Breastfeeding Beyond 12 Months

[Elocin]

Serious?! That went sooo quick!

I know!!!! It's ridiculous!!!

I'm with you HotI... I love feeding DS, but the thought of sleeping for more then 4 hours is starting to overtake... So very tired...

[phebee]

Joining in. DD is 13 months and still going strong, though less during the day now. She is not a nipple twiddler but loves to shove her fingers in my mouth and 'clean' my teeth with her fingernails. If she's not doing that she's pulling my hair or my earrings, which she thinks is hilarious, especially when I yelp in pain. Not fussed about continuing. Would like her to wean but I don't want to force her either. I love the closeness and the relationship, just not so much all night! :P

[Rosey]

I'm jumping in also. DD turned one a couple of weeks ago and were still having BF'ing. I'm wanting to wean, not wanting to wean..??.

As mentioned earlier about feeling uncomfortable. That's me! I'm so self-conscious about it as I remember what everyone (family and friends) use to say about other mothers who BF for longer.

No nip tweaks here but she does roll and pinch my awesomely elasticated *cough *saggy*cough* boob skin between her fingers. So much so she takes skin off.

[Jellyfish]

It is pretty neat how busy this thread is!

Second timer here. DD1 fed till 3yrs 3mo, the last 6mo of which were tandem with DD2 who is now 14mo.

[onthefly]

HotI you sound a bit over it. Are you hoping your DD will wean soon?

My DD is a super-aggressive breastfeeder. I had gastro or something on the weekend and things were a bit askew and she's come back with a vengeance demanding milkies all the time. i don't think there's any milk there, though She feeds, then gets aggro and attacks me for more. um. not ok.

[The[cookie]Doctor]

Hiya *waves*. My DD is near 18 months and I think we are nearing the end.
We introduced cows at 12months as I had little success expressing and at 12m needed to get serious about work disruption during the day... has sort of been downhill from there. Most days we still have one feed during the night and then an early morning snuggle but she is sick at the moment and flat out refusing. Which is ultimately frustrating as we know boobie would be so good!
I am hoping it's just this bout of teething and sickness as being in childcare the breastmilk immunity has been a saving grace and this is the first time she has been more than a cough/cold sick in 15 months since returning to work/care. It's the only real reason im pushing for her to continue!

[Sterla]

*sigh*

DD is hanging off me asking for booby atm. Every night she feeds on and off for hours until eventually she winds down enough to fall asleep. I'm just a bit over it. I want some time to myself, or just with DH and I. I'm not getting any down time at the moment, and it's taking it's toll on me. Sorry, bit of a downer over here too.

Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy breastfeeding usually - just having an over-it week this week. Something kinda cute DD has started doing though is requesting sides now. She gets up on my lap, pats a boob and says "si" (side), then lays herself down. I can ask her what side and she'll take a look/feel and decide. Funny how they can have a preference so young.

[Rowellen]

I'm having the same trouble atm Sterla. DD swaps sides about 6 times before I said no more, then she screamed at me for a while until I gave in and let her have more until she finally fell asleep. Bedtime is getting out of hand lately The only me time I get is when DH & the kids are in bed but lately by the time DD goes to sleep, I'm too tired for anything. The whinging & tantrums when she doesn't get her way is really wearing on me. I feel quite emotionally drained as I hate to hear her cry but there is not much I can do if there is nothing left in me. For this reason I can't wait for her to wean but at the same time, I don't want her to as I won't ever have this experience again.

[Teeki]

I was having major issues with multiple side swaps and bedtime draaaaaging until I finally figured out I was pregnant and thought maybe my supply was low. Also DD just didn't seem tired at 7. So it was like she drank all the milk, then at 8 when she was actually tired there was nothing there and she'd get cranky.

Now we leave her be after her shower. Somehow she always chooses 8 to go to bed. Now it's a lot quicker, way less fiddling, and I get in and out and have more time for me/DH

[Barb Glare]

For another perspective, the child I fed for the longest time - until after she started school (now don’t diss it til you try it!) is now 15 and confidently hugged me goodbye and left on a plane for 6 mnths exchange in Japan last week.
Really, it works exactly as the child psychology books(the good ones say) The ones you hold the closest, who are most securely attached grow up to be amazingly confident and secure teens and adults, and move away from their parents earlier, from that secure base. It took me the longitudinal study to work that out!
Don’t forget, toddlers are difficult and irritable. Without the boob they would be difficult, whiny and irritable. With the boob they are still difficult, whiny and irritable. There is not escape for parents - but at least you have “knockout drops”. You can apply some gentle discipline at the breast (that’s where it all starts IMO) Let them know what is acceptable and what’s not. That may produce a tantrum, but then you’d get one of those breastfed or not. And there’s time for your partner, work, all that stuff when they are gone.

[Barb Glare]

For another perspective, the child I fed for the longest time - until after she started school (now don’t diss it til you try it!) is now 15 and confidently hugged me goodbye and left on a plane for 6 mnths exchange in Japan last week.
Really, it works exactly as the child psychology books(the good ones say) The ones you hold the closest, who are most securely attached grow up to be amazingly confident and secure teens and adults, and move away from their parents earlier, from that secure base. It took me the longitudinal study to work that out!
Don’t forget, toddlers are difficult and irritable. Without the boob they would be difficult, whiny and irritable. With the boob they are still difficult, whiny and irritable. There is not escape for parents - but at least you have “knockout drops”. You can apply some gentle discipline at the breast (that’s where it all starts IMO) Let them know what is acceptable and what’s not. That may produce a tantrum, but then you’d get one of those breastfed or not. And there’s time for your partner, work, all that stuff when they are gone.

[luna moth]

I was having major issues with multiple side swaps and bedtime draaaaaging until I finally figured out I was pregnant and thought maybe my supply was low. Also DD just didn't seem tired at 7. So it was like she drank all the milk, then at 8 when she was actually tired there was nothing there and she'd get cranky.

Now we leave her be after her shower. Somehow she always chooses 8 to go to bed. Now it's a lot quicker, way less fiddling, and I get in and out and have more time for me/DH

Had exactly the same when I was pregnant!

I love having a mute button! For the crazy toddler when I'm on the phone, or whatever, just whip it out for instant hush.

Last night I used boob time to teach my DD1 some protective behaviours. She likes putting her foot on the vacant boob; I do not. So I told her so, and talked about being in charge of my body and that I can say Stop when I don't like something, and that she can too.

[briggsy's girl]

just shy of 3y10m here and still going far stronger than i thought we would be!

DD has done pretty much all the stuff that you have listed - the nipple tweaking (breast feeding necklace helped HEAPS with this!), multiple side swapping, feeding all night... it's been the most physically and mentally exhausting part of parenting - but at the same time, it's given us a bond i never thought was possible.

Late last year she was all but weaned - she'd had bronchitis on top of a cold - and the simple act of feeding was making her cough (breathing through her nose meant snot being sucked in and tickling her throat) - the cough was resulting in multiple vomit every night and she was just over it - so she curled up in my arms, hand on boob, and went to sleep like that every night. but then she decided to start again when she came good - so every few nights she'd have a drink. then she got tonsilitis in January, severe dehydration, and boob was ALL she seemed to want and could manage - so feeding ramped up again. much to the (surprising) delight of the paed in emergency who was at the point of "drink or you'll be on the drip". so since january, we've been back to at leat a feed every night before bed - quite often in the morning on the days i don't work too

mostly i'm ok with it - sometimes it drives me nuts, but mostly i'm ok with it. i've asked her if she is ever going to wean - she says yes, then says "not today though!". she shares with Daddy, tells me that one boob (her least fave one) tastes like cows milk, the other like mummy milk - it's very different feeding a little person that can tell you this stuff lol


Teeki (i think!) - you mentioned the faffing about and changing feed time - i've had to do that several times. if DD isn't tired enough, she won't go to sleep - but will feed and feed and feed (well, attempt to feed!) - it drives me bonkers - so now i hold out til i know she is tired enough and usually she is out cold pretty quickly.

[onthefly]

From around 12 months or so I found with both kids that they would only feed to sleep at bedtime if they hadn't had a day sleep. i just made it a bedtime feed, rather than a feed to sleep.

That's beautiful BG. A friend of mine's son described it as 'melted icecream'.

[briggsy's girl]

DD describes it as several different tastes, but mostly "yummy like strawberry smoothie that daddy makes us!"

i'm glad this thread has been created - i haven't visited the BF threads much lately, simply because i forget so much of the early stuff - even the "just turned 1" aspects seem so very long ago - but at least there will be some other people who get the fun (and frustrations) of feeding an older child in here!

[BhoysGirl]

When I see newborns being fed I'm kind of in awe, they're so tiny compared to my gangly boy, and feeding looks so neat. I'm an out and proud ABAer, and one of the best parts of my group is that there's a lot of extended feeders, so I feel really normal (well, relatively ). I do censure myself in some situations, so it's nice to have another safe place to talk about stuff in.

[buffy1]

That's so sweet BG.

Out of nowhere DD went on a nursing strike today. Last feed was at 5:00 but she was really unsettled and restless. Had EBM from a sippy cup with Dad during the day but nothing from me after work, in the bath or at bed time.

Eventually decided at 8:00 that she wanted leftie and I was so relieved. I was really worried! She's usually all over me when she's been away from me all day. Pretty sure she has more bottom teeth coming in, so could be that.

I missed it instantly, it felt very strange. Have to remember that feeling during the all-night marathons!

[luna moth]

I sometimes find, as an "extended" breast feeder, that its hard for me to appreciate others' achievements. It was really hard for my SIL to make it to 6 months BFing, and I remember silently thinking "is that all?" Even though I know that at 2 weeks, 4 weeks seems massive, and at 4 weeks, 12 weeks seems amazing, and at 12 weeks 12 months is incredible. But retrospectively, it seems so easy.

Anyone else find that?