For the first time in nearly ten years, there's no milk in my breasts.

[Spidermama]

DS4 will be three at the end of the month. He has been gradually having less and less milk for a couple of months now. He pretty much stopped altogether for the last 3-5 weeks or so. Today, out of the blue, he asked for some ... and there was none there.

I very nearly cried because it's the end of an era. I've fed all four of mine until they didn't want it any more and now it's all over.

I don't even think I'll get the benefits people talk about because I stopped so gradually there should be no real difference.

I feel like I'm embracing my middle age.

but at the same time. What a wonderful experience your 3 have had. How many children get bf until they are happy to stop? 1% of babies that get a first bf? Probably less.

Not sure what you mean about benefits?

I'm looking forward to giving up bfing DS2 - have been pg or bfing now for 4 and a half years. Just want to be able to take strong cold medicines again. Sad aren't I!

Yes I'm very pleased with how it has gone but feeling a few years older now it's over.

By benefits, I've heard tales of increasing energy levels and upper arm/back weight loss when people stop feeding. But I think mine petered out too slowly to notice.

I must admit I didn't much bother about abstaining from medicines or alcohol once my babies were eating plenty of solids along with the milk. I always assume that when a medicine says 'don't take if bfing' it means if exclusively bfing.

Congrats on 10 years of BFing. I would want to treat myself to some sentimental thing as a memento.

aw spidermama that will be me once ds decides to stop feeding, not for a while yet though I hope (he's 18 months). I have been pregnant and/or b/feeding since August 2000 In fact the only time since then that I wasn't b/feeding was between Feb and June 2006...

Awww. You should mark the occasion somehow. Burn a nursing bra on the beach or something.

I'm sure I will be a complete emotional wreck when I finally stop. Actually, aren't you supposed to get a little hormonal 'low' when you stop because you're so used to elevated levels of that 'love hormone' (can't remember the name - the labour/sex/breastfeeding hormone).

Oh no, broccoli's idea much better. Get yourself a nice little bit of jewellery or something.

I think a treat is in order broccoli. It's the end of an era after all.

Emkana enjoy while it lasts. It's such a truly amazing and perfect thing and I'm sure I took it for granted.

It makes me want to get pregnant again.

Did I write that or just think it?

WHOOPS!

that is awe inspiring, spidermama, absolutely amazing

a golden nork pendant, perhaps?

PW I'm hoping I'll avoid the hormonal dip as it has all finished so gradually but I find I am sitting here thinking back to all the lovely feeding times and welling up because I'll never do it again.

LOL at golden nork pendant.

Congratulations!

I thought you were going to say it had taken ten years for your milk to stop after BFing

i did not breastfeed either of mine, and i wish i had. i would rather be sat there sad the feeding was over, than i had never done it, IFYSWIM? do you have any pictures or video of you feeding you could look at and have a good cry?

I meant, "Congratulations on feeding for so long and giving your LOs such a good start", not, "Congratulations at stopping" btw.

That is amazing - certainly you need to celebrate your achievement.....but I'm not sure getting pregnant again would be the best way - maybe a new pair of earrings - with 2 gemstones in each ear, one for each baby

god spidermama I am blubbing like a baby now.
ten years! such a fantastic gift you have given to your children. really, really priceless.
and to yourself.
bottle of champagne, big weep I reckon.
(really thinking about when this will happen to me now, onluy five years for me )

Wow SM - what a fab 10 years though.
Am both extremely impressed and very pleased for you.
Definitely deserve a little treat for yourself though as blues quite likely at something this constant coming to a close

Thanks Lil.
Lulu there are a few pics here and there of me feeding I'm sure. I'm really glad about that. I should get them out, light a candle and have a good ol' sob. Get it all out of my system and move on.

Just writing on here is getting me going actually.

let it aaaalll out x

Wailing a bit too embarrassingly loudly now so must move into a room where I am less likely to be overheard by neighbours or children.

I may be sometime. [half-arsed smile emoticon]

You are very much entitled to a good sob.

Have you ever asked any of yours what they think about bf (when they're old enough to communicate about it)? DS2 is just coming up to 3 and has become quite voluble on the subject. I have vaguely considered recording his ramblings on the subject as some sort of memento.

(Oxytocin! Glad I remembered that before I turn in.)

That is so insipring

I am BFing DD 16m and she is my first (possibly the only!) so I am in awe at 10 years no not shock but wow!

I can't imagine how it feels after so long. Even now for us it is so much part of my daily life I can't ever imagine stopping. She was poorly today so I had to leave work and pick her up. First thing we did was have a nice long feed, then some Calpol! Then some more feeding, and that was pretty much 6 hours of our day, snuggled up and reading books in between a bit more "mook". Ahh. Makes you forget the sore nips of the early days

Perhaps you can continue helping others on the feeding threads and BF vicariously?

Can I be nosy and ask how tandem feeding works? does Colustrum still come in for lo when feeding the older lo?

Ahh hatrick I didn't know you were having a DS. Congratulations.

Oxytocin. That's the one.

I'm off to consider what my treat should be.

Thanks for being nice.

callmeover, yes the breasts sort it all out when it comes to tandem feeding. You don't need to put any thought into it. I all happens flawlessly. Miraculous.

I would highly recommend tandem feeding as it really helps the toddler adjust to his or her new sibling.

That is amazing about the tandem feeding - how do the boobs do that - well impressive!