Breastfeeding Beyond 12 Months

[Ladylove]

Jen I too seem to be embarking on BF while preggo and my only symptom so far is nipple tenderness. Some feeds feel like fire when DD first latches on but then it settles down soon after. Just that initial pain. But now that I am preggo I feel guilty about partially weaning DD in order to get UTD. I want to offer all the time to make up for it!

[TeniBear]

My nipples were pretty sore for the first few weeks of my pregnancy, but it's starting to get better. I'm only getting pain on one side now, which is weird. And of course that's the side Amelia wants the most Driving me crazy!

[Teeki]

I had horrible tenderness the first weeks of pregnancy, that first latch had me gritting my teeth to get through it. Thankfully for me though the worst side was DDs least preferred side. They're still a bit tender now but it was mostly gone by around 14 weeks. I thought it would never end!

It seems as though we're kind of night weaning here. DD only wakes once a night when she does wake, and she just wants her back rubbed while she goes back to sleep. The good thing about that is she doesn't mind anymore if DH goes in instead of me so I don't have to do them all anymore

[Rosey]

Hi All,

My DD is almost 15months and still feeds to sleep. Will go to sleep dancing and cuddling with her Daddy and others.

I was just wondering those of you who continued to feed your babes to sleep, as they got older did they naturally move away from feeding to sleep or did you intervene? What age did they make the change or when did you stop feeding to sleep?

Feeling a bit worried I might be doing this forever (exaggeration ). DD is not happy when I pull her off and try and cuddle to sleep.

[~TT40~]

hi everyone! I'm 10hours early but...as of 713am tomorrow morning bi will have been bf for a year =)

now to have a read and catch up

[Jellyfish]

Rosey - my DD1 fed to sleep right up until weaning. If you are feeding anyway, might as well reap the benefits of a easy and peaceful settling technique is my thoughts. She started sleeping through the night at 2yrs 9mo without intervention whilst still feeding to sleep, weaned at 3yrs 3mo and transitioned without skipping a beat to books, cuddle, lights out. She is over 4 now and still a dream to settle, never stalled bed time or fought sleep.

DD2 is currently feeding to sleep and I hope things just naturally evolve as smoothly as last time

[Jennifer13]

I would love it if DD2 fed to sleep, takes ages for her to drop off since she prefers to be laying on her tummy in bed with me nearby. DD1 bf to sleep until past 3. Made bed times a breeze! She then easily transitioned to self-settling with little more than a story and a kiss.

I hope #3 feeds to sleep!

[HotI]

Hi All,

My DD is almost 15months and still feeds to sleep. Will go to sleep dancing and cuddling with her Daddy and others.

I was just wondering those of you who continued to feed your babes to sleep, as they got older did they naturally move away from feeding to sleep or did you intervene? What age did they make the change or when did you stop feeding to sleep?

Feeling a bit worried I might be doing this forever (exaggeration ). DD is not happy when I pull her off and try and cuddle to sleep.

DD also continued to feed to sleep until over 3 years. The bedtime feed was the one she held on to longest.

When I was pregnant, (and probably low milk), DD found it difficult to feed to sleep. She would feed, but sleep wouldn't follow. I began offering cow milk before a breastfeed, and lots of cuddles if I just couldn't continue to feed.

I was so excited after DS was born and my milk came back in, that feeding to sleep worked again for DD. Since then, she dropped feeds until she only had the night feed. Then she only asked every second night, then it was every 3rd night... So, this time she naturally moved away from feeding to sleep and it was a much nicer experience.

[Ladylove]

Hello everyone.

DD doesn't feed to sleep anymore but she does feed to a point of vague calm which helps her to fall asleep once I pop her down.

[Rowellen]

Congrats TT40 & Happy Birthday to Miss R.

Rosey, my DD still feeds to sleep sometimes. If I can't keep going, she has a little whinge about it but will then settle with a cuddle. I think she realises my supply is dropping.

[briggsy's girl]

4+ years now. Never EVER imagined still bf at this age!!

DD still feeds to sleep most nights. I find it a relaxing down time for me too so doesnt much bother me. We've talked about no more boob at some point and she just says "yeah one day, but not today, k mummy?"

I'm starting to find feeding very uncomfortable sometimes now. She is so tall i struggle to be able to get comfy laying in bed around her kwim?. I'd appreciate not having to feed anymore. But I won't force the issue...

[~TT40~]

Spock feeds to sleep for nap/s. but I stopped feeding her to sleep in the evening about 2 weeks ago because im working again and we needed her to understand and help her transition to dh being able to put her to bed. im sad tho because I will offer her 'nigh nighs milk' on the couch now and then me or dh take her to the bedroom and lay down with her until she falls asleep, but she might have only 2 sucks of that bf offer and thats it...so it has made her drop a whole feed...

[blessedatlast]

So another breastfeeding goal almost reached. DS is 20 months old and had surgery today! One perk of being a BF mum is I get fed here in hospital. Yay. So my goal was to feed him through recovery then stop expressing and taking motilium... I'm thinking another goal will be set... Not sure I'm ready to stop yet.

[HotI]

Hope your little one has a quick recovery, BAL. It was quite nice after I hit 2 years bfing DD to no longer have goals, to just see what happens.

BG, you are awesome! I can empathise with feeding a tall toddler, DD still likes/d cradle hold on the couch, but I feel like I am stretching to hold her bum in while her head is attached. Feeding lying down brings on NA (aversion) so just been working around it.

[luna moth]

I can't believe you're still going BAL. awesome.

I feed both to sleep, but with DD1 it's a bit hit and miss. Doesn't always work, and she doesn't always want to.

[briggsy's girl]

Well down BAL! Moving the goal posts for yourself is always interesting. Mini goals make it easier though.

I say to dd every night "do you reeeeally need boob tonight?" I've just hidden in the bedroom with a migraine (which funnily feels better looking at phone. I don't feel so dizzy or ill) - she just came up to me and said "mummy I'm not ready for bed yet, but I reeeeeally need booby later. Can I please wake you up for cuddles and booby at bed time?" How do I say no to that?

[Jennifer13]

Totally get where you're coming from, BG. I was ready for DD1 to wean by four. She stayed for a sleep over just before she turned four and didn't have a bf there, so it got forgotten for a couple of days after. Her only bf was first thing in the morning, so I just got up early. She did ask after a week or so, but I just said since she hadn't had bby for a while, maybe she didn't need it anymore? And that was that. We had dropped the night one about six mths earlier because the little monkey was delaying bedtime and faffing about. Hope you get to enjoy this final stretch of bfing.

Well done, BAL! I would like DD2 to keep bfing while she's at preschool next year, so that's my goal. Don't fancy a sick toddler and a tiny baby. DD1 didn't get anything worse than a mild cold until 4 1/2. Hope he's home tomorrow and soon back to his normal self. Enjoy being fed!

[~Hestia~]

Buster is 18 months old tomorrow, still feeding. He always has a morning feed as well as a late afternoon feed (when he wakes up from his nap) but for the last two days he hasn't wanted the afternoon one. It could just be that I wasn't sitting down for him to be reminded, have been pretty busy. See what happens tomorrow I guess.

I'm feeling a little teary at the thought of him weaning though.