Weaning during pregnancy...or go tandem.. ahem...

[fourlittlefeet]

I am beginning to test the waters with where I should go with BFing DD, now 14 months. Am feeling a bit of pressure to start weaning her (currently only on wake up and evening feeds).

The pressure comes both from society and myself as I'm not sure I could tandem feed.

Was sort of thinking I might drop the evening feed, and just keep on a morning feed as a tandem.

Has anyone else tried this? Is DD likely to ask for more feeds when she sees me feeding #2 during the day? Its things like that that make me think it would be easier to drop one feed a month from 16 months. #2 is due when DD is 20 months, so that would give me a couple of months with no BF'ing.

I've also read that sometimes they self wean during the 3rd trimester as the milk is only colostrum by then and am wondering whether just to wait and see, but that makes me a bit uncomfortable too.

Would love some advice from those who have been through this. Sorry its such a long post - really tough decision!

bump!

TRy the breast/bottle feeding forum. In fcat I posted very similar a couple of weeks ago.

If they are going to self wean, it's usually second trimester, when milk supply is often very low, 3rd trimester can go either way-they either like colustrum, or they don't! Some toddlers report it tastes like apple juice, which wouldn't put me off, have to admit!

Go have a look, it'd take me ages to type iot all out!

Hello -

Well I am currently on my third pregnancy and have just stopped feeding dd at 2 1/4 yo - she was a boob monster especially at night but I was finding it very painful in the first trimester to continue feeding. However as dd went through a series of illnesses this year (Gastric flu, throat infection and chicken pox) I delayed stopping until she was better. then started to cut down gradually and though she asks still she is happy to accept milk from a cup or a cuddle.

When I was pregnant with dd however it was different as I became pg when ds was only 11m and continued to feed throughout pg, though cutting down as he got older, when dd was born I was feeding ds mainly before bed and that continued for a month or so. It was helpful feeding ds as I had oversupply issue and ds was able to help by feeding first and then I wasn't so full and it was easier for dd to latch on.

So I have tandem fed and weaned during pregnancy and can reccomemend tandem feeding but it is entirely up to you what you are comfortable with. After feeding without a break for nearly 4 years I am enjoying a break for a couple of months before it all starts again with dd2 in October!

Good luck.

thanks both of you - really interesting to hear other people's stories! Off to the other threads with me then!

DS more-or-less self-weaned when I was pregnant with DD -- by the end he was on one feed a week or so, and once she was born he stopped altogether and within a couple of weeks referred to it as something he used to do when he was little. He was older than your DD, though.

I recommend the book Adventures in Tandem Nursing by Hilary Flower -- some good stuff there whether you end up tandem feeding, deliberately weaning during pregnancy, or somewhere in between (the title is a bit misleading in that respect).