Breastfeeding Beyond 12 months #2

[OceanPrincess]

Welcome to our new chatter thread for breastfeeding your child beyond 12 months of age.

Many mums face a whole set of new challenges when breastfeeding an older child and this thread is for us to share our experiences, triumphs and wisdom!

Here are some useful links containing information and advice on breastfeeding an older child:
- "The benefits of breastfeeding your toddler", written by Pinky McKay for bellybelly.com.au
- "Breastfeeding your toddler", written for the Australian Breastfeeding Association by our own Barb Glare

OceanPrincess and MadB will be your friendly moderators. Please contact one of us with any questions or concerns about this thread.

[OceanPrincess]

Saffy - I was going to a Christmas party a few weeks back and decided I'd break out the old bras to wear under my pretty dress, seeing as DS2 wasn't going with us. The non-maternity bras that I tried - my old ones! - felt awful. Really thing shoulder straps, only one clip at the back. I felt like i was just not getting any support from them. Argh! Clearly I'm going to need new bras, as opposed to just being able to go back to my old ones.

[PumpkinZulu]

Saffy, I've worn normal, underwired, non breastfeeding bras for most of DD2's life. Maybe from when she was 3 months old? I've had no problems, I had a large oversupply until she was about 10 months, and I still get very full if she hasn't fed for a few hours. I don't think I'm very susceptible to blockages though, and DD2 still feeds every couple of hours.

[Jellyfish]

I wore normal, underwire bras from 12 months with DD1 and never stopped with DD2. No bra related issues, my block ducts show up from trying to sleep on my tummy when DD2 is sleeping over at Grandma and Poppas, no bras involved lol.

Today DD2 is 2. Doesn't feel that incredible or anything but glad to have made it this far with both now. Everything from here is gravy (DD1 was 3yr 3mo). She's still a huge boob monster

[Sterla]

I've been wearing normal underwire bras for ages now - probably around the 12-18 months (DD is now 32 months). It's never been an issue, I do have to make sure I don't wear a bra to bed though, as I forgot to take it off once (it was a maternity bra too!) and I got very, very close to having mastitis.

I can't believe I'm still feeding DD at 2 years, 8 months. Being pregnant, she has cut back a lot. I have day weaned her, and I'm pretty sure my milk is heading back to being colostrum already (I'm not even 12 weeks yet) - when I squeeze any out, it's quite yellow. Still, DD definitely wants it to get to sleep at night, once or twice through the night and first thing in the morning. I am hoping she'll wean over the next few months though.

[Joeve]

Dont mind me im Just sitting here watching getting ready to be allowed to play in here with you girls in just 6ish weeks time.....

[briggsy's girl]

I think dd has decided she is ready to wean. I don't think she has fed since around New Years

Having said that, I'm laying in bed waiting for her to wake and she is likely to decide she needs boob just to confuse things again

If she is done I won't be unhappy. We shared this journey for 4 y 7m and a few days. That's a long time given my initial goal was to get colostrum into her and anything beyond that was a bonus!

[~TT40~]

What a fantastic job BG.

[Mum2SweetCs]

Fantastic job BG! Inspirational.

Gosh my dd2 has been stuck onto my boobs since friday night.

I just returned to work and i dont think she is coping that well.

She refuses to give my boobs a break since friday night!! All day all night!

I hope she doesnt think she is going to get milk tomorrow coz grandmas milk is overdue!!!!!

[briggsy's girl]

When I first went back to work, days off were like feeding marathons/cluster feeding sessions all over. Dd was fine with not having milk when she was with daddy or Granma, but if mums bibs were there, they were all hers! It took a while for her to realise there was still going to be milk every time and that she didn't have to be constantly attached. I went back to work when she was ten months. I reckon she was pretty chilled about days without me by first birthday.

No boob request this morning even though she climbed into bed and I was topless. She did tell me my bombs bounce like her ball outside. Then went on to say one ball bounces really well but the others are a bit flat and dont bounce well. I'm not sure which she was comparing me to!

[Mum2SweetCs]

Lol BG!! At least both comparisons were balls and not a deflated balloon!!!!


I dont know how long dd2 will realise lol she is 16 months so hopefully realise the difference sooner because i cant go walking around with a toddler on my boobs 24/7 lol

[briggsy's girl]

Lol BG!! At least both comparisons were balls and not a deflated balloon!!!!


I dont know how long dd2 will realise lol she is 16 months so hopefully realise the difference sooner because i cant go walking around with a toddler on my boobs 24/7 lol

true! as fashionable as it is, it really isn't great for your back...

[Jennifer13]

Haha BG! Doing okay with bfing both DD2 and DD3 so far. I've only had to bf them together a few times, which was cute but a bit challenging with DD2's wriggliness. This is much better than bfing while pg though!

[Saffy]

I'm officially in here now, DD turned one on Tuesday,we had a great party, I had been very emotional leading up to it cos I didn't want my baby to grow up but now I am fine.
Lucky I have breastfeeding to keep our strong connection going, she is a massive booby lover so hopefully I don't have to face weaning for a while.

[briggsy's girl]

Since my last post, DD has decided to check the other side to see if there was any milk (next day) and found none. this morning she asked for boob again - i told her it was fine if she wanted to try, but i thought all the milk was gone. she decided not even to try, just snuggled me and stroked my face while we lay together in bed

i have to admit i was worried weaning at an older age would come with difficulties but to be honest i really like the fact that she is old enough to talk and reason about what it all means, to understand why there is no milk etc.

i know full term feeding/child led weaning isn't for everyone - but it's been good for us. i think it's healed a lot of the hurt and anger at my body for not doing the right thing when we were ttc. i think i NEEDED it to do the right thing with this BF journey.

[OceanPrincess]

Well ladies I have had an interesting few days. On Wednesday I left my kidlets with my ILs and DH and I went interstate with my sister for a training course.

I didn't leave any milk for DS2. At this age it isn't about sustenance or hunger, it's about comfort and the love of milk. He's never had a bottle so I didn't see the point of introducing it now.

I took my trusty Medela swing, which I then dropped off the bed at the motel and it broke

Thought hand expressing would be ok - no. Had to go buy a manual hand pump. When I finally used it properly, Thursday afternoon, after hand expressing in the shower that morning, which didn't really help, I expressed over 300mL!

Anyway, DS2 was great with the ILs. He was fine. Totally fine. Didn't even want a feed when we first saw him yesterday evening.

MIL obviously didn't feed him overnight so I'm going to try and keep that up... See if it helps his sleeping. We managed last night.... But I am stuffed this morning.

[Joeve]

So ladies looks like I was premature in popping in here getting ready for my 12 months plus of breast feeding.
DD has refused now for 3 days and literally screams when she looks or touches anywhere near my breasts.
So I have accepted we are done. I'm sure it's because I have gone back to work and there is huge changes associated with that.
We made 11 months and 11 days and while I'm sad not to have made it in here, I'm cheering you all on from the sidelines

[Saffy]

Boo, good one baby Joeve, don't you know I want my friend in here with me

On a serious note, that's sad babe but well done on going so long, you did so well. Hard when the choice is taken out of your hands, my sister had to stop around the same time because of chronic biting over weeks and weeks. Hope you aren't too sad, emotional time with your horse too :-( xxxx