Are you breastfeeding a toddler?

[Bird-Mom]

There are several organic formulas on the market but I urge you to please, please, please do lots and lots of research before choosing to make your own.

I wanted to clarify about the homemade formula. There are lots of recipes that are the corn syrup/evaporated (or is it condensed) milk versions that our parents and/or grandparents used. The one I speak of is not one of those. My midwife would never recommend something that would compromise a baby.

 

[gottalovethem]

Wow...what a great thread with many phenomenal women here! WTG!


It is great to not feel so alone...and I think that is why we are all patting one another on the back. When you have your own family asking you rediculous questions like, "SO HOW LONG ARE YOU GOING TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT???" and "OH, YOU'RE STILL DOING THAT???" -- it is important to surround yourself with women who are likeminded.

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Yeah, I'm seeing my parents at the end of this month and my mother is SOO against me nursing my almost-1 year old that I am dreading dealing with nursing and her. She said that I should have stopped 6 months ago! Sad to say, but if I though it'd be easy to wean I'd do it to avoid her nitpicking me. But at the same time, I don't want to wean because she forces me too. . .

It's nice to hear from other moms who are nursing and keeping it going. Any good comebacks for me? At any rate, thanks for letting me vent.

WTG to all the moms who have worked so hard to provide bm for their babes. You ladies are amazing.

 

[sara74]

My MIL kindly told me that she didn't BF her kids because it was the lower class thing to do in her day. Nice... DH and I are the same age and I was BF so I guess that was a jab at my mom as well as me for BFing! I told her that it was the uneducated thing today if one didn't BF as there is so much research showing how beneficial it is for both mom and baby! She hasn't asked if I plan on BFing #3. I think she has learned her lesson.

 

[sara74]

Thanks to all the responses re: my thrush question! I want to get on top of things as soon as I can. Sadly I will admit that I will take the thrush over giving up refined sugars I'd rather be sore than not eat ice cream! But the other suggestions are ones I can do!

Next year I'll be posting on here when DS is one and nursing still!

 

[amarberry]

My MIL kindly told me that she didn't BF her kids because it was the lower class thing to do in her day. Nice... DH and I are the same age and I was BF so I guess that was a jab at my mom as well as me for BFing! I told her that it was the uneducated thing today if one didn't BF as there is so much research showing how beneficial it is for both mom and baby! She hasn't asked if I plan on BFing #3. I think she has learned her lesson.

It's really interesting to see how the tide has turned in a generation or so. My mom (who was a total earthmom, hippie kind of woman) breastfed me until I was about a year and a half, but you hardly hear about anyone our age whose mom nursed them. When DD was a few months old and my maternal grandmother was visiting, we were talking about nursing and she told me that it was made to feel that it wasn't even an option for her to nurse her children when they were born in the 50's. You had your baby (of course, they knocked you out for the delivery too) and then they'd give you that shot to suppress lactation.

 

[AngieWin]

My MIL told me that she didnt bfed her boys because formula was the in thing However she was very accepting of me bfing (other sil's didnt).

My mom bfed all of us because she knew that was what you were supposed to do and didnt know any different. She questioned it when I was still nursing ds1 when he was 21 months and I was 16 weeks pg. Since then my sister nursed her dd until she was 20 months and dsil is nursing her ds at 18 months and 12 weeks pg. I think she more excepting with extended bfing now. Her ob told her that she was harming her unborn child (my sister) because she was bfing me (we are 13 months apart). My ob told me the same, but I did enough research to know that wasnt necessarily true.

 

[laceemouse]

My MIL kindly told me that she didn't BF her kids because it was the lower class thing to do in her day. Nice... DH and I are the same age and I was BF so I guess that was a jab at my mom as well as me for BFing! I told her that it was the uneducated thing today if one didn't BF as there is so much research showing how beneficial it is for both mom and baby! She hasn't asked if I plan on BFing #3. I think she has learned her lesson.

My MIL says the same thing. When she was having her kids women were told that only those who could not afford formula bf. She is sorry now that she listened to all that garbage and missed out on the bonding experience. My mom tried bfing and was told her "milk was not rich enough" with her first so she switched to bottles and never tried to nurse again. She never understood why I wanted to bf my four. I weaned each of them before 18 months mostly because I never got pg while nursing and was ready to. Kinda wished I would have nursed longer, great for you ladies!!!

 

[DebIreland]

One of the main reasons I decided to wean him is because at 2 years old he is not really talking at all. He only says a handful of single syllable words. Several people told me that maybe it was because he was nursing to much. So I weaned him, but guess what? He's still not talking. Now I am dealing with those terrible two's tantrums and I have no "mommy milk" to help de-escalate the situation. I also miss the cuddle time throughout the day.

I know it's hard. My eldest son had no words at all right up to almost 3 years of age. He made a few sounds but couldn't communicate most of the time. It was heartbreaking and utterly frustrating for all of us, but mostly for him. Try to ignore "people". They *all* know why he isn't talking and you'll hear every scenario from "it's because he's the eldest", "it's because he's the youngest", "it's because you work outside the home", "it's because you stay at home", "it's because you're breastfeeding", "it's becauase you're bottle-feeding", "it's because................". You know your own child better than anyone else (including me of course, a stranger on a message board ). Follow your instincts and keep loving him like you're doing and chances are, he'll thrive, verbally and every other way.

The "handful of single syllable words" is a terrific start. What would be way worse would be if he was making no sounds at all. Even if he says "mu" for "milk" or "ah" for "momma", that *is* communication and a great start.

The vital thing (says this interfering momma, lol) is eye contact. Lots and lots and lots of eye contact! My son was making very little eye contact and, in retrospect, the more time went on without him communicating, the less motivated he was to make eye contact so when he was 3 there was virtually none. Once we got back the eye contact (there are exercises to get it back - very simple, fun little exercises) his speech started to develop and he became a very happy little boy. He's 12 now and doing great, no problems at all!!

Anyway, I'm rambling but I wanted to give you a hug and say hang in there, you're doing great.

 

[toesmom]

DD now 7.5 years old nursed till almost 6, just because she loved it and never wanted to stop.... ds now 2.5 shared his mum mums with his big sis until he was 1 year old. My mom thought I was crazy, I just didn't let others in on our secret.

Both kids very healthy, dd is smartest and kindest in her class so I'm a big advocate of the benefits of breastfeeding.

If it feels right, don't feel like there is anything wrong with nursing toddlers as long as you are comfortable.

Benefits of breastmilk (actually entirely composed of living cells) offers health benefits at any age.

 

[belle&beast]

I know it's hard. My eldest son had no words at all right up to almost 3 years of age. He made a few sounds but couldn't communicate most of the time. It was heartbreaking and utterly frustrating for all of us, but mostly for him. Try to ignore "people". They *all* know why he isn't talking and you'll hear every scenario from "it's because he's the eldest", "it's because he's the youngest", "it's because you work outside the home", "it's because you stay at home", "it's because you're breastfeeding", "it's becauase you're bottle-feeding", "it's because................". You know your own child better than anyone else (including me of course, a stranger on a message board ). Follow your instincts and keep loving him like you're doing and chances are, he'll thrive, verbally and every other way.

The "handful of single syllable words" is a terrific start. What would be way worse would be if he was making no sounds at all. Even if he says "mu" for "milk" or "ah" for "momma", that *is* communication and a great start.

The vital thing (says this interfering momma, lol) is eye contact. Lots and lots and lots of eye contact! My son was making very little eye contact and, in retrospect, the more time went on without him communicating, the less motivated he was to make eye contact so when he was 3 there was virtually none. Once we got back the eye contact (there are exercises to get it back - very simple, fun little exercises) his speech started to develop and he became a very happy little boy. He's 12 now and doing great, no problems at all!!

Anyway, I'm rambling but I wanted to give you a hug and say hang in there, you're doing great.

You have some really great points- the eye contact is really an important part of communication! As a speech therapist I also have to reiterate that an evaluation would never hurt and could be beneficial even if therapy is not necessary. A good SLP will be able to give you ideas about what to do at home to help increase the language development. There is a wide variety of what is considered to be typically developing, however most 2 year olds are combining 2 words especially for requests: more juice, milk please, want cracker...etc. If therapy is necessary, the earlier the treatment begins, the faster the progress and the less time it takes to complete the process. The first 3 years of life are critical to language development and a wait and see approach is not always the best option. I just had to add this, because so many people are told to wait and children suffer because of it. Sorry not trying to hi-jack the thread! (I am enjoying reading about all the experiences!)

 

[hidmickey:myantidrug]

OP: I can't answer your question as I don't have children (sorry) but I would like to thank you for specifying that you don't want opinions. Although I do have my own that I'm not going to share, this doesn't need to turn into another one of those posts that get out of hand (like one that just closed recently). I felt badly for that OP, as her question wasn't really answered by many eventhough there were 20ish pages. I'd just like to set a reminder to the people here to please keep your opinions about it limited to the question asked.

This isn't directed at anyone specific, just a general friendly reminder.

 

[DebIreland]

You have some really great points- the eye contact is really an important part of communication!

Thank you!

I just had to add this, because so many people are told to wait and children suffer because of it.

Yes, absolutely. We started the search for help when DS was about 2.5. It took us many months to finally find someone who helped DS and helped us to help him (that does make sense, honestly! lol). But I agree, there's nothing to be gained from waiting around. Sometimes parents aren't ready to go down that road and that's totally understandable but to even approach the issue slowly and find out what help is out there, is a positive step.

I'm sorry too for hi-jacking the thread. Back to breastfeeding! On that note, although I bottle-fed for various reasons, I think it's great when the bond between mother and child works, be it a bottle-feeding bond or a breast-feeding one! One of my closest friends breast-fed her son successfully until he was a week shy of 3 and I never breast-fed any of my 3 children but my friend and I supported each other all through the baby/toddler years and the main issue is respect - mothers need to respect each other's choices and offer support to one another. Parenting is hard enough without battling one another. Respect for each other's choices is what it's all about!

 

[Bird-Mom]

My mom has selective memory when we talk about how long she breastfed us. Sometimes she says a few months, other times a few weeks. My brother was less time, and my sister even less. I remember when my sister was born b/c I was almost 7. My mom was very unsupportive of my desire to breastfeed. DD #1 had huge problems, and I remember my mom yelling at me over the phone (she lives across the country) that I better just give up and get some bottles. I couldn't talk to her and my dh took the phone and told her that feeding our daughter was our choice, and we were going to carry on until we got the hang of breastfeeding. Years later, my mom is amazed at my children-no serious illnesses, no ear infections-healthy as horses. (Of course she thinks I am crazy for shunning allopathic medicine, but that is another post) It felt really good when she finally said that I was right to pursue breastfeeding with everything I had.

I really wanted to tandem nurse, but I couldn't hang on for a few more months at the end of my pregnancy with dd2. I was so very sore and she was only briefly nursing at bedtime and upon waking.

 

[noahynav]

I know it's hard. My eldest son had no words at all right up to almost 3 years of age. He made a few sounds but couldn't communicate most of the time. It was heartbreaking and utterly frustrating for all of us, but mostly for him. Try to ignore "people". They *all* know why he isn't talking and you'll hear every scenario from "it's because he's the eldest", "it's because he's the youngest", "it's because you work outside the home", "it's because you stay at home", "it's because you're breastfeeding", "it's becauase you're bottle-feeding", "it's because................". You know your own child better than anyone else (including me of course, a stranger on a message board ). Follow your instincts and keep loving him like you're doing and chances are, he'll thrive, verbally and every other way.

The "handful of single syllable words" is a terrific start. What would be way worse would be if he was making no sounds at all. Even if he says "mu" for "milk" or "ah" for "momma", that *is* communication and a great start.

The vital thing (says this interfering momma, lol) is eye contact. Lots and lots and lots of eye contact! My son was making very little eye contact and, in retrospect, the more time went on without him communicating, the less motivated he was to make eye contact so when he was 3 there was virtually none. Once we got back the eye contact (there are exercises to get it back - very simple, fun little exercises) his speech started to develop and he became a very happy little boy. He's 12 now and doing great, no problems at all!!

Anyway, I'm rambling but I wanted to give you a hug and say hang in there, you're doing great.

Thank you so much for this! It was just what I needed to hear.

 

[emh1129]

OP: I can't answer your question as I don't have children (sorry) but I would like to thank you for specifying that you don't want opinions. Although I do have my own that I'm not going to share, this doesn't need to turn into another one of those posts that get out of hand (like one that just closed recently). I felt badly for that OP, as her question wasn't really answered by many eventhough there were 20ish pages. I'd just like to set a reminder to the people here to please keep your opinions about it limited to the question asked.

This isn't directed at anyone specific, just a general friendly reminder.

I think this thread has been right on topic-
She asked:
"Have any tips or experiences to share about nursing in WDW or elsewhere?"
And that's exactly what this whole thread has been about

(Although she did ask to only hear from those who are supportive of breastfeeding toddlers, and a few earlier posters skipped over that part )

 

[NemoMOm]

Hello!

My DS is 18 mos and still nursing strong! This will be our 3rd trip to WDW with DS. I love the baby care centers of course. Also there are some great restaurants that close early evening or right after lunch. (Counter Service of course) but they make great places to nurse. Also boat rides are great, I try to sit with my back to everyone or my husband sits next to me and tries to block. I'm discreet but you know how people are!

Also, since there are so many nursers out there, did anyone nurse while pregnant? We are trying for #2 but everyone tells me to wean DS before I get pregnant.

 

[Bird-Mom]

Also, since there are so many nursers out there, did anyone nurse while pregnant? We are trying for #2 but everyone tells me to wean DS before I get pregnant.

I got pregnant with my second dd when my oldest was 18 months. We nursed until she turned 2. (I so wanted to tandem nurse but didn't make it) My cycles returned right before her first birthday. If your cycles are back, I don't think that nursing alone would prevent fertility. It was a challenge for me to nurse when pregnant because I was really sore, but it was important to dd, so we carried on as long as I could. I know lots of women who did not have the same pain as I do, so nursing through a pregnancy is totally possible. Just depends on what you want to do! Good luck ttc!

 

[NemoMOm]

Thanks, Bird MOM

That helps alot. They are not worried about fertility but say it would be dangerous for the unborn baby. My response was what did they do before formula?

 

[AngieWin]

Thanks, Bird MOM

That helps alot. They are not worried about fertility but say it would be dangerous for the unborn baby. My response was what did they do before formula?

DS1 nursed while I was pregnant and weaned himself at 21 months (17 weeks pg). Unless you are a high risk pregnancy, there is no reason to stop.

http://www.lalecheleague.org/FAQ/bfpregnant.html

 

[emh1129]

Well, I wanted to jump back in here and say that, since I posted way back on one of the early pages here, Paul has pretty much weaned himself at 40 months. It was a gradual process of him giving it up on his own, and he hasn't nursed in about 2 weeks now. I do miss it, but I have so many wonderful memories to cherish of that special time in our relationship. Nursing a baby is incredible, but nursing a toddler is SUCH an amazing experience.

Most of you know that Paul was a micropreemie, 13 weeks early and weighing only 1 pound and 7 ounces. He spent just over three months in the NICU. I pumped continously, round the clock every three hours for him the first few months so they could feed him my milk through a tube, and then I fought long and hard with the doctors and nurses for the right to let him try actually nursing. So, when he was about 2 months old and just about 3 pounds, I started working with him seriously on latching on. By the time he went home a month later he was only 3lbs and 14oz, but he was nursing for all of his feedings! But, I was still pumping very often to keep my supply up, because he couldn't take much milk from me at a feeding. After all that work, there was no way I was going to encourage him to wean before he was good and ready! At 40 months, he was finally ready, and even though I wasn't...quite...I knew he was done. I feel so good for having been able to give him over three years of milk, and I know it's made a difference in his health and in our relationship. Despite spending the first three months of his life in a hospital (the first 6 weeks on a ventilator) Paul has never had one single sick doctor's visit. No colds at all, no ear infections, no tummy problems - nothing! That's totally amazing for any baby, let alone a preemie! And, I (and his doctor) credit a lot of his amazing health to his getting my milk. Aside from all of that, providing milk for my baby through pumping gave me a way to feel really connected to him in the NICU, which is sometimes hard for mothers. I felt like I was really doing something special to help my baby by providing him with something that no doctor or nurse could. Having that to focus on (plus just having the routine of constant pumping on a set schedule) really helped me get through those first horrible weeks when we didn't know if he was even going to make it.

I'm sorry for rattling on, but I just wanted to share our story one last time, since I'm feeling a bit down about him being weaned. I also wanted to say a special "way to go" to all those mommies who have beat the odds to nurse or pump for their little ones with special issues and situations and to all the mommies brave enough to nurse their toddlers and not care what anybody thinks!

This is such an amazing story.. I've thought so every time I see your little guy's picture in your signature What a handsome little guy!
How is the weaning going?