Goodbye, sleepy nursing …
Gwen has decreased the amount she’s nursing dramatically over the past month or so. It began with her no longer wanting to nurse to sleep - she would nurse, on both sides, but then before she would fall asleep, she would pull off and want to snuggle with Brad to fall asleep. We decided to go with it and changed our bedtime routine from books-nurse-sleep to nurse-books-sleep. I nurse Gwen, get her pj’s and nighttime diaper on and brush her teeth then call Brad up to read her books and put her down. It’s somewhat a relief to know that when Love Bug arrives, there will be a pair of arms available to hold him/her while the other parent is doing their portion of the bedtime routine.
After she stopped nursing to sleep at night, she also stopped falling asleep at the breast for naps. I’ve gotta say, I miss it. I miss her little head snuggled in the crook of my arms with her eyes closed and her breathing slow and steady. But now we snuggle in the rocking chair and I rock her and sing/hum her to sleep and I still get to enjoy her closed eyes and slow, steady breathing … it’s just different.
I wish I’d known that she would stop nursing to sleep for her naps so quickly so I could have paid more attention and really cherished the last few times … I don’t even know when the last time was 
We’ve also night-weaned. It took a few nights (probably close to a week) of her waking up and requesting milk and being told “No milk until morning,” but she doesn’t ask anymore (except occasionally) and she’s sleeping much better. After starting the night in her bed, she still spends the majority of the night in bed with us, which I don’t expect to change any time soon, nor do I want it to!
So, now that we’re not nursing overnight and I’m not nursing her to sleep anymore, we’re down to 4 - 5 nursings a day. One nice long nurse in the morning, one mid-morning or close to noon, one after the nap, and a few in the late afternoon/early evening.
Nursing Gwen (19 mos) on New Years Eve (32 weeks pregnant)
That might sound like a LOT for a toddler, but for Gwen, that’s basically weaned! Up until two months ago, she was still nursing 8+ times per 24 hours - often twice overnight. She nurses for much shorter amounts of time now and I’m not even sure how much milk she’s getting - I’ve definitely noticed that my supply has decreased since beginning my last trimester. I still feel my milk let-down, but not every time she nurses.
I was also having a hard time nursing her because of her positioning. Gwen has always enjoyed the cradle position and we’ve never really nursed in any other positions than side-lying and cradle. With my growing belly, though, it was becoming horribly uncomfortable and I was getting very frustrated with my discomfort. After a friend was over, though, and I saw her nursing her son with him sitting on her lap facing her, I was reminded of that position! Yay! I now feel like nursing isn’t painful and uncomfortable and I’m much more willing to give her the ‘mupf’.
It’s incredible how completely conflicted I feel about this gradual weaning. I think it’s mostly because I know that if I weren’t pregnant, Gwen would still be nursing very frequently and since we were not planning the pregnancy, I’m regretting not being able to give that to her. On the other hand, knowing that a new little one will be joining our family soon, it’s a relief to be nursing her much less - and I can tell by her behaviour that she’s not suffering any ill effects from our interrupted nursing relationship … although I can definitely tell that she wishes there was more milk for her! I’m anticipating (as I’ve been warned by other tandem nursers) that she’ll likely nurse more when the baby is born and I hope I’m able to give her that time, although I may make a concerted effort to keep her nursing to the amount that she is now. We’ll see. Right now, I’m just rollin’ with the punches!
Jen said,
January 15, 2010 @ 11:48 pm
I am glad you and Gwen have been able to cherish such a great nursing relationship. Anderson decided on his own at 13 1/2 months that he was done (after some gradual weaning because of my return to work), and I totally relate to that feeling of wishing you’d soaked up those last few moments more carefully, because I didn’t really know the last time was coming (June 6!). On the flip side it is so wonderful that she’s made a healthy transition and that she is able to sleep without nursing. I think you will appreciate that immensely in the months to come!
Just out of curiosity, your milk will change back to colostrum, right? So will Gwen still like the milk in the same way as she does now? I am assuming the taste/texture is noticeably different in those first weeks…
kim said,
January 16, 2010 @ 1:50 am
Jen - it’s funny how different kids react differently to the back-to-work thing, huh? Some babies nurse for years with mom at work and others just don’t care to continue!
re: Colostrum - yep, my milk will change to colostrum around the time of the birth. One of my good friends is a few weeks behind me in her pregnancy and her milk has already changed to colostrum. I’m not sure when mine will change! Some toddlers love colostrum, some hate it, so that will remain to be seen! But yes, verbal toddlers often let mom know that her milk tastes different when it changes to colostrum.
Brandy said,
January 16, 2010 @ 6:53 pm
I wish I had taken more pictures of us nursing. I wish I had paid more attention to her last major feedings.
Isabel can go days without asking. She asked the other morning and got mad when I lifted my shirt. Apparently she had meant “wat” for water not “mana” for milk like she had said.
She will ask and then its like 30 seconds and she’s done. I think she is too busy and the taste has changed for her. I’m hoping when super engorgement comes back and there is a new baby touching her “mana’s” she will have interest again and help me out with the flood that happens!!
Shannon said,
January 18, 2010 @ 8:47 am
I was amazed and kind of sad when Ellie stopped nursing during my pregnancy. I wish I’d taken a pic of one of those last times, but I didn’t realize that we were reaching the end. We transitioned from nursing to sleep to rocking to sleep too. I miss rocking her, but I still lay down with her while she goes to sleep. That’s the sweetest time of my day
Christina Scovel said,
January 19, 2010 @ 10:26 pm
You should journal it all down!
kim said,
January 19, 2010 @ 10:31 pm
That’s part of what the blog is for
Nadine said,
January 23, 2010 @ 3:01 am
Hi Kim,
You know, I think my milk is still there - a little - I was shocked to discover a little dribble of milk rolling down his cheek after I nursed him down for his nap the other day. It’s not hurting as much either - I can now count to 300 on one side and then add another one or two counts to sixty before I have to boot him off. Which actually means I can nurse him down for a nap nowadays if he doesn’t fall asleep in the stroller…
I’m also getting a little better about offering the other side as well. I think it’s helping that he’s mostly sleeping through the night (there’s water in his sippy cup if he’s thirsty) and Daddy is doing the whole bedtime routine now - potty, diaper, pj’s, milk & stories, brushing teeth, and rocking to sleep in the rocking chair. It’ll be good for when the new one arrives - I’ll be able to get one down and he can get the other…
I was really HATING nursing for a while there - am looking forward to it being easier again after the birth (as well as NOT being pregnant anymore!) Thank goodness it’s getting a little easier.
I’m actually looking forward to the birth now too - instead of dreading it - I think it will be easier this time (never challenge ‘worse’) and I’m looking forward to having Mommy, Daddy & Nate in the tub together! It’ll be fun!
kim said,
January 24, 2010 @ 8:45 pm
Aw, Nadine, I’m so glad that you’re able to better tolerate nursing Nate! I gotta say … I didn’t want to be the only one tandem nursing
It’s amazing how much less room there is on the lap, eh? And it’s DEFINITELY a plus when Daddy gets involved in the bedtime routine - such a weight off your shoulders for figuring out how it’s all going to work with the new one …. although I have NO IDEA what I’m going to do for naps!