Live webchat with Ann Sinnott, author of Breastfeeding Older Children, Friday 26 Mar, noon-1pm

[GeraldineMumsnet]

By popular demand we have Ann Sinnott joining us for a webchat this Friday at noon.

Ann is a former magazine and newspaper journalist, who went freelance when her daughter was born. She breastfed her daughter until she was six and a half, and spent two years researching and writing Breastfeeding Older Children.

Hope you can join us on Friday 26 March. If you can't, please post your question here as usual, and Ann will do her best to get through as many as possible.

Thanks

aviatrix
See earlier responses about the effect 'engineering' of feedings can have on a child's equilibrium, and how that can impact on their feeding behaviour.

You don't speak about patterns at any other time, but is it possible your DS has come to associate the morning as a time when he has greater access to your breast? If so, you could try allocating a time/occasion during the day as a 'special' time? You could, as well, think about putting him to bed a little later!

Re solids. There are many who have written books on this subject and I don't pretend to be an expert! ? except as far as my daughter is concerned . In the early years, I tried to make mealtimes enjoyable and fun (I remembered the awful scenes around the table with my nephew years previously, and wanted none of that!). I often used to load up a large sharing platter with all manner of raw veg and fruit, humous, cheese, chunks of mackeral, and slices of ham, and we would sit and eat with our hands, relishing combinations of tastes!

Taking the heat out of the situation and introducing lightness will impact positively on you both!

Hi Ann,

I don't really have any questions for you, but wanted to say how much I love your book and the way it has brought natural term breastfeeding into the public awareness. Not to mention the unintentional discrediting of Clare Byam-Cook along the way!!

I too get very frustrated by the over all stereotype of the self-employed/SAHM in socks, sandals and flowing clothes. WHilst these do of course exist, I also know many, many working mothers, who, like me, look completely "normal" and still manage to nurse their "babies" until school age and beyond. The way the media manipulates the stereotype is maddening, as you know the Daily Mail interviewed me quite comprehensively just recently, but then used the contributions from more "typical" women in the published piece.

Any way, lovely to "see" you here, have a great day!

BootyMum I found charting to be very helpful when ttc whilst nursing, I used this online calendar, to help pinpoint my fertile times. There is also an app for the iPhone which does pretty much the same thing!! reducing or stopping night feeds can help, not only do you get more sleep (which makes you more likely to be able to ttc ) but the longer gap between feeds means you're much more likely to ovulate fairly regularly.

Hammy01

Previous responses apply to your query - hope you find something useful. If not, post again and I will respond another time - can see the time is flying!!

Lack of sleep can be really hard!

I know I have already had my question, but here's another one just in case,

"why should I buy your book?"

As an ext-bfer, what will I learn/gain from it?

Thanks

Rubyslippers

Am so sad that my daughter has no remaining memories! I think it's probably because her life has been so varied. As an only child of a single mother, I was determined to do all I could to offset any possible disadvantage, so made sure she always had plenty of contact with other children - so lots of people, activities, memories in her life. Also, we moved to Ireland for three years when she was nine, so by the time she was 12 she had been to 4 schools, with brief periods in playschool and kindergarten (very p/t, and at her request) before she went to school, just before she was six. So many many other memories. Maybe, she will remember when/if she has her own children and breastfeeds (she says she will!)

In BOC many other children say wonderful things about bfdg and human milk!

goldfish20

The time has almost gone but I will come back later today or this evening, and respond to you.

BootyMum, I got pregnant twice whilst breastfeeding, the third (current) pregnancy whilst I was tandem nursing !

It is historically normal to have babies every 2 years or so if you are nursing long term, just look at your church's parish registers to see it was common for most families to have 2 yearly births with no birth control. and natural length nursing.

If you nurse on request, you are likely to start ovulating and having periods around the 16 month mark. Some mother find night weaning or restricting/reducing day feeds can induce ovulation earlier. You have to balance up the waiting until your fertility naturally returns versus trying to get it back sooner...good luck

Ann, Maybe you can add a tandem, triple nursing section in your next book ?

Thanks for the advice PuzzleRocks and GreenMonkies. I will try the digital ovulation monitor I think as I guess I will find it difficult to work out when I may be ovulating as I still don't have my periods back yet...

Ok, the hour's gone and I have to go. Hopefully many of you will find answers to your questions in responses to others. Don't worry if not, I'll make time over the next days to respond. Sorry, I didn't manage to do more today!

Was great chatting!

Ann, thanks for all your answers - and thanks to everyone who has joined in with the webchat.

Thank you Ann!

Thanks again Ann.

Thanks Mumsnet and Ann Sinnott, such a lovely webchat

Thanks

thanks so much

And thanks for the reassuring words Babyseverywhere. I would like to continue breastfeeding DS as I feel it's a lovely bonding time between us but was a little worried that this could significantly affect my fertility. And as I am on the wrong side of 35yrs I don't want to wait too long to try for baby number 2!

Thanks. As someone who has gently encouraged self-weaning at 18 months in my 3 DC, this has been very enlightening to read. I've got an 8 month old now, and as he's my last I'm thinking about natural term bf for him. (I wanted to get pregnant again with each of the others, and get such bad sickness that I have to be rehydrated in hospital, which continuing to bf would have made worse.)

BootyMum, Well, I am 36 and pregnant. I was nursing DD day only and DS night and day when I fell again.

There is a Mumsnet thread about TTC whilst breastfeeding, have a search of the archives if you are interested.

I missed this chat. I breastfeed a soon to be three years old but it's just once in the morning and she asks for it.

Reading that health professionals are unsopportive or think it's abuse makes me really angry.

Most health professionals don't have up to date training on bfeeding so they should not pass their opinions as guidance.

Shame I missed this! I spoke to Ann when she was writing the book about my children. I'm glad she stopped in.

Hmm,punctuation Confuddled! Ann didn't write the book about my children.

confuddled ! I am currently alternating between mn and some exercises about dangling modifiers so might use you as an example!