Anyone breastfed 3 kids?

[teatoast8]

I have a 2 year old, near 1 year old and pregnant again. I'm going to wean my son off the boob before this one arrives.

Just interested if anyones breastfed 3? I love breastfeeding. I know I'm going to be sad when I wean my son, but know it'll be the right thing to do.

Tia x

I breast fed all three but had 2 + years age gaps between them. I found it easier each time and did longer each time

i've breastfed 4 and never used formula at all

I tandem fed two but had weaned my older one by then so never three simultaneously. I think maybe if it were just a feed at night to settle them then it could be ok and might actually be helpful as long as you feel ok with it.
I found tandem feeding two who had an 19 month age gap made things easier in lots of ways as it meant the toddler would settle and calm if he was hyped up.

Just on a science front how does this actually work? I thought the breast milk changed consistency/ volume/ contents to meet the needs of the baby. If there's 3 how does the boob know what it's doing?

Fascinating!

It's very fascinating!

I had to use formula with my daughter as she has allergies, but she's fully breastfed now. She refuses formula when she can smell my milk. Tbf, I don't blame her

I have breastfed 5 children. I tandem-nursed 4 and 5. Weaning is not essential if you don't want to do it.

I think you have to put the needs of the new baby first. The older children are using breastfeeding for comfort rather than nutrition.

My daughter is not using my boob for comfort. She's not 1 yet. I will not be weaning her

I breastfed three but with a gap each time. Mine all lost interest at about 12 months.

@Stretchanoctave my daughter will still get nutrition from my milk past 1.

Yes breastfed three kids. First for 6 months. Second for 15 months. Third for 18 months.

i loved it at the time … mostly. But don’t miss it now!

Think I'll miss it when I do eventually stop.

My sons definitely not losing interest 😅 proper boobie monster

Oh wow, I’ve just twigged that you mean feeding three kids simultaneously?! That sounds like a logistical challenge to me, but you seem committed enough to make it work!

I'm pregnant with number three but other two weaned at approx 14 months - neither were ever hugely into milk and down to one feed a day by then. Eldest stopped himself, youngest stopped when I went back to work and wasn’t available. Have needed to stop feeding to get pregnant again both times, so I wouldn’t have wanted to continue much longer as I’d have been too old for the third!

Yes, bf all 3 of mine for about 15 months each. With no3 I mainly expressed and gave via bottle for various reasons.

Sorry OP I misunderstood your question. I didn’t tandem feed because of the spacing of my DC (plus I also found my breasts were really sore in pregnancy).

Mine self weaned but I did stop night feeds when I got too annoyed by them (at gone two). A two year old can understand if you tell them that there’s no feed in the night (although this would be harder if there’s another DC still getting night feeds).

Maybe go to a la leche league meeting and see if they can advise?

I'm about as pro bf as they come - I fed all of mine til self weaning between 3 and 5 years including tandem feeding the younger 2 for 3 years - but I think feeding 3 simultaneously could be a bit too much of a challenge. Though that will depend to a large extent on how much the 2 year old is feeding. If it's a quick feed at bedtime it might be feasible to continue but much more than that might be too much to manage both physically, emotionally and logistically.
Obviously you've fed through pregnancy once before so will have some idea what's likely to happen, but just having 2 such young children and being pregnant again is likely to be pretty hard work and if breastfeeding 2 whilst pregnant is more than you can handle I don't think there is a sane person on the planet who would blame you for weaning at least one. As you'll know, your body will prioritise the needs of the youngest baby. Your supply will drop under the influence of pregnancy hormones and at some point you'll start producing colostrum. Those changes often result in the older siblings self weaning, or at least losing interest which often gives the mum the opportunity to encourage them to stop.
Personally, I think if the 2 year old begins to lose interest as your pregnancy progresses I would probably take the chance to wean. It would probably be better if there was a gap between the eldest weaning and the youngest being born unless you are absolutely committed to nursing all 3. If you find you can't cope with that once your new baby is born so that tgey don't associate theb new baby arriving withnot being able to feed any more. I think it would be a lot more traumatic for the eldest if you had to wean very quickly at a time that is often quite confusing and unsettling for elder siblings as it is.
It might be worth talking to a breastfeeding counsellor. Personally I found LLL to be more clued up on breastfeeding older babies, through pregnancy and tandem nursing than the other organisations but that might have been specific to the groups in my area I guess.
Good luck, whatever you decide.

You have the heart of a lion!! Not sure I could have coped with feeding more than one at a time! x

I tandem fed 2. Had a newborn and a 18 month old. I liked tandem feeding newborn always got 1st feeds then toddler got the boob when baby switched sides. Was handy having a toddler around when I got a clogged duct or I had too much milk.

I breastfed three kids not in tandem. First weaned at 2 years and 4months saying the milk was finished when I was around 7 months pregnant with their sibling.
Second weaned at 2 years 5 months and third weaned just after their second birthday. Breastfed for almost 7 years in total, loved it but I no longer miss it.

I'm surprised you got pregnant so quickly if you were breastfeeding. Isn't it supposed to be natures's contraceptive?

I'm also amazed that you managed to have enough regular sex to get pregnant so quickly with such young babies and whilst breastfeeding. 😂

You are superhuman!

But in answer to your question, I did breastfeed 3 children but not all at the same time and with a significant gap in between.

Yes - I actually didn't stop breastfeeding for just over seven years. dc1 was still bf when dc2 was born then dc2 was breastfeeding when dc3 came along. I breast fed dc3 until he was 2 and a half.
During late pregnancy of dc 3 my dc 2 had almost stopped bf but then had a really awful tonsillitis and bf was the only thing she wanted so she carried on. It was sweet tandem nursing a toddler and baby. She would hold baby's hand and stroke his head. No sibling rivalry between them though there is between dc1 and 3!

All of mine - 5, for a total of 14.5 years.

1- 2 years
2 - 1.5 years
3 - 4 years
4 - 2.5 years
5 - 4.5 years

It was only difficult the first time.

I bf my 4. 3 and 4 overlapped. Dd3 self weaned when I was around 6 months pregnant. She became very disinterested and I think part of it was because she had to lie around my tummy. I think that is what she didn’t enjoy.