Hi All! I can't believe Feb is half gone! I am holding steady for 6 months now with my weight, DD is 8 months next week. I am trying to get back on plan and head downwards again on the scale.
Milk supply is a semi-constant battle. I am really thinking about stopping pumping at 9 months and see if I can maintain enough supply to nurse her evenings and weekends. Anyone else been able to nurse when gone 11 hrs a day 3x a week without pumping?
How's everyone else doing?
Kim
DS 9/27/03
DD 6/18/07

I'm new and have only been nursing for 3 months now. It really is the greatest bonding experience you can have with your child. I am so glad that I stuck out the first few weeks. It really has become so much easier.

Its going here, LOL. Littlest one is a month old now and nursing is going really well. I am trying to get a handle on how durn hungry I am all the time though. I really need to get back on a somewhat structured eating plan because I am totally going overboard in the evenings.

Hello mommies! Avery's still going strong at almost 21 months old. She just loves her "ennay"!

Otto, have you tried oatmeal for increasing supply? When I was pregnant with Avery and Kadyn was still nursing, I was having some supply issues and eating oatmeal helped me out. It's all about routine. Your body gets to know when to produce the milk and when to hold back. Even at nine months, she'll need to majority of her diet to be breastmilk, so you might have to pump at least once during the eleven hours you're away so that on the days you're home you have the milk to nurse her during the day. Check out some La Leche meetings for more advice!

Hi Dolly and Snoopy!

Kara

Just wondering if any of you are working Moms? If so how do you know how much milk to take in the bottles to daycare? Somedays Lauren will eat 3oz and some day 6 oz per feeding.

I am not sure..but I would take the maximum amount you think she could eat, just to make sure she doesn't go without.

Dollypie, I would send 3 oz bottles. They can always give her 2 if needed, but it's awful to waste MM.
I love the name Lauren - it was on my short list of names for Kate.

Hi all, my son is 5 mths now 19+ pounds and going strong with the nursing. I have some supply issues to and my lactation specialist recommended that I start taking brewers yeast tablets daily they are full of b vit, and they really seem to help the supply, there is also a mothers milk tea that you can buy at the health food stores and drink daily that will help my pediatrician rec that one.
Hay I've got a couple question so I'll see if anyone can help out! My son started sleeping through the night about a mth ago ish, so I've been trying to get up early in the am to exercise, however I've had a few problems, #1 I end up soaking wet with milk, yes I put nursing pads in the sports bra, but I have so much milk it ends up all over the place, secondly the days that I do exercise my son will not nurse after wards, I've tryed taking a shower before nursing, but I don't think he likes the milk? I've ended up pumping and dealing with a craby child for a couple hours until I have more milk! Also my son will not take a bottle no way no how (this is him not me) if that affects your answer. So I would appreciate some advice if you have it! thanx much!

EviesMommy, try eating oatmeal everyday for breakfast...that has helped me tremedously. I don't know what to say about your son not wanting to feed after exercising. Lauren has only been fussy once after exercising. I just had to turn down the lights and put on some of her music and she was fine. Maybe just try and make the setting as peaceful as possible.

Evie's mommy, I second the recommendation for oatmeal helping with supply.

Do you think the reason she won't nurse after you exercise is because your heart rate is up? Maybe getting yourself in a calmer state would help? I've had two now who wouldn't take bottles. You know what, come to think of it, even my oldest didn't like bottles. If I had to give them expressed milk, I'd (actually, whoever was watching them - usually hubby) do it in those Avent sippy cups. They could all drink from them really easily by five months old.

Hope that helps!

Kara

Hi everyone
Does nursing have any effect on how much you lose? I seem to recall a post where someone said you can't lose as much?

Also how long does everyone plan to nurse for? I"m not sure what my plan is my baby is 10 mos and I have no intention of stopping anytime soon ...nor does she. DH was curious when I will nurse until but I have no idea. I can't picture myself nursing a 3 yr old so I guess some time before then!

I am going to have to try the Avent sippy cups because daycare likes to have the kiddos using sippy cups by around 8 months if possible.

My goal is to nurse for at least a year and the rest will be icing on the cake!

My first nursed for 21 months. My second self-weaned at 16 months (I was five months pregnant with #3). My third is still going strong - two or three times a day, sometimes more - at almost 21 months old. I'm fine letting her nurse as long as she wants. It's a great way to make sure she's getting a proper range of nutrients on those days that she's a more picky eater (generally, she's pretty good about eating a variety of things, but there are some days where she's more stubborn than others). It's also a terrific way to soothe her if she's tired/cranky/cutting teeth/hurt. I don't *offer* to nurse any more; I just oblige when she asks (although if we're out somewhere I will normally tell her that she can have some "ennay" when we get home - sometimes she remembers, sometimes not).

I've lost baby weight pretty easily with nursing, but I've also semi-watched what I ate and exercised. I've heard people say weight flew off while they were nursing and I've heard others say that they couldn't lose an ounce while nursing. Of course, I have no clue what those people's diets were like, so I can't say that nursing truly was the factor that influenced the weight loss or stall.

Hope that helps!

Kara

Freddy and I are still going strong at 17 months. I usually only nurse before he goes to bed and them when he wakes up in the morning. Some times we nurse when he's really upset about something. It calms him down right away.

I plan to keep going until he's 2, or weans himself.

Hi I am new here. I have been nursing for 5 months now, and I have lost two whole pounds since about two weeks postpartum. WHen I was pg, I kept hearing everyone say how fast you lose weight while bf'ing. Needless to say, I was extremely disappointed when that didn't happen for me. My doctor told me that it's an old wive's tale and you'll actually hold on to weight while nursing. Some people lose alot of weight while nursing but those same people would probably lose it if not nursing. Who knows?

How long are you planning to breastfeed? I plan to go til 12 months unless she self-weans before then. I don't expect her to anytime soon b/c at 5 months she still refuses a bottle unless it has red pedialyte in it. hehe

~Brigitte