If you fed through pregnancy, can you share experiences...?

[beanbearer]

I'm 4.5 months pregnant and for the last couple of weeks, DD (21 months) has gone from feeding as she always has to spending ages at the breast but hardly swallowing. If I express (hard work - but then haven't done it properly for over a year), the milk is semi-solid and golden... ie colostrum I assume. I was hoping to feed right through and then tandem feed but it just seems an enormous effort at the moment. I have to remind her every few minutes to keep her mouth wide open and even so it's beginning to be really sore. Plus the super-convenient last thing before sleep feed no longer induces sleep because she's still thirsty afterwards. Is this just a bad, hormone-induced phase or does it last through to birth? I read in 'Adventures in Tandem Feeding' that of those who intend to feed through pregnancy, almost 60% give up around months 4-5. Not sure if knowing that has somehow made it seem tougher. Just wondered how others had found it?

I stopped at 20w - it had been a struggle to keep ds1 feeding, he just showed less and less interest. By the time we stopped, he'd obviously been taking so little, that I didn't even get engorged . I'm sorry I don't have anything more constructive to say - I hope someone who can help more will be along soon.

I know exactly what you mean. I DID give up at about five months, but in retrospect I so wish that I hadn't - it's one of the things I would definitely change if I had a time machine. I had to wean DS1 very forcibly and he was soooo upset.

If I were you I would try to stick with it - but I realise that that is easier said than done.

Weaned at 5 months here. I was a horrid horrid person. Almost like permanent PMT which lifted when I stopped feeding. I found out I was pregnant VERY early because expressing at work became almost impossible. We dropped feeds very very slowly and didn't get engorged at all when I finally stopped. DD was very sad and confused she didn't get her morning feed (for only a week), and it meant we had suddenly had to feed her breakfast as soon as she got up so no more lie ins. I did feel much healthier (having been quite sick 3 months before I got pregnant) when I stopped.

Hope you make the right decision for you.

Only 3 months here, but so far just the same as normal.

my daugher who was feeding twice a day am and night weaned herself when i was 16 wks pg, at 15 wks just got very painful and then i dropped am feed and one night she did not ask for it before bed first time ever so we stopped. Would ahve been happy to carry on but glad she weaned herself

Thanks everyone for convincing me I'm not just imagining that it's suddenly got much harder. Thanks too to policywonk for the long term view... Will just keep taking it day by day and see how things end up!

My dd1 self weaned before i got to 4 months pregnant..

Hi fellow bean

Ds fed right up until 36 weeks. By that time I was so big and uncomfortable (turns out there was a big baby in a not that enormous me) that I didn't offer and he has been going to bed without that last feed. Now baby is here he has been asking again, so I don't think we are done yet!!

That said, we did cut down during the pregnancy. Started with 3 feeds a day and went down to just one in the evening, which ds used to make fairly short work of. He is 3.3 btw. It was always my intention to just let him self wean and so I want to be guided by him.

Good luck, hope it all works out for you.

beansprout, Did you have any earlier issues or did you feed straight though until 36 weeks with no issues ?