plus now taking 3-4 oz of cow's milk in his cereal). I'm still pumping at night, but only getting about 1-2oz, have lots of bags in the freezer in the basement. Graydon is not a cuddly baby, especially in the day. He will even scratch at my face or pull my hair if I try to pick him up while he's motoring around. Night time he's a different baby though, after his bf he throws himself in my arms so he's laying back like a small baby, stares into my eyes, sticks his paci in, then reaches up and hugs me and pats me on the back (as if to burb me)! It's quite funny really.

Any of you still leak after all this time? I still have to wear the leak pads, and I'm getting tired of it. I don't recall leaking like this with my dd. It's mostly at night time but I don't trust myself in the day so I wear the pads 24/7. When Graydon was young I leaked like crazy, sometimes even through the pads, I know I didn't leak like that with dd. It's funny I guess how it's different with each lo.

[inoella]

he throws himself in my arms so he's laying back like a small baby, stares into my eyes, sticks his paci in, then reaches up and hugs me and pats me on the back (as if to burb me)!

AWWW! so cute!
i still leak on whatever side she isn't nursing on from the let-down. but i leaked so badly before that i still wear them 24/7 too!

[LucysMommy]

I don't leak anymore but I only bf 2 - 3 times a day.  I don't remember when it stopped... it's been a long time since I wore pads.  Sometime last spring?  It was so nice when it stopped, then I didn't have to wear a bra to bed anymore.

[gogomama]

I'm same as Jaci, def still leaking. Also, don't know i this is TMI but when I go w/o the breast pads my nipples get really irritated from the bra..don't know why but sice bf they always seems to be sticking out, so the pads help with that too 

[NZ_Mum]

Hi all, thought I'd jump in here, we're still on BF 4x a day... DS turns 1 next week! Can't believe it really. Anyway just wondering when and why you decided to cut a feed? DS is eating really well, pretty much anything you put in front of him, has big drinks of water after each meal AND BF's 4x a day! Seems like there is no slacking off in the eating department yet, although I have heard this is what happens after about 1yo. Have any of your LO's slowed down their consumption yet? Or is that only evident in that they aren't BFing as much?

I'm not leaking or pumping, but things can still get a bit uncomfortable if we miss a feed.

Jaci - Sad to hear you're missing the cuddles I'm not looking forward to that myself.