Extended Nursing Support Thread part 4

[clazzat]

So true!

[*Ali*]

Haha. I do still BW on my phone while BFing. Colby actually brings me my phone and feeding pillow when he wants a boob occasionally. I think he has just got used to it.

Today I inadvertently skipped the daytime feeds as we were out so we just had 5am EW (back to sleep in my bed til 7.40) and BT. Opps!

[anna*]

I think Audrey uses BF time as 'thinking' time... she will lie there nursing away for a few minutes, but then suddenly sit up to practice a few signs, or practice saying something, or practice her false laugh or whatever. Cute... the first time. The 50th time, not so much.

[*Ali*]

LOL Anna.

[Papaya]

Haha! F used to "chat" away in sign during her bedtime feed too (I think to herself, usually!), but she didn't generally stop feeding to do it. She doesn't do it anymore now that we're just on WU feed though, boo. It was generally good amusement for me!

[amayzie]

Hamish will sometimes stop to chat.. he of course refuses to sign But as the aim is talking he is going quite well with that. Can i just add that his first 3 word sentence was "No da (cuddle) mama' how rude!!

On the milk front (what is this thread about again? ) Hamish still has a bed time feed- but some nights when he's fussing around and not wanting to go to sleep at bed time he will ask for a drink- sometimes not even 10 minutes after the milk feed!! Could he be actually thirsty this soon after the milk? Is is just bed time delaying tactics? They are so crafty!!

[Fiver]

Could be a bit of both, Katy.  DS used to ask for drinks to delay (still does, actually!!)

[anna*]

Aud is teething but she is asking to BF All. The. Time. Like, every hour. Any time I am sitting down, she comes over, asks for up on my lap, the starts whining and signing milk and trying to pull my clothes off. This is at home or out and about. I figure she wants the comfort but she is not happy with just cuddles. I can distract her but she gets upset. She's waking earlier in the night wanting to Bf too (2am instead of 4-5). Should I be strict and settle her without Bf in the night too? I've been thinking its about time we drop that last EW/NF but I'm so terrified of getting stuck with a regular EW...

[*Ali*]

Anna, we were in the same position but I weaned 9 nights ago and haven't looked back. I think we had 2 days when he woke before 6 and didn't get back to sleep but then on day 3 he did go back to sleep and since then he gas hardly woken at that time. He does sometimes have a NW or two earlier in the night but I simply tell him it's still sleepy time and he now lays down and goes back to sleep.

So I think it depends in whether you want to still offer a NF and if so then it's fine. If not then I'd wean it.

Colby is doing this annoying thing of constantly wanting to switch breasts. Sometimes he will change half a dozen times. And he is never finished I always just say last bit when I've had enough and next time he comes off I cut him off. He is normally ok after a 5 second protest, even at BT. Anyone else do that?

He is also doing a cute thing while BFing. He unlatches and lays his head on my breast and smiles up at me. An he sometimes wibbles his bottom lip with his fingers to make a funny noise. I ask him if he's wobbling and he says yeah. He doesit when self-settling in his cot too.

[becj86]

Colby is doing this annoying thing of constantly wanting to switch breasts. Sometimes he will change half a dozen times. And he is never finished I always just say last bit when I've had enough and next time he comes off I cut him off. He is normally ok after a 5 second protest, even at BT. Anyone else do that?

Yep! Have to otherwise I'd be there forever

[Solene]

Does anyone know if there's any statistics that show how likely it is that your supply will be affected by weaning at night? With a 22 month old.
I don't think we're ready to do it at all yet, but in very tired moments, the thought strikes me.
He often sleeps through, from his bed time (usually around 6.30 pm.) to 5-6 am. and nurses then before sleeping a few more hours. Sometimes he wakes around 10-11 pm. and nurses in addition.
But sometimes, he wakes once or twice in the night too, and nurses, and sometimes he just wants to nurse for a looong time (use me as a paci for a while, really, and he doesn't use one), and I'm not always thrilled about it.
I really do want to keep nursing longer though, like, I would be very sad if I lost my supply now. That's why I'm askin'. I want to nurse him through the winter, and past his 2nd b'day. But I will probably stop the night feeds somtime in the spring.

And while we're on the subject, I feel like I should be the one to wean him of those. That I should at least be there for comfort. It won't be too frustrating for him to have me there and not get to nurse, right?

[anna*]

I don't know about stats, but with my first I stopped feeding him overnight when he was about 10 months old, after that it was just morning and bedtime feeds, and my supply was fine, and I nursed at those feeds (and sometimes during the day, and occasionally at night if he was sick) until around his 2nd birthday.

If you're cosleeping and wanting to wean the night feeds, this is a really great link: http://drjaygordon.com/attachment/sleeppattern.html

[*Ali*]

Solene again, not sure about the night feeds and supply stats but like Anna I weaned my first at around 1yo of night feeds and fed him until 26mo with no supply issues. I recently weaned the NF with ds2 at 15mo and haven't noticed any dip in supply again. We are on 2 or 3 feeds a day now, Wu, midday and BT. We sometimes skip the midday feed if out and then I do get very full by BT.

I'm so happy I weaned the NF as he is still sleeping to a reasonable time in the morning (7.30am this morning) and I had feared it would mean him staying up after the typical 5-6am EW we were having with the NF.

[*Ali*]

Oh, meant to say I weaned the NFs with DS2 but DH did it with DS1 as he was so used to daddy putting him to bed and dealing with NWs we didn't feed at and always settled more quickly for him. I wouldn't have let anyone he wasn't so used to being comforted by do it though.
I just told them mummy's boobs are sleeping when I had to deal myself. They are old enough to understand after 1yo I think, at least partially.

[amayzie]

Yeah- i weaned night feeds at 10 months and then again at about 14 months or so and haven't done a night feed for a very long time now and my supply has been fine all the way along. There even seems to be SOME there on the odd night i've given him a night feed. Hamish totally understood second time around- in that he still cried and complained- but it was much more of a protest..