Just curious...

K

Keepercjr

Guest
I am still breastfeeding my son who is 2.5. I never had any doubt that I would breastfeed. For me, formula was not an option. I only gained about 18 lbs during pregnancy and within a week I had lost it all and then some -and am now 10 lbs lighter than I was pre-pregnancy. I am pancreatic sufficient so I'm sure that helps me keep from getting too thin but I think that if you are committed then keeping weight on shouldn't be an issue. It will just take a little bit extra work and some vigilance about your diet. I've never had a problem putting on weight but for the first year or so I did have to make sure I ate enough to keep me where I was.

I had a doula for my birth who was also a lactation consultant. She helped me A LOT and we did need to use a nipple shield for the first week or so because he didn't have a good latch and I was in a lot of pain. During that time I could see why women quit and switch to formula but again, that was never an option for me (self imposed) and after that week it got a lot better. I clearly remember the first time that nursing him didn't hurt. Nursing my son is one of the experiences of early motherhood that I will treasure the most. I still love it and my son still needs it so we'll keep going till he wants to stop. And nursing is great for soothing an older baby - plus its a sure fire way to knock them out for a nap or bedtime. When my son get sick, sometimes the only thing he'll do is nurse - he'll refuse any food or water and I've never been concerned about that because I know he gets what he needs from me. He's never been a big eater so even at a year I'm sure that 90% of his diet was still milk. At 18 months milk was probably about 60-70% of his diet. Now at 2.5 he just nurses to sleep and when he wakes up unless he's teething or sick then he nurses for comfort more through the day.

Bonnie - I just wanted to comment on what you said about pumping when you need a break - just keep in mind that if your breasts are used to being emptied every 2 hours and then you decide to have your DH feed your baby a bottle at feeding time, it will be another 2 hours till you empty your breasts again and let me tell you, it gets very uncomfortable if you miss a feeding. I am convinced I have a small storage capacity in my breasts so my son nursed every 2 hours till he was well over 8 months old (he would go 3-4 hours at night). So missing a feeding was actually pretty painful for me. So even if you feed a bottle of expressed milk, you will still want to empty your breasts to avoid a plugged duct or engorgement.

Lastly - I remember reading an article that said that even in severely malnourished mothers (not talking about CF) breastmilk remains pretty consistent in composition. So I wouldn't worry about your baby not getting enough of anything. And taking extra vitamins just to boost the breastmilk doesn't work either because it will still stay consistent.
 
K

Keepercjr

Guest
I am still breastfeeding my son who is 2.5. I never had any doubt that I would breastfeed. For me, formula was not an option. I only gained about 18 lbs during pregnancy and within a week I had lost it all and then some -and am now 10 lbs lighter than I was pre-pregnancy. I am pancreatic sufficient so I'm sure that helps me keep from getting too thin but I think that if you are committed then keeping weight on shouldn't be an issue. It will just take a little bit extra work and some vigilance about your diet. I've never had a problem putting on weight but for the first year or so I did have to make sure I ate enough to keep me where I was.

I had a doula for my birth who was also a lactation consultant. She helped me A LOT and we did need to use a nipple shield for the first week or so because he didn't have a good latch and I was in a lot of pain. During that time I could see why women quit and switch to formula but again, that was never an option for me (self imposed) and after that week it got a lot better. I clearly remember the first time that nursing him didn't hurt. Nursing my son is one of the experiences of early motherhood that I will treasure the most. I still love it and my son still needs it so we'll keep going till he wants to stop. And nursing is great for soothing an older baby - plus its a sure fire way to knock them out for a nap or bedtime. When my son get sick, sometimes the only thing he'll do is nurse - he'll refuse any food or water and I've never been concerned about that because I know he gets what he needs from me. He's never been a big eater so even at a year I'm sure that 90% of his diet was still milk. At 18 months milk was probably about 60-70% of his diet. Now at 2.5 he just nurses to sleep and when he wakes up unless he's teething or sick then he nurses for comfort more through the day.

Bonnie - I just wanted to comment on what you said about pumping when you need a break - just keep in mind that if your breasts are used to being emptied every 2 hours and then you decide to have your DH feed your baby a bottle at feeding time, it will be another 2 hours till you empty your breasts again and let me tell you, it gets very uncomfortable if you miss a feeding. I am convinced I have a small storage capacity in my breasts so my son nursed every 2 hours till he was well over 8 months old (he would go 3-4 hours at night). So missing a feeding was actually pretty painful for me. So even if you feed a bottle of expressed milk, you will still want to empty your breasts to avoid a plugged duct or engorgement.

Lastly - I remember reading an article that said that even in severely malnourished mothers (not talking about CF) breastmilk remains pretty consistent in composition. So I wouldn't worry about your baby not getting enough of anything. And taking extra vitamins just to boost the breastmilk doesn't work either because it will still stay consistent.
 
K

Keepercjr

Guest
I am still breastfeeding my son who is 2.5. I never had any doubt that I would breastfeed. For me, formula was not an option. I only gained about 18 lbs during pregnancy and within a week I had lost it all and then some -and am now 10 lbs lighter than I was pre-pregnancy. I am pancreatic sufficient so I'm sure that helps me keep from getting too thin but I think that if you are committed then keeping weight on shouldn't be an issue. It will just take a little bit extra work and some vigilance about your diet. I've never had a problem putting on weight but for the first year or so I did have to make sure I ate enough to keep me where I was.

I had a doula for my birth who was also a lactation consultant. She helped me A LOT and we did need to use a nipple shield for the first week or so because he didn't have a good latch and I was in a lot of pain. During that time I could see why women quit and switch to formula but again, that was never an option for me (self imposed) and after that week it got a lot better. I clearly remember the first time that nursing him didn't hurt. Nursing my son is one of the experiences of early motherhood that I will treasure the most. I still love it and my son still needs it so we'll keep going till he wants to stop. And nursing is great for soothing an older baby - plus its a sure fire way to knock them out for a nap or bedtime. When my son get sick, sometimes the only thing he'll do is nurse - he'll refuse any food or water and I've never been concerned about that because I know he gets what he needs from me. He's never been a big eater so even at a year I'm sure that 90% of his diet was still milk. At 18 months milk was probably about 60-70% of his diet. Now at 2.5 he just nurses to sleep and when he wakes up unless he's teething or sick then he nurses for comfort more through the day.

Bonnie - I just wanted to comment on what you said about pumping when you need a break - just keep in mind that if your breasts are used to being emptied every 2 hours and then you decide to have your DH feed your baby a bottle at feeding time, it will be another 2 hours till you empty your breasts again and let me tell you, it gets very uncomfortable if you miss a feeding. I am convinced I have a small storage capacity in my breasts so my son nursed every 2 hours till he was well over 8 months old (he would go 3-4 hours at night). So missing a feeding was actually pretty painful for me. So even if you feed a bottle of expressed milk, you will still want to empty your breasts to avoid a plugged duct or engorgement.

Lastly - I remember reading an article that said that even in severely malnourished mothers (not talking about CF) breastmilk remains pretty consistent in composition. So I wouldn't worry about your baby not getting enough of anything. And taking extra vitamins just to boost the breastmilk doesn't work either because it will still stay consistent.
 
K

Keepercjr

Guest
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><i>Originally posted by: <b>bonniebaby</b></i>

I will be breastfeeding. I'm pancreatic sufficient but my doctor is concerned about the toll it will take on my health to have to nurse when I need sleep. My husband and I decided that I will pump sometimes so that I can take a break.</end quote></div>

Bonnie if you sleep when the baby sleeps and if you have the baby in bed with you even if just for the first few weeks you can nurse lying down and nurse while you sleep. Sure motherhood is tiring but you can take steps to minimize the exhaustion. I got plenty of sleep doing what I mentioned.
 
K

Keepercjr

Guest
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><i>Originally posted by: <b>bonniebaby</b></i>

I will be breastfeeding. I'm pancreatic sufficient but my doctor is concerned about the toll it will take on my health to have to nurse when I need sleep. My husband and I decided that I will pump sometimes so that I can take a break.</end quote></div>

Bonnie if you sleep when the baby sleeps and if you have the baby in bed with you even if just for the first few weeks you can nurse lying down and nurse while you sleep. Sure motherhood is tiring but you can take steps to minimize the exhaustion. I got plenty of sleep doing what I mentioned.
 
K

Keepercjr

Guest
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><i>Originally posted by: <b>bonniebaby</b></i>

I will be breastfeeding. I'm pancreatic sufficient but my doctor is concerned about the toll it will take on my health to have to nurse when I need sleep. My husband and I decided that I will pump sometimes so that I can take a break.</end quote></div>

Bonnie if you sleep when the baby sleeps and if you have the baby in bed with you even if just for the first few weeks you can nurse lying down and nurse while you sleep. Sure motherhood is tiring but you can take steps to minimize the exhaustion. I got plenty of sleep doing what I mentioned.
 
K

Keepercjr

Guest
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><i>Originally posted by: <b>bonniebaby</b></i>

I will be breastfeeding. I'm pancreatic sufficient but my doctor is concerned about the toll it will take on my health to have to nurse when I need sleep. My husband and I decided that I will pump sometimes so that I can take a break.</end quote>

Bonnie if you sleep when the baby sleeps and if you have the baby in bed with you even if just for the first few weeks you can nurse lying down and nurse while you sleep. Sure motherhood is tiring but you can take steps to minimize the exhaustion. I got plenty of sleep doing what I mentioned.
 
K

Keepercjr

Guest
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><i>Originally posted by: <b>bonniebaby</b></i>

I will be breastfeeding. I'm pancreatic sufficient but my doctor is concerned about the toll it will take on my health to have to nurse when I need sleep. My husband and I decided that I will pump sometimes so that I can take a break.</end quote>

Bonnie if you sleep when the baby sleeps and if you have the baby in bed with you even if just for the first few weeks you can nurse lying down and nurse while you sleep. Sure motherhood is tiring but you can take steps to minimize the exhaustion. I got plenty of sleep doing what I mentioned.
 

thefrogprincess

New member
I know that breast milk has many benefits not least of which is immunities for baby, but someone told me once that when the kid is about a year old then they don't get much nutrional benefit anymore. Is this right?
 

thefrogprincess

New member
I know that breast milk has many benefits not least of which is immunities for baby, but someone told me once that when the kid is about a year old then they don't get much nutrional benefit anymore. Is this right?
 

thefrogprincess

New member
I know that breast milk has many benefits not least of which is immunities for baby, but someone told me once that when the kid is about a year old then they don't get much nutrional benefit anymore. Is this right?
 

thefrogprincess

New member
I know that breast milk has many benefits not least of which is immunities for baby, but someone told me once that when the kid is about a year old then they don't get much nutrional benefit anymore. Is this right?
 

thefrogprincess

New member
I know that breast milk has many benefits not least of which is immunities for baby, but someone told me once that when the kid is about a year old then they don't get much nutrional benefit anymore. Is this right?
 
K

Keepercjr

Guest
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><i>Originally posted by: <b>thefrogprincess</b></i>

I know that breast milk has many benefits not least of which is immunities for baby, but someone told me once that when the kid is about a year old then they don't get much nutrional benefit anymore. Is this right?</end quote></div>

Jessi that is a common MYTH. Kellymom.com is a great reference for breastfeeding and here is a link to the page about extended breastfeeding myths :
<a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.kellymom.com/bf/bfextended/ebf-myths.html
">http://www.kellymom.com/bf/bfextended/ebf-myths.html
</a>
Here is a link about the benefits of extended breastfeeding:
<a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.kellymom.com/bf/bfextended/ebf-benefits.html">http://www.kellymom.com/bf/bfextended/ebf-benefits.html</a>

(I don't like the term "extended" though because humans were designed to nurse for much longer than a year - its just a western thing to wean at a year or, in most cases, much earlier than that. Research has shown that humans are meant to nurse between 2.5-7 years)

I know its weird to think of nursing a 2 year old but that is just because we don't see it. I seriously had no idea that people nursed past a year till someone told me - and this was when Logan was about 6 months old!. And then I found out my own mom nursed me till 2.5 and my brother (also w/ CF) till 3.5. Most people don't realize that a toddler might still be breastfed because they're probably only nursing for naps and bedtime - so it only goes on at home. And people don't want negative reactions so they don't discuss it. I don't volunteer that Logan is still nursing when talking to people so I'm sure they just assume that he's weaned. If someone were to ask then I'd tell them but its easier to just not talk about it so you don't have to defend yourself.

Lastly, the WHO recommends to nurse to at least 2.

I just want to say that I think that any amount of milk is better than none at all! So if you feel comfortable only nursing till 6 months or a year that is what you should do.
 
K

Keepercjr

Guest
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><i>Originally posted by: <b>thefrogprincess</b></i>

I know that breast milk has many benefits not least of which is immunities for baby, but someone told me once that when the kid is about a year old then they don't get much nutrional benefit anymore. Is this right?</end quote></div>

Jessi that is a common MYTH. Kellymom.com is a great reference for breastfeeding and here is a link to the page about extended breastfeeding myths :
<a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.kellymom.com/bf/bfextended/ebf-myths.html
">http://www.kellymom.com/bf/bfextended/ebf-myths.html
</a>
Here is a link about the benefits of extended breastfeeding:
<a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.kellymom.com/bf/bfextended/ebf-benefits.html">http://www.kellymom.com/bf/bfextended/ebf-benefits.html</a>

(I don't like the term "extended" though because humans were designed to nurse for much longer than a year - its just a western thing to wean at a year or, in most cases, much earlier than that. Research has shown that humans are meant to nurse between 2.5-7 years)

I know its weird to think of nursing a 2 year old but that is just because we don't see it. I seriously had no idea that people nursed past a year till someone told me - and this was when Logan was about 6 months old!. And then I found out my own mom nursed me till 2.5 and my brother (also w/ CF) till 3.5. Most people don't realize that a toddler might still be breastfed because they're probably only nursing for naps and bedtime - so it only goes on at home. And people don't want negative reactions so they don't discuss it. I don't volunteer that Logan is still nursing when talking to people so I'm sure they just assume that he's weaned. If someone were to ask then I'd tell them but its easier to just not talk about it so you don't have to defend yourself.

Lastly, the WHO recommends to nurse to at least 2.

I just want to say that I think that any amount of milk is better than none at all! So if you feel comfortable only nursing till 6 months or a year that is what you should do.
 
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