Anyone interested in an 'extended' bfers support thread?

[lilysma]

Not sure what I mean by 'extended' exactly - maybe it's a self defined thing?

I define myself as an 'extended' bfer because I hardly know anyone else bfing a child as old as mine (DD is 26 months) and feel the need to discuss some issues with people also doing this and wonder if anyone else does??

Anyone up for an informal support thread on this?

alittlebitshy, welcome Of course you count and no, public slateing is not compulsory...yet, LOL

Hello!

Just back from Scotland!

Where I fed DS on the Aonach Mor cable car, on the shores of Loch Oich and also on the Souter's Lass, a boat that sails up Loch Linnhe!!

Had a lovely time, depite the wet weather! DS particularly enjoyed the cable car ride, seeing the Jacobite Steam train and picking flowers for mummy Oh and petting the ponies in the field behind the cottage we were staying in!

Hello! Just back from my holiday in Scotland - weather was a bit mixed, but we had a great time! The cottage we stayed in just outside Fort William was lovely, there were rabbits, chickens, a cockeral and ponies visiting every morning, to DS's delight, he really loved the ponies and stroked their noses
He also loved watching the steam train as n well - it crossed a bridge over the river Lochy yards from our cottage!

Sorry to hear things have been bad for you Clairey - hope you and your (D)H can work things out.

Insy - hope Bear is ok!

Arcadie - hope you are okay too, and that there is good news on your next scan.

Spiralqueen - hope your DH is recovering!

Welcome back to Cecilamay & Furryfox!
Hi to everyone else too

Oops that last message was meant for my postnatal thread!
Bloody keyboard!!

My little boy sometimes screams " I need LITTLE BIT!!" now when I try to say no! Other times he can be content or distracted with apple or apple juice through a straw! Cows milk is viewed with disgust and doesn't like, eats loads dairy- yoghurt and cheese but unless its with cereal milk is too obviously a substitute! Is starting to like it more now tho. He holds a bit of bread or banana in his hand as a comforter!!!! That's what he asks for to go to sleep if I have had enough feeding him that session. If he's teething, he can crunch bread or carrot sticks to help pain instead of sucking it away. But it comes down to being close to me and the taste and goodness I suppose. I love the closeness and the happiness plus I researched vaccinations and believe the mummy's milk is a good way to keep him healthy. If it gets too exhausting I kind of negotiate with him to cut down for a bit. That's where 'I NEED LITTLE BIT' comes from. He's quite fierce abt it sometimes, other times doesn't seem to have need for it AS much!!!!!!! I just do less activities if it gets too much. Has stopped sucking in public so much seems to recognise when it's taboo shock horror. Will still pull down my top for 30 secs if fell over and wants comfort though. Yeah it fulfills a need in us too.
I don't think all LLL meets segregate bc the older kids and their mums are meant to show the younger pair/ trio whatever how to get comfortable in themselves by example.

Thanks for all the really helpful replies and suggestions.
Apologies I didn't respond sooner..the weekend flew by
Amazingly, on Thursday night DD went down at 6.30 woke at 8.30, little cuddle and back to bed by 9, slept till 12.30, bf and back to bed by 1 and slept through till 530am!
Was truly amazed.
Didn't last tho as she was back to her 'every 2 hours' Friday night...o well!
At least I know she can do it and thats given me no end of encouragement
So thank u once again and I will keep reading these encouraging ebf posts

Bumping up

Hiya, I am due (Hopefully!!!) any day now with no4 and sporadically still feeding no3 who is 20 mnths. I would love to hear any views on how much this is likely to cause a problem between my 2 boys.

My Children are currently 5, 3, and 20 mnths.

I b/fed dd1 until she refused at 13mnths ( was 3 mnths pregs and she didn't like my milk changing) I fed dd2 until 18mnths ( didn't realise I was pregs and I am guessing the milk change prompted her stopping) and obviously I'm still feeding ds1 (n03) at 20 mnths and baby is due on the 18th August. I have had lots of b/feeding experience, but not with dual/tandem feeding at all.

Dp has always been VERY pro Breastfeeding, but thinks i'm making a mistake by continuing to feed ds1 when ds2 is so close to being born. I'm hoping there won't be an issue between the boys, but ds1 is the jealous type...

Any advice would be very gratefully received. I think I've just been kind of putting my head in the sand and doing a "oh well I'm sure it will work out ok in the end, cross that bridge when we come to it kind of thing. But I haven't really worked out the logistics at all.

If you think I should start my own thread, tell me.

I have just realised that I can join this now - DS was 1 almost 3 weeks ago!

We are feeding morning, bedtime and once or twice during the night now. DH is still supportive, although we are planning to TTC again in just over 6 months and I think he thinks I will have stopped BF by then. I need to find out more about conceiving while BFing I think. My periods only came back last month although I think I had ovulated the previous 2 months as well.

um that doesn't seem to be a problem that I have You shouldn't have any probs conceiving whilst b/feeding, usually ( and i use the term loosley) your cycle will begin to return once you child has a gap in the day between b/feeds of more than 4 hours. Sounds to me like you've been lucky to only start ovulating now.

Milk seems to revert to colostrum in about 50% of women by 12 weeks, some children mind some don't... ( thats according to by bf supporter).

Oh you may notice that your ds gets a bit fussy when you are having a period, its normal don't worry about it

kitkat - that makes sense. We have been down to only one feed between 8am and 8pm for a good 3 months now, and now DS doesn't BF at all during the day - he is too busy to think about it I think and if he is thirsty then he wants water. I'm prepared for the fact that this may change again as he gets older!

I guess we will just have to wait and see on the TTCing front

Hmm... I predict you probably won't have to wait too long to fall pregnant again If you have a set gap that you are aiming for you had better protect yourself! I have now banned dp from even looking at me after this baby is born

kitkatqueen, I found tandem nursing really helped my daughter cope well with the introduction of her new baby sibling. She happily shared her milk with him and they sometimes hold hands (or poke each other in the face...sigh) when they nurse together. You might find that tandem nursing helps your DS1 deal with his new sibling.

Maybe post on the Mumsnet Nursing whilst pregnant and Tandem Nursing support thread and get more advice ?

Alibabaandthe40nappies, Yep, watch out. If you want to put off another baby for 6 months, get the condoms out.

I had one period when my first nurseling was 15 months old and I fell pregnant the following month. I am currently tandem nursing my toddler DD and one year old DS during the day and just my DS at night and yet my period returned this month, despite all that nursing. Through he is sleeping longer at night which I think triggered the return for me, I certainly don't have four hourly gaps during the day...I am lucky if I am not nursing every 2/3 hours with one the other or both of them !!!

thanks babieseverywhere, will head over to that thread I'm realy hoping it might be a bonding point between them, I just have so many niggling doubts because I haven't done it before. Stupid really

Totally understandable. I was wondering what I had let myself in for by not weaning DD before DS arrived. Whilst being pregnant I went through periods of wanted her to wean (I didn't encourage her mind) and periods when I didn't want her too. I tried to remain open minded about it, as I was unsure if DD would still be nursing when DS arrived and fingers crossed in the whole I love it.

Yes, I have days when I feel far too touched out and can not face nursing anybody again but this is far outweighted by the benefits of tandem nursing.

Thankyou

No problem

Any advice please??
I am struggling to conceive and think that maybe its because I am still breastfeeding DS - 20 months. Thing is he is not a big eater and relies heavily on milk.... I was hoping to follow his queues with food and just let him take his time. He does eat 3 meals a day plus snacks but he's very fussy and still wants lots of milk.
Anyone else had this prob? Shall I just accept that for now TTC is not an option and just give DS the time he seems to need to increase his food intake when he's ready?
We are proponents of attachment parenting so it is very important to me to allow DS to develop at his own rate and respond to his needs as he expresses them. He is a very happy, bright, physical child. He is also very independent when out and about but very clingy at home.
I know there are lots of extended bfing pregnant mums out there. Please advise.
(I have also posted own threads on this and conception topics!)

Hi guys. Nice to see some friendly faces after some of the drivel on those other threads...

Elliemama - I replied to your other thread. I really recommend that book. I should be on commission!!

Things going fine here. I am now 11 +3. DS is keen as ever and has observed that my when I lie on my back, my boobs are "taller". Further under my armpits more like!!

Those who are tandemming, when did your milk start to diminish during pg? I have warned ds that this might happen and he says it's fine. He will just stop and then start again when the milk comes back! He's got it all planned. I haven't broken it to him that he might lose his latch in the meantime. He is so keen, I can see him still feeding even if there's no milk!

I fed all five of my babies; 1st to 12 months, 2nd to 15 months, 3rd and 4th to 3 years and 5th to 3.5 years, almost 4 actually. She stopped about a month before starting kdg. Is this a record?? That's eleven years spent breastfeeding -- some of the best ever, IMO. I think they all got something out of it, nutritionally and emotionally. They all had names for my boobs, and for nursing, very sweet. I think we all felt very connected and still do.

mawbroon, Some mothers find the milk increased or stays the same (according to Adventures of Tandem Nursing)
I had a couple of periods during which I thought I had dried up but my daughter claimed I had milk throughout and she certainly didn't want to cut back on the nursing !!! I did find that I could hand express maybe a drop of milk but I couldn't machine pump any milk whilst being pregnant.

So short answer watch and see and it might not make a difference to your DS anyway, you could dry nurse him until the milk comes back if you want to.

Elliemama, Does he nurse at night ? Have you had any sign of fertile, mucus or periods ?

mathanxiety, Very impressive Nice to hear that you still love breastfeeding after 11 years doing it !!!

Is kdg school ?

Very cool mathanxiety!! You've beat me hands down I'm stopping at number 4!!

Elliemama, how old is your dc? Does he drink any other form of milk?

Babieseverywhere he does feed at night altho has been going from 10 - 5...
I had pos preg test this month but then came on 2 days late... The three nights before I came on he was feeding every 2 to 3 hours... cos of teething and muggy weather I think. I'm wondering if it was just from these nights that my hormone levels changed and that caused early mc???

kitkatqueen he's not over keen on other milk but does love yoghurt and cream cheese

No idea on your brief positive pregnancy test.

AFAIK if you are having periods, then you must be ovulating and hence potentially fertile. Assuming your cycle is back to a decent length etc.