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DS is 3.7 yrs and has a 5 min feed before bed and early in the morning he grazes and snoozes until we get up.
I know some children wean when thier mother is pregnant but how likely is that? And when does that usually happen?
Also, when will my milk turn back to colostrum?
Personal experiences welcome! :)
I have no idea about likelihood, sorry chick. Only personal experience.
My DS was similar at 27ish months when I fell pregnant with DD2. He fed until nearly 12 weeks when I just couldn't cope with the sensitivity and the touching any longer. He had been getting frustrated for the month prior though as there was just nothing there.
I never noticed the change to colostrum, but could always get milk out, right through the pregnancy.
I think it's really individual. Both pregnancies I got colostrum at 16 weeks. My milk started going from about 6 weeks, but from what I've seen anecdotally most women have no issues feeding through pregnancy :)
You will get colostrum but probably not for some time, mine only changed a few days before DD2 arrived at 40w 3d gestation.
I'm not sure how likely it is they will wean but it is said to be around 12w due to hormonal changes from what I've read (I was half hoping DD1 would wean). In the end, my DD1 didn't skip a beat and then continued to feed for about 6 months tandem with DD2.
She was 2 when I fell pregnant, 2yrs 9mo when DD2 was born and 3yr 3mo when she weaned.
Im interested in this too, I was going to make a similar post lol.
DS is 2 next week, I am currently 5 weeks with #2. I have been thinking of slowly weaning him once my milk drops (if he doesnt wean himself), so am curious to hear around when it dropped for others. I am in two minds about weaning though, he still feeds a lot as it is atm (mostly overnight), so if he cuts feeds down and sleeps a bit better I may be more comfortable feeding once or twice a day. I'm not sure I want to tandem feed though..... Ahhh a lot to think about! It mades me feel sad that our breastfeeding relationship could be over soon, but then also I feel ready for it. Confusing much! But DS will be the guide to what happens, he certainly loves his boobies so may not want to give them completely up lol.
My DD1 was 15 months when I fell pregnant with DD2 so still having a lot of feeds. She never changed throughout pregnancy although I think my milk decreased. I got her down to 1-2 feeds a day before DD2 was born because I didn't want to be feeding her that much with a newborn. There were days where she was less interested and I don't know if it's just because she was a toddler and too busy or because I didn't have much milk. But I made sure I got at least 1 feed in on those days because I thought she was too young to wean and wanted to keep feeding her. It was never hard though, she's always been a booby girl, lol. I think I got colostrum around 30 weeks or something. DD didn't care, just kept on feeding. She then kept on tandem feeding with DD2 for 18 months and weaned at 3.5yrs. Was a great experience for us :)
DD stopped when I was about 22 weeks she was 22 months pregnant but was only on one feed - no idea if was due to lack of milk or taste difference - she did feed again for a little bit after ds born but think was only to be like him.
Should also add the way I knew my milk had gone back to colostrum was DD1s nappies - YIKES. Newborn consistency with toddler diet... its quite the experience haha.
My DS1 was had just turned 2 when I got pg with DS2, was 2y8m when DS2 was born. He was feeding prob 2-3 times a day (morning cuddle, afternoon sleep, going to bed). He persisted in feeding all the way through my pregnancy, which I mostly gritted my teeth for, because my nipples were so sensitive, and it was awful at times, but no interest in weaning himself. He went without a bf while I was in hsp, but wanted to feed when I got home, at which point my milk had come in, had one drink then said "yuck, it's hot", and never bothered again.
I would think that if a little one is going to wean when you're pg, it's mostly likely to happen sometime in 2nd tri, when your supply typically drops. But like most of this parenting stuff, there apparently aren't any rules :)
I couldn't feed through pregnancy because it was just too painful. I tried to battle through but I ended up weaning.
I have read (cant remember where though) that the younger the first child is when you get pg the more likely they are to wean sooner. That's definitely been my experience, ds1 was 4 1/2mths when I got pg with dd1 and he basically refused STRAIGHT AWAY! I persisted for 6wks but he was just way to stressed out not wanting it that we gave up when he was 6mths old :( dd1 feed until she was 1 I was around 12wks I think, she wouldve keep going but my milk had all but disappeared. Very similar with dd2 only she was a few months older when I got pg and fed until no milk around 4mths. And this time ds2 was quite happy to keep BFing until around a month ago (he was about 17mths give or take) same as the girls it appears to be from lack of supply but possibly partly change in taste because I have been leaking colostrum since he weaned. As far as I am aware it is usual to have colostrum from around 20wks but most women don't know because they aren't leaking or if BFing it is just mixed with 'normal' milk. Three and a half years is a WONDERFUL effort you should be proud to have stuck with it so long even if Z decides he's had enough, well done mumma! :D
Thank you for the replies ladies! Will have to see how we go.
I started leaking at 14 weeks with DS. Lol wonder if that will have any influence on it...
LOL Jellyfish, that sounds nasty!
I think my milk is starting to change, thanks to Jellyfish's poo description LOL! DS has gone from a 1-2 times a week pooper, and we always knew when he was going to poo because he would get a bit agitated (fear from previous poo issues). Now though he is going daily/every second day, and he isnt getting agitated at all so I have no idea he has pooped until the smell hits me baha. And they are explosive, just like Jellyfish described!
And he is taking AGES to feed to sleep at night as he is swapping sides a million times and I am not feeling as many let downs happening.
I am only 6 weeks tomorrow though, isnt it a bit early? Maybe its just coincidence, but I cant think of what would explain the poo as his diet hasnt changed lol
I had quite a dip in first tri, and then it stabilised again. I just kept feeding through, and it worked ok. Feeding to sleep also stopped here during pregnancy (and it was the only way i had ever got DD to sleep other than the car). After awhile, i began giving dd a drink of cow milk at night and then a breastfeed. It helped get her to sleep without having marathon sessions that were doing my head in. I was pretty conservative in offering this, and i think it was around 100ml max because i didn't want her to wean, but it is an option.
Thanks HotI :) So glad to hear it stablised for you, I hope it does for me as well. I dont think I will tandem nurse so will likely wean at some point, I'm just not at that point yet itms so hopefully we can keep feeding through it. I had the thought of a bit of cows milk before bed too, not sure if he will drink it as he has never had it as a drink before (other than in the odd smoothie). Will see how we go over the next few days and then decide if to try a little, as the 1-2 hours its taking to get him to sleep are starting to become a real patience tester as I start feeling a bit touched out by the end :/
Got pregnant when dd was 14 months. She started switch feeding about three days after conception, which we recognised in hindsight.
Milk supply dipped slightly but never dried up. I have read though that its as high as one in three that lose supply completely?
Got colostrum at 25 weeks. Colostrum poos. Wow. Lucky I had awesome nappies.
Still feeding at 26 months. She is currently having one big feed in the morning, one before her nap, one after and a quick token suck before bed.
I was about 4-5 months when DD weaned. She was jut shy of her third birthday. I never noticed a drop in supply, and never had colostrum while she was feeding. I also didn't leak at all with either pregnancy before the baby was born so wouldn't know if I had colostrum before birth anyway! LOL
My girls never weaned while pregnant although I do believe my supplied dropped when I was pregnant with DD3 but it didn't seem to bother DD2. I was still tandem feeding for the first few months of this pregnancy and both girls were content but it was just too sensitive so I had to wean my 3yo for my own comfort, but have continued feeding my youngest. As for colostrum, I have no idea when it came in but I know that it was colostrum the day my babys were born as I had to exclusivly express for all of my newborns due to them being in NICU.
My boy was around 30 months when he weaned (I was ten weeks and pretty much completely dry) although he probably still tries to feed once a week but there is nothing there
I'm only just starting to get colostrum now at almost 32 weeks. And only one drop which takes a warm shower and a lot of work to coax out.
In the last 3 days DS has slept right through to 5:30 and is then up for the day. Normally he would wake somewhere between 12 and 4 am and come into our bed. It could be related to us moving his bedtime back to 7pm instead of 6 as he was becoming very difficult to get to sleep. But his bedtime has never made a diffence to his wake up time before.
Do you think he might be starting to wean himself or just growing up? It just seems very coincidental.
I know theres probably no simple answer to that, just thinking "aloud" really.