Extended breastfeeding (for toddlers 2yrs and up)

[miksha]

Anyone here doing extended breastfeeding? I'm having a hard time weaning my kid from the breast. As in ayaw niya magtake nang any milk froma bottle, sippy cup, cup, etcc.. the only thing she agress to drink is chocolate milk from the tetra pack with a straw =( and after niya uminom noon at at water she still wants to breastfeed from me.

[purple_girl]

hi sis! i'm still breastfeeding my 3 year old. she drinks fresh milk from a glass naman but mas prefer pa rin niya ang mag breastfeed.

[miksha]

does she still breastfeed kahit nasa labas kayo? my toddler does. Most moms say mga toddlers nila sa gabi na lang daw nagbreastfeed once they hit 2,seems like hindi kami same. Also, my ob changed my pill from cerazette to yaz pero sabi niya dapat daw hindi maglessen ang aking milk supply (that was my concern when she switched me to from OP to COP) since established na ito.

[purple_girl]

minsan, but bihira na lang siya mag bf pag nasa labas kami. pag sinabi kong later, okay naman sa kanya most of the time. my little girl usually bfeeds in the morning pagdating ko galing sa work (nightshift kasi ako) saka pag gusto niya mag-nap. pag weekeneds naman, before she sleeps saka paggising niya dun siya nagbbf. malakas na din kumain ang toddler ko so hindi na rin naman niya main source of nutrition ang milk ko.

[Grayce]

my boy is turning 2 soon (he's 21 mos old) but he still breastfeeds whenever we're out from time to time (specially if he's sleepy). this is also my dilemma actually, weaning. i don't see any sign from my son wanting to wean anytime soon even though i gave myself a timeline that i'll stop breastfeeding him once he turns 2. same with purple_girl, my son breastfeeds from me when he wakes up, before he sleeps and takes a nap. minsan humihirit rin ng dede even right after eating his meal. he eats a lot and not so much of a picky eater, it's just that i don't see any sign from him to wean anytime soon so mukhang malabo ko cya mawean for now.

don't feel bad about your baby not wanting to take fresh milk and prefers to drink chocolate milk. just don't be afraid to introduce more dairy products like yogurt drinks, flavoured milks (my pedia is okay with this, according to her it's better than nothing and it's much better than giving junk food, lesser evil ika nga nya), cheese snacks etc.

[miksha]

thanks so much for the replies hindi pala ako nagiisa hehe... by the way, i have also noticed that lately sobrang sore nang nipples ko from breastfeeding my toddler. iniisip ko baka naman humihina na ang milk supply ko so mas nilalakasan niya ang pagsuck to get more? i still breastfeed on demand kase nga ayaw pa niya magwean

[Grayce]

^happens to me sometimes pag medyo clingy baby ko (i.e. if he's not feeling well, after mapagalitan)

[two_zero]

sis ano ginagawa ninyo or may iniinom ba kayo para dumami milk ninyo, gusto ko kasi mag ebf kaya lang now mix na kasi ako with my 1month baby, tapos pakonti na nag pakonti ang milk ko, i take fenugreek pero wala pa din effect eh, pls help. thank u!

[happy_pomelo]

I was able to breastfeed my daughter until she was 3 years old and 11 months (which was only a couple of weeks ago).  I am 4 months pregnant and I had to talk to her that baby will breastfeed from mommy when he/she comes out.  Initially she said she will just share 1 boobie with the baby and she will dede from the other boobie.   But she relented.  I know she misses breastfeeding from me, so she bottlefeeds when she's ready to go to sleep.  Sometimes she sneaks up to me and strokes my breast.   

By the time she was 2 years old I told her that breastfeeding should be done at home, so when I come home from work she breastfeeds (I still pumped milk at work until she was 2.5 years old and the expressed breastmilk was bottlefed to her).  Until eventually, our breastfeeding sessions dwindle to nighttime feedings na lang.

All these time I was reading about extended breastfeeding and its benefits, so I didn't want to rush my daughter to wean from the breast.  The best time is when both the baby/toddler and mother are ready, and it happened to us eventually.  I also miss the closeness because breastfeeding sessions are really our bonding time. 
 
HTH!

[Grayce]

^^i saw you posted at breastfeeding thread also. if you were able to backread and do some readings about breastfeeding, no amount of fenugreek, supplements, soups etc can increase your supply as long as you're supplementing with formula. if you want your supply to increase, drop the formula. plain and simple breastfeeding works on a law of supply and demand basis.

[iristacey]

kudos to moms who have breastfed for more than 2years! i salute you!

question lang. my baby will be turning 1yr this month. may i know when did you introduce the milk supplement to your kiddos? i still plan to pump at office but drop pumping from 4x to 3x. he's eating solids naman but i don't know if i need to supplement with cow's milk or formula. hubby is suggesting to have formula for our baby to put on more weight. ako naman medyo hesitant. ngayon pa lang nga kame nagiging okay sa direct breastfeeding eh. as in parang excited everytime he will feed.

[miksha]

^ sis 1year or 1month? you said he is eating solids so i am taking na he is 1year right? we tried it at about that age pero ayaw niya talaga. kahit fresh milk. chocolate milk lang nagustuhan niya and kailangan pa nasa tetra pack and nakastraw =p

[iristacey]

^turning 1y/o this month sis. i haven't tried if he already know how to use straw on tetra packs. he drinks juices naman. medyo hirap pa nga ako sa water. naduduwal. kaya ang ending, yung bm din ang parang water nya. yung juice nilalagyan ng water para makapagwater pero di naman ganun kadami. swerte na yung 2oz after eating. pwede naman siguro na ebf pa rin sya dba?

[miksha]

yes. actually it's up to you when you want to stop breastfeeding. my child is 2years na and still direct breastfeed pa din because ayaw niya kahit saan inumin ang gatas

[Grayce]

iristacey, in the states as soon as the child turns 1yr old, fresh milk na ang binibigay. it's up to you if you want to give formula but this will be heavy on your baby's tummy and there's a tendency na humina kumain ng solids. i introduced fresh milk to my son gradually as soon as he turned 1. naka ilang brands rin ako before ko nahanap yung type nya talaga.

miksha, ok lang naman i guess if flavoured like chocolate. i asked this to my son's pedia and ang sagot nya is lesser evil than fresh milk daw lol point is, atleast nagtatake ng milk

[iristacey]

^actually sabi ko nga kay hubby pwede na siya ng fresh milk pagdating nya ng 1yr. pero sabi ko marami pa naman akong milk eh. pang source lang din ng calcuim. saka worry ko baka mas magustuhan yung cow's milk kesa bm eh..

[yukishih]

Ako kakastop ko lang today sa pagbf kay baby. He will turn 3 y/o on the 20th. Force weaning ang nangyari because I had to leave for au. Sobrang nagiguilty ako. I miss him so bad. I was a fulltime mom since I got pregnant sa kanya. Ngayon lang kami naghiwalay tapos wala pang gradual na weaning sessions. Ayaw nya magmilk freshmilk or kahit ano kasi it taste yucky daw. Today di sya nagnao acdg to his yaya kasi he was looking for me. Nakakalungkot lang.

[bluegintonic]

Same here.My girl's now 2 years old (kaka 2 nya last March 6) and we're still at it.Ayaw din ng lahat-flavored milks,plain milk,in no matter what cup/glass or straw.I want to stop but she doesn't.Nagui-guilty ako lalo on the days hindi nagkakakain, I don't have the heart to deprive her of the only nutrition she gets.SAHM naman ako so okay lang sa akin kaso hindi ako maka-lose ng weight! I've had pedias pa na hindi supportive (both here in Australia and Philippines). Sa Singapore lang yata ako nakakita ng mga supportive pediatricians.Mali nga ba to not wean (or be able to)? No to all milk,ang dairy intake nya lang aside from breast milk is the occasional cheese from pizza . So instead na wala talagang calcium intake,tinitiis ko na lang.Nakaka-awa eh.

ps.sa mga nasa Aussie, meron bang Pediasure for kids dito?wala kasi akong nakikita, gusto ko ipasubok.

[iristacey]

^i'm letting my baby try fresh cow's milk but seems he doesnt like it. will try other brands pa.

[Saxa]

I breastfed my son exclusively until he was 25 months. I stopped because I'm pregnant again. Actually, my OB and relatives told me to stop. It's been 5 days and super naawa ako sa son ko pag naiiyak/umiiyak siya pag sinasabi kong di pwede.