Who is breastfeeding?

Hello Ladies!

I am also breast feeding, It is really difficult but I love it too, its really tiring but at the same time if I miss a feeding I miss her so much. Its a real bonding experience. I find it isolating though as I have body issues and cant do it in public. I do it in my car and stuff when Im out though and Im getting better at taking her out yahay!

My daughter also has severe severe cow milk allergy, this worries me as she is very sick on cow milk formula (bloody nappy, bad rash, screaming and choking on acid reflux) I think she also reacts to soy but not as bad. I dont know if she is allergic to eggs from me or peanuts but I wish to have an allergy test as guessing isnt cuting it....

I have cut out dairy from my diet and she went from green bloody poops to normal yellow ones...praise the lord!

Today I gave her SMA gold to see if she had out grown her allegy and she is really ill now. I feel soo bad.

I also ache terribly if I miss a feed so I have to express. I dont know how Ill wean...


Sparkles how comes your weaning now...did you feel a bit isolated breast feeding?
7 months is AWSOME though so congrats...

ginny congrats on breast feeding for so long!!!

Well ladies we have done so well, we really do deserve a pat on the back

No i dont feel isolate D- i did feel a bit self concious at first but now i can breast feed just about anywhere, but i always said i wanted to breast feed for 6 months and i just am keen to relieve my pain ( as i was always oooo full) and let hubby help out a bit more etc and just feel ready to wean, it is getting sooooo hot here too and both Kyrah and i are over heaters and get so sweaty. At the moment though since giving up 2-3 breast feeds a day i am not in pain anymore and still really enjoying my breast feeds in morning, arvo and night but also feel a little more free during the day. i am really happy how its all going, i will prob keep it like this for a while will see how we go!!
I am glad Jas is getting better, the poor darling, it will be hard for you to wean hun, i hope you can find something that will work or she grows out of it. You arew doing a fantastic job xo

thanks d!!! i am pumping now at work...only getting 8 oz though... usually get 12! so thats weird...could be ovulation though.

i will nurse til he is ready to self wean...at least thats the plan. right now he nurses in the morning, at 3 pm when i get home and on demand til bedtime then on demand at nite also...so no - i dont sleep much!! but its working out great 4 us!!! he started on meat thiseekend which is disgusting!!! but he eats 1 thing of veggies one fruit and 1 meat (gerber) daily he still is only maybe 19 lbs! but he is tall 2.

xxxxx

ttyl!

Removed post.

Hey Rylee!!

Considering all the chocolate and cheesecake, and twinkies I can eat right now and not gain weight, I am thinking about NEVER weaning!! :lol!: BUT, I don't know...I mean I don't want to be someone with a 5 year old still nursing or anything, but I will do it til at least 12 months and then encourage him to start drinking milk and using a cup more often. He already tries

D - I meant to also say I am sorry to hear about J's allergy And I am like you hiding in cars/trucks to nurse so no one will see! Its sad, but true, and at home or at my parents, i will cover up with a blanket so I can still be a "part of the family" and not have to go hide like Igor!!!! LOL

Gotta go!!!

D -- no, I don't feel isolated when BF. In the beginning I was always afraid to be out and about cause of the nursing. But now I nurse him in the car, in changing rooms, or nursing rooms.. So sorry to hear about J's allergies.

Ginny -- wow 12oz. in one pumping session? How many times do you pump a day at work?

hey Nicki!!!
I pump USUALLY two times a day ( the first time is the big one where i get 10 - 12 oz ) then the 2nd time (when I do it) is about 6 or 8 oz. depending on the day.... BUT he usually only drinks about 8 - 10 oz while i am gone at work - which is awesome considering at first he would ONLY drink 2 oz cuz he hates the bottle so much :S I have a Medela Lactina Select, so it helps me be the Jersey cow that I am LOL! I HATE to pump, but I love to nurse! I also love that I am not having to nurse quite as often the older he gets! Cuz he is eating solid food and stuff like that now, it makes it a little easier, so i am not in the house ALL day long nursing, cuz I agree with D, it CAN feel isolating at times, esp when you are around people who are NOT cool with it. If you come to my house though, either expect me to whip the boob out at any given time OR if there's guys there, i will use the blanket and sit in my recliner, but don't expect me to go hide in another room I can tell who is comfy and who isn't so i try to respect that I LOVE nursing though and it has gone very well from day one.

Anywho, better get to work!!!!

Good job everyone for nursing (or bottle feeding!!!!) your babies, we all have beautiful healthy children!!! XXXXXX

Hi girls I am in the exclusively breastfeeding/pumping club too. My little guy has allergies to the protein in both cow's milk and soy and so far there just aren't any forumulas out there that co-operate with him. I just got a sample of neocate in the mail but I hate to try and end up with a miserable little guy. It just means no dairy or soy for me. Now that he has started solids it is alot easier and I can slip a little dairy in on him without having the same consequences or at least it appears to be working. We are just coming off our elimation diet so I may have to take that back at some point. I always pump when he is done because my breastmilk is a precious commodity since I have no backup and he doesn't always finish everything off on his own.

well i just had thane's 10 month checkup and im sad cuz the dr said he needs to be weaned at 12 months! just like my in laws she is talking about "well when he bites u you'll change your mind..." its my titty here!!! sorry to be crude, but good grief! its no skin off them if he bites me!! he is only 19.4 lbs and 29.3 inches tall so he is pretty small. she said to give him more meats so i will try that. she said hes filling up on milk and i need to cut out our nitely nursing sessions. he only drinks 8 - 12 oz of milk a freakin day while i am gone! some of u may remember my trouble w him taking a bottle! :( im just really bummed cuz i am not looking forward to weaning :'( nightime is when he gets all his milk :( what would ya'll do?

Hey Ginny -
I know you are bummed. I am weaning (very slowly) by choice and I have days when I feel bummed!!!
My pediatrician told me start cutting out the night feedings at Owen's 4 month apt. I was concerned too because when he nursed during the day he would get bored and not nurse well. I was afraid he wouldn't get enough calories BUT he started eating better during the day when we cut out night feedings. I broke the habit by slowly cutting back the minutes I let him eat and then one night I just patted his back instead of picking him up. He hasn't eaten in the night in almost 6 weeks.

crying baby gotta go!

of course.... you are his momma! You still get to decide and you will do what you believe is best for your baby and we will all support your decision!

Hey lou sweety,I have a question,when your ped told you to cut out the night feeds,were you already Giving O solids? (sorry I call my brother "O" Owen LOL) I have not yet started little missy on solids but I think I will within the next month,at least cereal.How did that go?How long did it take and did he scream for his milk at night?

Ginny,I am sorry you're bumed,ONly now with Tia can I understand how sweet it is to breastfeed and feel so close and lovey dovey.MIght be nice for you to get some more sleep and alone time with Ray though and also,you will get closer in other ways,like bathtime,when he first says I love you.I know it's hard but please focus on the MANY mnay more HUNDREDS of firsts to come rather than this loss.You will discover so much with him and love it all.You're a GREAT mother and you will continue to enjoy your little boy so much just not always in the same ways! (((Ginny)))

xxx

thank u lou lou and holi!!!

i know u r right and he cant bf forever!! i just love it so much and its something he expects and enjoys - its what calms him down you know? Oh well, I know you are right and there are going to be so many changes and so many new, good things that will come And yes, sleeping again sounds fantastic! Its been about a year cuz in my last couple of months being pg, I couldn't sleep at all with discomfort!

I guess the last 10 months have just flown by and I cannot believe he will be one before i know it!

Thank you for your sweet responses! I know i will be fine, but its sad...like when I have to put his tiny clothes away for a bigger size or when I had to take the bassinette part out of the playyard. I will get over it!

XXXXX THanks!!!!

Hey Holi -
I had already let Baby O (that's what we call him!) have very thin rice cereal at 3 months and he had just tried sweet potatoes right before he was 4 moths old.
He was only taking a few teaspoons twice a day.
My doctor said we want to encourage babies to get all of their calories during the day so if we let them eat at night they wont take all the calories in during the day, which makes sense.
So from 4 months on I worked on eliminating night feedings (between 9pm and 5am) and stretching his feedings from every 2 1/2 to every 3 hours during the day.

A typical day for us is:
5:00 am - BF (side nursing in bed!)
8:00 am - BF (side nursing in bed!)
11:00 am - 4 oz bottle and 5 tablespoons of rice cereal with 1/2 jar of stage one bananas.
2:00 pm - BF (We are about to make this a 4 oz bottle)
5:00 pm - BF with 2 jars of stage one veggies (We have just started stage 2 jars and my doctor said that by his 6 month check up he should be eating a jar and 1/2 of stage 2 at this meal)
8:00 pm - 6 oz bottle and 5 tablespoons of rice cereal with 1/2 jar of stage one fruit.

He LOVES his food and he LOVES the bottle!!! Sometimes I think he like the bottle more than me!!! I guess that's good since we are weaning! He has started reaching for my cup or plate of food at meals now!!!! I can't believe how fast these babies learn things!!!

Anyway, hope this helps!

thats great Lou Lou, sounds like how we weaned Kyrah
Kyrah is still breast fed morning and night, however she hasnt wantes to breast feed the last two days due to her beinf snuffly and she cant breather properly through her nose, so i guess my milk might dry up, i am still offereing and trying but i feel a little sad about totally giving up or...drying up...will just see what happens

Ginny- i understand the sadness, we started eaning by choice however i have done it slowly and it is a sad time, i have held onto my last two feeds and want to for a while, so i hope i dont dry up....you do what you think is right or...enjoy every second of your feeds for the last two months...you have done sooooo well
xo

EVERYONE HAS!!!!

Thank you Sparkles!! I agree that everyone has done so well! I am proud of everyone!!!

I think when Thane is one, I may just still continue the night feeds as much as he wants, cuz really he isn't nursing tons right now anyway! I know hubby is ready for me to stop at 12 months though and my freakin in laws have annoyed the *&^%&* out of me from day one! They can't wait for me to stop, which absolutely burns me up cuz its no one's business!!! :angry:

Anyway, hope you all have a great day and thank you so much for your responses

Hey Ginny,why would the in laws want you to stop?Is it because they want to give hima bottle.My GMIL has hinted that she wants to give the baby a bottle.My attitiude is the same "none of your business" i mean,I am gonna wean her at some point,but pushing me and wanting me to do it so YOU can hold her more and take over only makes me want to keep her exclsively breastfed.Anyway...Sorry,I have a touch of deffensiveness regarding this as you can probably see LOL

Haha! Yeah, Holi - but we SHOULD be defensive! I have NO clue why they don't want me to breastfeed but every time they see me they ask when I am stopping cuz "He's gonna start biting and you will change your mind!" or they will talk to Thane and say "Well look at all those teeth, mommy can't feed you much longer!". I COULD KNOCK THEM OUT! I am politely rude back to them :P Whatever that is! HAHA!

LOL,I see.I am luckily not exposed to this on a too regular bassis but when I am it gets my hackles up and I find it really hard not to say anything.LOL

Luckily my parents and inlaws and inlaws family are all very pro breast feeding, as brother is a Dr and knows all the health benefits, and mother breast fed me until 8 weeks but gave up due to lack of support, so wants to be there to support me. MIL breast fed her kids, youngest up to two years old and he is the most intelligent, independent, healthiest kid ive ever seen. He never gets sick, always eating and never puts on weight and has a very high IQ, its all so inspiring.

My mothers family are all against breast feeding, my grandmas also. I dont know what their problems are as they aernt the ones with their tits out 247. its me.


My dads brothers wife is the WORST, she openly critises me every time she sees me. You know, it must be hard for people without support. Becaause if I was around the critisers all the time Id give up. Even though Ive kind of made it my mission in life!!

They keep saying she will be too clingy. On the contrary, breast fed children are shown to be much much more independent as they have received the natural mother child bond, and they are shown to be much less likely to have mental health problems and behavioural problems.

Jasmin is very unclingy, I almost wish shed be a little more into me when it comes to cuddles and no milk, but no, she is sooo independent. Im really proud of her!

D - my mother was not very supportive. She had a lot of trouble breastfeeding me and didn't pursue it with my sister or brothers. So from day one I felt guilty when I was with her for breastfeeding. It was awful! I do think it influenced my decision to stop some. I never had a breastfeeding "plan". I had decided early on that I would breastfeed as long as it was good for me and Owen but as soon as I stopped I was a little sad!

However, Owen transitioned easily and loves his bottle and all the yummy solids he's eating now. I have come to peace with the amount of time I nursed and I'm proud of myself for doing it as long as I did!

It sounds like you are surrounded by support and that's awesome!

Lou I think you have done brilliantly and you should be very proud of yourself. Breast feeding is damn hard work. Owen is adorable xxxx

and btw the mommy guilt never goes away no matter what we do, its just part of being a mum I think. We just feel bad even though we have done our utmost best! I think its part of good parenting! Im glad youve made peace , but truely you should be feeling more happy than sad as youve given owen a lot more than most mums can manage! It must be a sad time to wean, like the end of an era.

Jasmin just started her sippy cup and I put the bottles away, that was sad but a proud moment too. Bitter sweet!

anyway, Lots of hugs TC xxx

Hey ladies!
Just wondering if i could bump this up and see who is still nursing. Thane is 15 months and still nurses on demand, so I was just curious who else was still going strong?

Hey Ginny,

Me too,T-li is 9 months and I am still going but only from one side LOL.Ihave one boob that I don't use and it looks so tiny compared to the other one.I was not intending to BF past 6 months but she doesnt like forumula (dont blame her) So I am waiting until we get the all clear for her to have cows milk exclusively She already has some a few times a day in a sippy cup with no probs,but she still likes to nurse in the morning,nap time and bed time (and once at night) so I havnt cut those out yet I don't mind it but would like my boobs to go back to normal!