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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

Self Weaned at 3.5 years

16 replies

Verity79 · 04/09/2009 09:43

Some people may remember my slightly hysterical thread a while ago about both my DDs weaning at the same time, it turns out they were both on a nursing strike at the same time. They both restarted nursing and have been nursing happily since.

However DD1 (3.5 y/o) has been causing my pain whilst nursing for the past few weeks which I put down to being extra sensitive due to pregnancy (DD2 (21 m/o) didn't hurt me whilst nursing but I didn't think anything of it).

This morning DD1 asked for 'Bah' and tried to latch on but she didn't know how to! She tried and tried but couldn't get her mouth and tongue into the right position. We had to tell her that she was all grown up now and was now too much of a big girl for 'Bah'.

After all the tears I shed over the nursing strike earlier this year, it was my DH who cried as DD1 now no longer has any of the 'baby' about her. (By that I don't mean to imply I carried on nursing her so she would be a baby for longer but that she has left behind that stage in her life for good).

We explained to DD1 that as she is getting bigger her jaw has grown too to allow for her big teeth to come through and this means she won't be able to have Bah any more. She was quite pleased by that as she is now all grown up but we'll have to see how she copes when the baby is born (am 34 weeks now).

I'm really pleased we made it this long and that she self weaned (plus she has had the immune system boost of all the colostrum she's had over the past 6 weeks). I'm not sad now and just needed to talk/brag to some like minded people about how it happened.

OP posts:

mawbroon · 04/09/2009 10:11

Verity, that is lovely. I hope your dd copes well with the new baby.

My ds is 3.10yo, and is complaining that my milk is salty (I'm 14weeks pg) but it doesn't seem to be stopping him!!

I do worry that he might stop then want to start again and not be able to latch, but I am sure like your dd, he would be able to deal with it.

Did the colostrum give your dd soft poo btw?

girlafraid · 04/09/2009 10:11

I guess I'm not like minded as sadly had to FF but this is a really lovely story, congratulations for BF for so long!

LadyStealthPolarBear · 04/09/2009 10:21

Congratulations
If she does get upset/ wants a bit of babying when the baby comes, could you express a tiny bit, so she still feels she's getting your milk?
Can I just ask - why do you think she's had colostrum for the last 6 weeks? Is it 28 weeks that it starts coming in?

Original poster

Verity79 · 04/09/2009 10:22

Soft poo with bells on! I told DH that both of DDs had had an upset tummy one day and that it was really mustardy. I got a look and a 'That would be the colostrum Dear'.....oh the shame I'm not normally that dim but I seem to be very baby brained at the moment.

On the change of taste I've had no comments on it apart from 'no milk in your bahs mummy' as I dried up this pg between 14 weeks and 28 weeks (last pg was 14-26 weeks with no milk). Didn't stop either of them nursing until the 'big nursing strike of 2009'.

I'm open to letting DD1 try again once the baby is born but I really don't think she will manage it as even with nursing once/twice a day she has lost the ability to latch. I'm blaming it on the fact she had all her teeth by 21 months so obviously is going to be early with her permanent teeth too.

Good luck with pg and tandem nursing (if DS doesn't wean before).

OP posts:

mawbroon · 04/09/2009 10:33

I think letting her try once the baby is here is a good idea, if she asks.

Hopefully, that way she will know and feel that you are not excluding her.

I'm not looking forward to the soft poo I must say. DS has a dairy intolerence and his poos are very soft if he eats too much dairy, so it will be hard to tell! Perhaps I will have to cut him back to no dairy at all so I can be sure!

Original poster

Verity79 · 04/09/2009 10:33

LadySPB,

My milk dries up completely at 14 weeks and comes back in between 26-28 weeks (my 3rd pg now, 2nd I've nursed through). I can't get anything out and all my milk ducts get clogged with a white waxy/fatty substance. All of a sudden the white stuff started coming out after one of DDs had nursed and then with in a few days I was able to hand express a few drops of colostrum (at 28 weeks this time around).

Also the effect on poo is quite startling! Mustardy with food which looks a bit like when you first start weaning on to solids but with lots more solids in it!! I'm not sure if it's the same for other women re 26-28 weeks colostrum coming in as some women have a full milk supply for the whole of their pg but they must transistion at some point.

OP posts:

LadyStealthPolarBear · 04/09/2009 11:50

Ah right thanks. DS has been a bit obsessed the last few weeks and I've been wondering if it coincides with mt colostrum.

Original poster

Verity79 · 04/09/2009 15:48

According to DD1 colostrum is very sweet and tasty and I noticed a big increase in her nursing when it came in when I was pg with DD2, she LOVED it and seemed quite disappointed when my milk came in on day 3. She got over it though when she realised the quantity had increased massively .

DD2 isn't so fixated on nursing as DD1 was but then she has never nursed for comfort whereas DD1 was all about the bahs when she was upset/hurt so I'm not sure if DD2 has the same opinion on colostrum vs. mature BM. Although she does now call it 'moh bah' and doesn't want it if you offer 'bah' but will go for it if you ask her if she wants 'moh bah' ('moh' is her word for milk AND more). It's offical I have odd children

OP posts:

LadyStealthPolarBear · 04/09/2009 15:50

Original poster

Verity79 · 04/09/2009 15:55

Girlafraid - by 'like minded mums' I didn't mean just natural term Bfers I meant mums who are interested in feeding choices/outcomes whether they are bfing or ffing or well past that stage in their DCs life.

DD1 was mostly formula fed for the first 2 months before I got my supply together so I would never think that a ffing mum has no right to comment on a bfing thread but I know sometimes forums can get polarised into a 'them and us' mentality with the battle lines firmly drawn.

Also thank you for your kind post, I really appreciated it.

OP posts:

moondog · 04/09/2009 15:56

That's so touching about your dh crying.
Brought tears to my eyes!

girlafraid · 04/09/2009 16:55

Thanks- sorry if that sounded a bit snippy! Agree - we are all doing the best for our DC and I hate the way the media (IMHO) try to put us against each other when we're all in the same boat - which is why I like to say congrats to people who BF, especially extended BFers. It seems an absolutely acceptable form of perjudice for many people and it makes me [angry}

Original poster

Verity79 · 04/09/2009 17:30

Girlafraid - no you didn't sound snippy. I just wanted to make sure anyone else reading didn't think I only cared about the 'right sort' replying to me!!

OP posts:

mawbroon · 04/09/2009 21:52

Verity, it has just dawned on me that you have been tandem feeding for yonks, some of it through pregnancy, and have fed through two pregnancies.

Wow! I take my hat off to you. Well done!

Original poster

Verity79 · 04/09/2009 22:30

I have been pg/bfing/pg & bfing/tandem feeding/tandem feeding & pg since June 2005 so I think I either need a medal (pref. a chocolate one) or my meds upping!

OP posts:

spiderlight · 04/09/2009 22:33

Awwww - a lovely story and a lucky little girl! So sweet that your DH cried about it.

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