How long til she stops asking to be fed?

[ballstoit]

I've had to suddenly stop breastfeeding my DD, age 21 months, because of medication that has been prescribed to me (if I dont take it, I will get seriously ill, so not really any choice). We used to co sleep for part of the night and she had open access to the breast during the night. She also fed during the day if she was tired or had fallen over or hurt herself.

It's been 10 days now and she's been awake at least half of each of the nights, crying and trying to be fed. I'm wearing a swimsuit with pyjama top so she cant get to the breast when I'm sleeping. In the daytime she's asking to be fed whenever she's upset or tired, and it's hard to distract her.

I feel pretty distressed about the situation, partly I suppose because I'm so tired from being awake half the night with her. Also, she'll be my last baby, and I feel very sad that I didnt know that I was going to have to stop and didnt make the most of the feeds with her.

Can anyone tell me how long it's likely to be before she forgets to ask for a feed, and if there's anything I can do to speed the process along.

Is it absolutely the case you cannot feed with these meds?

It is highly unusual that meds are a problem which rule out bf esp an older baby who is not dependent on breastmilk.

have you had a chance to check for yourself what the risk, if any, is?

This is a good place to start:

toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/htmlgen?LACT

would you be prepeared to move her into a diff bed?
if so maby take her shopping for new bedding so she feels involved in the desision rather than pushed out and make out what a big girl she is and maybe a new cup for bed time she choses for milk/water at bedtime and a new soft toy as her special freind to keep her company in her new big girl bed?

then start the process of the new routine "for big girls" theyre might be a few nights of tears but keep reassuring her and she will settle into it

tiktok, the research shows that infants will receive a pharmological dose and that there was a slight risk of an adverse reaction. This was with a 1/3 of the dose I'm taking. There's no alternative that doesnt carry the same risk and for me personally that is too high a risk.

I've also lost 3 stone in 4 months due to the illness and feel that the extra calories being used by feeding DD would be put to better use in my own body. This probably sounds selfish but I think this is best for all my 3 children, particularly as I'm a lone parent.

Thanks for the support anyway, I know that often women are told to stop feeding unneccesarily.

nameinuse, she starts the night in her own bed but usually wakes in the eraly hours and I've been in the habit of bringing her in with me. I think that you may be right and that persevering with her in her own bed may cause her less distress. I will give it a go on Friday night when I wont have to get up for the school run. Thanks.

Poor you.. 10 days does seem like a long time.. Neither of mine remembered after about 3 days..

hopefully somebody else will have some good advice. The bed issue definitely sounds like a big thing..

Otherwise, try to squeeze in as many cuddles as you can in the daytime.. It probably feels like too big a change in one go for her.. She'll need lots of reassuring that Mummcy is ok. do you think she might have picked up on any tension over your health problems?

Would it be out of the question for her to have a night or two with somebody else?

Thanks mamsnet, this has all come out of the blue and I'm really struggling at the moment.

I hadnt really considered that she would be picking up on my stress but that does make sense. I havent been cuddling her much because when I do she starts trying to feed and boobs leak and it's not very pleasant

My parents looked after her when I was in hospital so I didnt want her to go again in case she gets too used to it but if it's not any better by the weekend I will see if they'll have her so I can catch up on sleep at least.

Good luck.. I know it must be hard now but you've done brilliantly getting to here, and she won't remember any of the trauma.