Quick quest re extended bfeeding - sorry

[niceglasses]

I still feed my nearly 2 yr old dd. Never ever intended to feed this long - never very successfully fed my 2 sons but she was always quite passionate about it. Anyway, now just down to once a day - first thing in morning, but does occassionally demand if v tired, ill etc. The thing is my boob (only feed from one side) sometimes hurts if she sort of ups her feeds for a day or so......is there still any milk there do you reckon?? I'm not bothered about stopping..would stop if she wanted, in fact on balance would quite like to stop. I suppose my question is do you think its okay to just stop dead now with just the one feed per day??

Sorry and thanks

[moondog]

Yes,you could do.
I recall that I was down to one ffed (had been for about a mth)then stopped as i was going somewhere overnight and he was never bothered again.

Well done btw!!

[niceglasses]

Might distract her with cup of normal milk or something. I have been away for weekends and she just picks up when I come back!!!!

Thanks moondog.

[PrettyCandles]

With only one feed per day it's easier to just stop than to try and taper off. Also, if you want to stop, do it now while you can still get away with wearing lots of clothes, rather than later in the summer. It's harder to say no if she has easy access to your boob. Have some distraction strategies in place - maybe a special beaker for her breakfast drink, toys or activities in case she asks at another time of day, etc.

[FrannyandZooey]

Just to poke my very pro-extended breastfeeding nose in here :)

Can I just say that age 2 to 3 is a bugger of a time for behaviour, tantrums, etc. If you have the trick up your sleeve of distraction / consolation with a quick breastfeed then you definitely have an advantage IMO. I think it makes life with a toddler so much easier all round.

Good luck whatever you decide to do, I also think it would be fine from a physical point of view to just stop. You could always express a little if you found you were getting uncomfortable.

[moondog]

I agree F&Z
I actually wanted him to carry on as b/feeding (only once or twice a day) had been so handy for calming his sister who I fed for 30 mths.
He was having none of it though.

[HarpsichordCarrierOnSea]

I agree with F&Z
I am still feeding three year old dd and I must say that every day I am glad of it in lots of different ways. To calm her down, to get through illnesses, to deal with changes in routine/holidays/new baby sister etc it has been a god send.
just a thought

[FrannyandZooey]

I sort of see it as, you have done all the hard work now

the constant bloody night feeds

the engorgement and hormones at the beginning

all that, and then after 12 months you get "oh I suppose you'll be stopping now" "You're not still feeding that baby are you?" etc etc

You have all that behind you - now enjoy it. Breastfeeding is an extremely useful parenting tool and my god you need all the help you can get in this next year. Make it work for you; it's more bother to stop than to carry on at this point.

[PrettyCandles]

I fed dd until she was 23m, and can't honestly say that feeding further would have been any advantage in behaviour management. Surely it's part of parenting and teaching your children about life to find other ways of helping them when they're distressed?

When dd was 21m her finger got badly mashed in a door, and one of the things I did was to instinctively offer her boob. She didn't want to know. She wanted a cuddle.

[lazycow]

Ha ha if only ds (18 months) would take the boob to comfort him. He often shakes his head and arches his back if I offer the boob when I want to calm him. The screaming often just gets louder. Now if HE wants the boob because he is upset that is different.

In fact I have decided anyway that bfeeding to stop crying which has a discernable good reason (ie has hurt himself, is tired etc.) is counterproductive. He has a reason to cry and I comfort him but don't try and stop him crying by breastfeeding anymore and I often refuse if he is demoanding a feed because he is bored/upset etc.
Of course this might just be my rationalisation for the fact that it never used to work and and we both just got more flustered

I do have an exception to this - I try and bfeed on flights if ds is crying a lot but this rarely works either - he just shakes his head, arches his back and screams.

Sigh I've just posted on another thread about how bfeeding also still hurts- Why am I doing this again ???

[rubyloo]

it was good to hear about all you extended breast feeders!! Although im very pro, Ive become much less open about the fact that im still feeding my 2 1/2 yr old ds first thing. It suits me. If he wakes early, idont have to get up.. now thats worth hanging on to!!. Ive also beeen working longer hours so I feeel it is a good chance for bonding when Im not spending as mcuh time with him. My 7yr old DD would still get on if she had chance, even though she stopped when she was 18months.I think some kids are just very keen and some aren't that bothered.