long term breastfeeding - anyone doing it?

[Rivi]

Is anyone out there a long term breastfeeder? If you are how long? how's it going? etc etc

Bron, with my first I refrained from peanut butter, etc etc until I read an article in the Association of Breastfeeding Mothers newsletter which said it was ok as long as there wasn't any history of nut allergy in the family. It's one of the problems with pregnancy and breastfeeding - not really knowing what you can and can't eat as there doesn't seem to be one official list.

I'm really glad I started this I don't feel alien anymore! I always hear myself sounding apologetic for still breastfeeding because of peoples comments/reactions (scream)! It's great reading everyone's experiences.

Rivi - ooops I didn't know there was do's and don't's - I've always eaten anything. I do know that too much dairy can come through in your milk and cause allergies in babies. I also ate just about anything in pregnancy as I read that a little of everything can prevent allergic reactions in babies later on. I guess though if there is a history of problem already present then that is different.

Faith - great to see a breastfeeding mother of twins. It always annoys me that the attitude is that it is too much for a woman to breastfeed twins. Most don't even bother to try. I am a twin and my mother managed quite successfully till our GP told her to stop as it was too much for her! That was the 1960s but ignorance still prevails so it seems.

I breastfed my daughter (who is now 4) until she was 2 1/2. We were both very happy with this arrangement and I feel it really did give us some special time together. Of course, I had to put up with lots of "she is far too old" (and worse) comments. (also lots of comments about me feeding her outside (as a baby)). By far the worst was when at 9 weeks into my 2nd pregnancy (my daughter was 14 months at this point)I sufered a miscarriage and while in hospital I asked the ward sister if there was a breast pump I could use
(it was the first time I had ever been away from my daughter overnight and my boobs were like cannons!!). The ward sister told me that at 14 months she was too old to be feeding and refused to give me a pump. So I was forced to go to the toilet and express some milk by hand! Could not believe her attitude, especially as she was female/ in the nursing profession / I had just had a miscarriage!!With people like that, it is no wonder more wmen give up early or dont start!

Uniquelykiki, what a horrible experience. It was nice to watch Eastenders last night and the nurse giving very good support to Lisa who was having difficulties breastfeeding and not one word of using a bottle by the nurse.

Uniquelykiki - it's is so unbelivelable to imagine someone in such a position could be so ignorant, rude etc etc etc! If it wasn't for the difficult time I would have urged you to write and complain then again it shows they are human and ignorant just because they wear a uniform doesn't mean they know anything. How awful for you.

I feel that my HV for both my first and second aren't interested once you are past feeding for a month or so and expect you to stop really. When my second child arrived I was told by my HV that she would be surprised if I breastfed past 3 months because of the older child's routines/jealousy etc etc. I was surprised but didn't respond. I guess she would be horrified to find I am still breastfeeding 16 months later and our dd doesn't look like giving it up in a hurry. She may copy her brother in lots of things, but not when it comes to her favourite source of drink/food.

Besides the stupid comments about them biting which is something totally different to sucking, I have been told numerous times that certain teats (for bottles) are very similar to the nipple and that certain milks are very similar to breastmilk. to me it's as daft as being told substitute your milk with a yard of chocolate!

How awful for you uniquelykiki I can't believe someone would be so inhumane (does that make sense or have I got the wrong word? Either way you know what I mean). I breastfed ds until he was six months old and when I went to HV to ask for advice on how to stop they refused to give any. Said I was doing so well I should carry on. ds was biting by then (he got teeth at three months)and he used to make me feel really nervous. Missed it when I stopped. My old hairdresser breastfed her daughter until she was 3 and said she had a lot of adverse comments. If mother and child are happy with it then its nobody's business but their own.

Poor you Uniquelykiki, what an awful experience, I hope things are going well for you now. I breastfed my 3 until they were 7-8 mths old, by then both them and me were ready to stop, so I was lucky in that I had no trauma getting them to take a bottle. Also, they had teeth and did used to bite, so it became quite a nervous experience for me towards the end - I did miss it though! I agree with Selja, people can be far too forthcoming with their rude and unconstructive comments. If Mother and child are both happy to breastfeed for longer, then I say Good luck to them - it is afterall nobody's business but your own!

Uniquelykiki - that sister was being downright cruel refusing you the pump. Her opinion of what is "right" is totally wrong. It is non of her buisness. I am surprised she didn't tell you that your miscarriage was caused by the fact that you were still feeding. This is a common myth and is totally untrue.

By the way Winnie, how are you now?

Thanks to everyone who replied to me, it's only today that I have had a moment to check. My daughter said tonight "there isn't much, can you give me a bottle of milk?" so I gave it to her and kissed her goodnight and sat down at the computer - that was about two hours ago! Yay!
I must say the thought of going in and feeding a kid in school makes me cringe, for the kid if no one else! I am very private about our feeding habit, although my husband loves to boast about it and some people here in Poland where i live actually think it's great, mainly health-wise. Maybe they remember times when good nutrition wasn't available...
Eulalia, thanks for all this information.
Uniquelykiki - you have my every sympathy. I once hit a doctor (I'm not proud of it but in retrospect it's pretty funny) who grabbed hold of my breast when my baby was a couple of months old, and said "there's nothing in it! Your baby is too thin, it's starving, it must go on formula immediately!" Yes, really. In Poland. She later tried to tell my husband that i wasn't in my right mind (well I was slightly hormonal hence the honest reaction!) and he should bottle feed my baby in secret!! I would love to show her my healthy child now and tell her she never had formula and she is STILL feeding!!!!

Sarenka, your story is horrid. Whilst I understand why you are not proud of your reaction I empathise with it!!! I am glad that you are in a position to laugh about it now.

Uniquelykiki, you have my complete sympathy. What a dreadfully insensitive and uniformed way for the nurse to behave.

Eulalia, thanks for asking. I don't seem to get much chance to get onto Mumsnet at the moment but have just come back from a lovely break I am continuing with the feeding and have been put on medication that is ok to take whilst breastfeeding but it has been made clear that I am being difficult by continuing to breastfeed our baby. I do have mixed feelings about it as I wonder if the medication could be having a detrimental effect on ds and therefore wonder at my selfishness... but weaning ds would be a nightmare he has got to the lifting clothes an dasking for it stage (And I just don't want to wean him to be honest.) So, at the moment I unfortunately feel damned if I do and damned if I don't! Basically I am going with the flow. I have to see a consultant and then I will see what happens if I have to go into hospital, or have different medication prescribed. (I don't want to think about the possibility of going into hospital as I can't bear the thought of being away from the children but... I'll try not to think of that and trying to put things into perspective I need to be well for the children. Once I have had tests and know exactly what is wrong with me I will have a better idea of how to approach it re: the breast feeding and the complimentary therapies I can use.

Anyway, I will stop rambling. It all sounds so gloomy but in the big picture thats family life, its one thing and everything else could not be better!

All the best Winnie - keep us posted.

just wanted to say thanks to everyone who sent their best wishes etc. Now id better go catch up on some sleep. Thanks again

I eat peanut butter too, not while I was pregnant though.

Bron, you did the right thing, I think. If there is a history of food allergies, it's best to hold off on the really allergenic foods. Plus, peanuts seem fairly easy to avoid and being allergic to them is scary.

My youngest (almost 8 weeks old) is allergic to milk, so none of that for me. His brother is allergic to peanuts and dairy, so we don't have any peanuts anyway. I was told in no uncertain terms not to have them while breastfeeding, just in case.

I was also told that if a child is allergic to dairy, not to simply replace it with a lot of soya as you might end up with a soya allergy. Plus, a large portion (maybe 50%?) of kids allergic to milk are allergic to soya. And there's a new theory that giving a child who has a family history of peanut allergy soya instead of milk might predispose him to a peanut allergy. Or something like that.. it's just a theory that the allergist is looking into.

Anyway, with all the things I can't eat, you'd think it'd be easier to lose a little weight.

Toddler and new baby on the way. Ds was a very breast orientated new born and I wonder how he/I/us will cope if the next one goes the same way.

I am 15 weeks pg and ds is 17 months. As a general outcome, I have been trying to get him weaned in time for the new baby's arrival.

I was hoping for a natural falling off. The 'Don't offer, don't refuse' maxim was working fine until we both had a bout of flu and went travelling. Now he seeks me out with a deeper vigour and knowledge.

Any advice on how we should handle the coming months?

Toddler and new baby on the way. Ds was a very breast orientated new born and I wonder how he/I/us will cope if the next one goes the same way.

I am 15 weeks pg and ds is 17 months. As a general outcome, I have been trying to get him weaned in time for the new baby's arrival.

I was hoping for a natural falling off. The 'Don't offer, don't refuse' maxim was working fine until we both had a bout of flu and went travelling. Now he seeks me out with a deeper vigour and knowledge.

Any advice on how we should handle the coming months?

I found that all my babies gave up on their own whilst I was pregnant. It has been said that toddlers are naturaly put off by the change in the milk. However I know people who have successfully fed throughout pregnancies.
Mine also became interested again after the baby was born, but this never really amounted to much.
My advice, for what its worth is to suck it and see (pardon the pun).

My friend has 'tandem fed' her children, feeding the toddler as well as the new baby, with no problems. A breastfeeding counsellor can give you lots of information either on stopping feeding or tandem feeding.

I've enjoyed reading the positive comments about long term breastfeeding. My daughter is five months old and I love feeding her but feel, especially after reading similar views on mumsnet, that it kills my libido. Does longer term breastfeeding not perpetuate the lack of wanting sex? I haven't had sex for five months and am wondering whether I will stop breastfeeding sooner than I might have done because of this. I just can't bear the thought of my husband touching my breasts at the moment and just generally have no sexual feelings. I'd love to hear from people who can do both!

Purp - I am curious what others will tell you but I have not found that bf was hindering my libido.

I found that in the initial months of bf each time, that breasts were off limits sexually - my preference, not his ; ) But as the months went on (and it took a bit longer than the five months you quote) they gradually came back on the scene and I felt ok about them, and more and more positive about them being a sexual part of me, even though they were still being fed from...but once the babies were on solid foods and less dependent on bf nutritionally, things started to change. Now, I wouldn't be without 'em!! I think it's brill that nature gives us something that is so useful for our children, and so enjoyable for ourselves and our partners : )))))

purp - no link here with b/feeding and libido. Any lack of libido I put down to general tiredness. I agree that breasts may be off limit for awhile but they can be 'put away' for awhile and aren't necessary to one's sex life. As tiktok says once your baby is eating more solid food then the b/feeding frequency will decrease.