Breastfeeding aversion strikes again this pregnancy .
I managed to day wean DD around Christmas time - almost out of necessity. I felt so awful from morning sickness, I just didn't have it in me to feed her. Luckily, she barely seemed to notice. She asks a few times a day, but is easily distracted with offers of food or drink, or a reminder that she can have it at bedtime.
Now, in the past week or so breastfeeding aversion has kicked in. It just feels so yucky! It's as if her sucking causes some feel-bad hormone to be released, instead of feel-good. I honestly want to cry when she is feeding - it just feels so awful. It doesn't hurt, it just feels really, really yucky. I had this with DS, and it was so awful. And now, it strikes again. I am not against DD weaning completely, but I don't know if I want to force the issue either. I guess you could say I'm gently encouraging it, but not if it's going to cause her distress. She seems to have started sleeping through the night recently too, so for now she has a quick feed to fall asleep at night, and a quick feed (as much as I can tolerate) first thing in the morning. My milk is already back to colostrum I think (it's very yellow), so perhaps the change in taste and volume means she is not as interested as she once was.
I have not had any good experiences breastfeeding through pregnancy yet. DS weaned when I was about 10-12 weeks pregnant with DD, but DD is still going at 12+ weeks and while she has cut back significantly, she is such a booby girl that I don't know if she'll wean on her own.
I've hated feeding while pregnant pretty much from the start. I am very touch sensitive in any case and breastfeeding has never been a very 'pleasant' experience for me. Now I'm sick and tired that doesn't help. Past couple of weeks it's been painful too so I'm over it.
When I fell pregnant with DS2, DS1 instantly weaned. I was a bit sad but in hindsight I was kind of relieved. This time my DS2 was 3 and I was kind of wanting him to wean anyway but he didn't! I think my supply dropped though because he did start having shorter feeds and being more happy to cuddle to sleep rather than feed to sleep.
My DS2 has only been feeding morning and night and we seem to have night weaned and he just has milk from a cup then cuddles or whatever. He'll ask for it in the mornings most of the time though, though this morning he didn't. I think he's almost weaned! Which I'm glad about because he's old enough and I'm not loving it but it's still weird to think of it really being the end.
I'm glad I'm not the only one. When DS weaned when I was pregnant with DD, I was sad about it because we didn't quite make it to 2 years (he was 21.5 months) which had always been my aim. But he weaned gradually and all on his own, so I was mostly happy with the way our breastfeeding relationship ended.
DD on the other hand is 2 years 8 months and was still breastfeeding like a newborn before I fell pregnant. It was bordering on ridiculous actually! I always knew she'd be hard to wean and ideally I'd like her to self wean... but breastfeeding is a two way thing! I hope the aversion either passes, or she stays with just 1-2 small feeds a day - I'm barely tolerating that right now as it is.
I really wish the aversion thing didn't have to happen... it makes something that DD found such comfort and joy in, something that makes mummy squirm and ask to stop after just a few suckles.
Breastfeeding aversion is the pits. I had it with pg #2 and again with #3. It didn't completely disappear after baby #2 was born, but it lessened. It was more manageable bc through necessity i had set more limits for DD during pregnancy that i continued.
There is a facebook group for ' nursing aversion / breastfeeding agitation support ' if you want more ideas or support, Sterla. That is great that she is starting to sleep through. She might surprise you and wean on her own.
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