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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Is there an 'extended' breastfeeding support thread?

652 replies

Unrulysun · 22/05/2011 11:48

Or would I be better off on LLL?

Just read the 'school-age children' thread with interest but didn't want to derail :)

dd is 1 today so it's not 'extended' bf by any normal definition but judging by the number of 'Are you going to carry on breastfeeding her?' (yes because otherwise she'll be composed primarily of grapes) conversations I've had inflicted on me in the last week I think I'm going to need all the support I can get Grin

so proud we made it this far - ha ha!

OP posts:
mamacheeks · 22/05/2011 20:17

Can I join in please? DS turned one last week. Still feeding about 5/6 times a day, but only once or twice at night (at last). Am back at work full time - quite flexible at the moment so surviving, but wondering if you long term breastfeeders also managed to be out of the house during the day?

WoTmania · 22/05/2011 20:22

I'm out most days - especially in hols. DD nurses much less if we're out

rubyslippers · 22/05/2011 20:24

I work FT and have done since DD was 8 months old

She has a feed before I go, when I come back and before bed

No night feeds

She feeds more at weekends and if I'm not working - she loves feeding although I am getting weary of it

RobynLou · 22/05/2011 20:25

I thought I'd feed for 6m and that once a child could ask using words they were too old...

but currently I'm feeding DD1 - 4 in august, and DD2, 4m

RobynLou · 22/05/2011 20:26

mamacheeks, past 10m DD1's only ever fed morn and night, unless I'm around, then she might ask more often.

RhinestoneCowgirl · 22/05/2011 20:30

Robyn - I love the fact that DD says 'can I have some nulk please mummy' rather than just wailing at me. So much more civilised than feeding a tiny baby Grin

And yes, I thought first time round I would do 6 months or so... Didn't seem fair to do any less for DD than I did for DS so had 2yrs in mind this time, but will see where we end up!

greensnail · 22/05/2011 20:38

Can I join please? DD2 is 1 tomorrow and I'm feeding DD1 who is 2.5 as well.

We're out of the house every day, DD1 rarely asks to feed when we're out (only if she has really hurt herself or is unwell) and DD2 is generally too nosy to feed while we're out although I have no problem with feeding her in public.

TruthSweet · 22/05/2011 20:45

Yes, so much easier when you can say 'not now darling mummy's on the loo' and they go 'ok, I'll have bah later' than just screaming louder Grin

I actually prefer nursiing a verbal child to a pre-verbal toddler (DD3 I'm looking at you Wink) as you can negotiate rather than dealing with the random tempers of the pre-verbal toddler (DD3 I'm really looking at you now).

Luckily DD3 doesn't scream for 'bah' - she's going through the lull before the storm at the moment so isn't really fussed about it now (19m) though judging by how DD1 & DD2 behaved I'm awaiting a huge increase in feeds very soon which hopefully will co-incide with a surge in verbal ability.....

jaggythistle · 22/05/2011 20:46

me too please. we've just got to 20 months here.

i get asked for molk, occasionally with a please. :)

aimed for 6 months as i knew I'd be back at work then. found i really wanted to keep going, so expressed at work for nearly 6 months (shift work). am quite proud of that as it's a huge company and no one had ever asked before, the facilities are now there being used by others. :)

my DS is mostly a morning and afternoon boy, i work shifts so stopped the bedtime one to make it more consistent for DH (SAHD). he sleeps through a lot, i do feed him if he wakes though, frankly i am too lazy not to!

ttc no 2 for the last 8 months, am thinking it will be much easier if i have DH around and not off back to work after 2 weeks like with DS. just need a BFP now...

EsioTrot · 22/05/2011 20:56

I'd like to join as well please. DD is 16 months old and still wanting to feed like a newborn (well that's how it seems sometimes). She eats very small amounts of solid food and asks for milk a lot throughout a day. We co-sleep so I couldn't tell you how often she feeds at night.

I love nursing her and all of the snuggly cuddles which go with nursing, but am starting to feel a little drained by the frequency. I too am parenting by the path of least resistance and she is fairly strong willed when she decides she wants some milk. Do any more seasoned mamas have any tips for me?

I'm also starting to feel a little self conscious feeding out and about and in front of lots of my friends as they have all moved their babies onto formula by 9 months at the latest. I definitely want to continue nursing, I'd just thought it would be slightly less frequent by now. Maybe I have unrealistic ideas though?

EsioTrot · 22/05/2011 20:57

PS: Unruly, the thread title should maybe now read "this is a support thread for extended breastfeeding." Grin

TruthSweet · 22/05/2011 21:06

EsioTrot - Tips below:-

Distraction - Oh, look shall we play with the jigsaws/go to the park/make cakes/watch cbeebies/do you want a biscuit....

Delaying - You can nurse after Mummy hangs the washing out/finishes posting on this thread/we get to the cafe/when we get home....

Cutting short - You can nurse whilst Mummy reads this chapter of her book/while we read The Gruffalo/while Mummy counts to 10/while Mummy sings The Wheels On The Bus....

HTH

MummyBerryJuice · 22/05/2011 21:08

Esio I'm also starting to feel a little Blush about feeding DS in public especially as I now am recognisingly pregnant (really showing much earlier this time). No one has yet said anything though. Luckily he only asks in public now if he is very hungry or very tired.

muttimalzwei · 22/05/2011 21:08

My son is 25 months old and I just trying to stop feeding him now. Mainly due to him getting much more persistant in public and pulling at me. Just feel a bit embarrassed. The other day he got my nipple out over my top (low cut!) while I was talking to someone. My daughter self weaned at 9 months, would bite me etc. wheareas my son loves feeding but it's enough for me now, the disapproving but 'well-meaning' comments are just getting annoying, plus I need to take meds that are not great when breastfeeding. I haven't fed him for four days, Dad's been getting up and giving him milk and I have been as busy as possible in the morning. It's very hard though. In an ideal world, if everyone around me was still doing it I would probably continue but I feel drained and ready to put them away. Wish it was more acceptable.

RidinOnAPig · 22/05/2011 21:16

Ooh can I join? Can I join?

DD and I are fast approaching a year so not really extended breastfeeding, but it certainly seems that way sometimes. Luckily DD has turned a corner and is eating well now, after months of resistance, so she has cut down to 1 morning feed, lunchtime feed, and bedtime feed.

I think she'll drop the lunchtime feed in the next couple of months because it's always me offering and she gets distracted quite quickly. I would love to carry on the morning and evening feed though as she will be in full time childcare come September and I think it will be a nice way for us to stay bonded and reconnect.

muttimalzwei · 22/05/2011 21:19

I did morning and teatime, bedtime when I first went back to work. I cut out the teatime and bedtime when he was about 18 months but the morning one is a hard one as he gets up at 5.30 and I snuggled him into me in bed.

EsioTrot · 22/05/2011 21:19

Thanks so much TruthSweet, really appreciate your advice. I'll give those tactics a go.

mummyberry The worst part about it is that she shouts "booba" whilst pointing at my chest, nodding frantically and giving me her best cheesy grin. My 5 year old finds this hilarious and adds to the public interest by cackling like a sailor. I should point out that "booba" is DD's word for anything she can't yet say, it's just an unfortunate coincidence in this instance. Blush Well done keeping up the feeding whilst pregnant. I've heard that it can be exhausting and that everything is a bit sensitive and sore...hope it's going well.

StealthPolarBear · 22/05/2011 21:23

I'll join - feeding DD at 20m

It's much easier now she can tell me she wants to change sides ("dat one"), but it's harder now she has realised she can squirt herself in the eye and seems to want to spend a lot of time trying out her new hobby :o

AngelDog · 22/05/2011 21:25

Count me in too - DS is 16 m.o.

I wasn't sure I'd get this far as 3 months ago DH was talking about winding down bf by the time DS was 18 m.o., but he seems to be happy about me continuing to feed now. I think me being out for a couple of evenings and him being unable to get DS to sleep helped - plus the way DS started flapping with excitement before his bedtime feed. Grin

jaggythistle · 22/05/2011 21:32

luckily DS doesn't bother feeding when we're out, his attempt at 'other side' sounds something like 'o titty' to me. Blush

he has just discovered it's fun to ask for the other side repeatedly after feeding for about 30 seconds. any tips for that one? :)

I'm going to let him away with occasional blowing raspberries instead of feeding cos i love to hear him giggle!

Original poster
Unrulysun · 22/05/2011 21:34

Gosh, this is good going :)

can you change a thread title? Do I have to report it or something? Or will people see that's what it is just by looking in?

Does anyone know any RL support groups? Am in SW London.

OP posts:
muttimalzwei · 22/05/2011 21:35

My son did the 'this one' trick of wanting the other side after only 30 seconds. I just let him on the other one and then occupied him with something else when he wanted to swap sides again!! He learnt to stick with one for longer.

fuzzypicklehead · 22/05/2011 21:37

I'll join too. Am still going strong with DD2 (19 months) and occasionally DD1 (3.5). Usually BF by stealth, as she has a tendency to creep into my bed while I'm sleeping.

But over time I've noticed more and more breastfed toddlers in my local area. I wonder if I'm just more attuned to it because I do it myself. I think toddlers can learn to be quite discreet, so often it just looks like a cuddle and you might not notice if you weren't paying attention.

ensure · 22/05/2011 21:37

I'll join. Feeding at, er, almost 3.

I hoped to do it for a year.

StealthPolarBear · 22/05/2011 21:46

unrulysun - there will be a LLL meeting no doubt - see their website

i planned to feed DS for 6 months then stop. Then a year. Then 18m. Then 2. Then before he was 3. He stopped last month, aged 4 :o

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