[echowarrior]

Hello!

I enjoyed reading the breastfeeding thread and thought I'd introduce myself. I'm Echo (Vera). I have a 16 almost 17 month old daughter Xochi (so-chee) Eartha and a wonderful partner CJ.

We're recently going veg (for me again) and I had a couple of questions...

My daughter still wants to nurse ALL THE TIME. I feel like I have to set a few limits and distract her from time to time in order to not get frusterated with our nursing relationship. I'm currently trying to night wean. I hold her tight and rock her when she wakes and explain that she can nurse again when the sun comes up. I feel a little mean doing it but waking 3-4 times a night is no longer good for my sanity... I love the gentleness of the notion of self weaning but I don't think I have what it takes. I feel a little alone with my frustrations regarding our nursing relationship and more than a little mean for night weaning... Those of you that nursed until 2 years or more, am I out of my mind or are fustrations (like mine) along the way fairly normal?

The other question I had was regarding weight loss and bfing... I feel in the minority on this one too, but did any of you experience taking off more weight than you put on with your pregnancies? Pre preg I stayed around 125 give or take a few now I can't get above 112 sopping wet. Could it be the extra caloric demand of nursing? She's been eating solids now for a year so I thought perhaps the major strain of exclusive breastfeeding would ease the burden on my body... this first became a concern of about a year ago and that is when my midwife suggested toning down on the night nursing but over time we've just slipped back into habit...

My daughter has all along been a slow gainer (not much over 20 lbs now) which hasn't been a concern of mine as her father and I are both quite slight. We eat a varied diet with lots of grains and a great variety of local, seasonal produce (our neighbors are the community gardeners) and bake our own bread once a week at minimum. Now that we're going all veg I don't want people to look at us and accuse us of being skinny, sickly vegetarians... any advice on fattening up a family on a veggie diet?

I look forward to reading your responses and appreciate any insight you might have from your experiences.

love and blessings

echo

 

[karenlovessnow]

Welcome to VB!

 

[missbelgium]

Hi Echo, welcome !

I will admit the self weaning did frustrate me at times too. My girl weaned at 26 months. The sleep deprivation is horrible. Your reaction to night wean is very smart imo, especially if you are planning to have more children. I would advise you to give her one last bedtime bottle of slightly thickened (I used organic rice cereal for babies) formula (I used soy). That way you are sure if she demands to nurse during the night, that you are not depriving her of food. The comfort, she will have to find herself, so make sure she has a blankie, teddy, or other transitional object.

The sleep deprivation is probably contributing to your weight problem (I reacted differently - by putting on - but then I was nearing 40 when my baby was your daughter's age, so hormones played their part).

As for fattening up... how about lots of dips, rich soups, stews with lots of taters, baking your own sweet breads, cakes and cookies... geezz I'm getting hungry just thinking of it ! And simply don't mind what others think or say... please !!! People always have an opinion on everything, it's so irritating... The neighbour's vegetable garden sounds wonderful !

I think it's a nice and wise decision to go veg with your young daughter and want to congratulate you on doing so !

 

[echowarrior]

Thanks missbelgium for the welcome and the encouragement. I would like to gently taper off nursing from now until around 24 months... we do plan on ttc at the end of next year so I'd like to give my body some time off nursing to replenish itself before becoming pregnant again.

I've never given my daughter formula at all, only breastmilk until she caught on with solids. I do try to make sure she eats before bed (last night it was a lentil pilaf) sometimes she'll eat well sometimes she wont. I worry about her being thirsty more than hungry at this point and keep some chamomile tea at our bedside that I can offer her if she wakes, she's never been interested.

My husband is going to ADORE the cookies and cakes idea you suggested. I personally don't have that much of a sweet tooth so I never even think about baking cookies and I've never been a big potato person either... I'm going to make an effort...

Thanks again for your suggestions...

ciao

echo

 

[Edamommy]

I breastfed my son until he was just a week shy of 3 years old. He was also a preemie. He's been a vegetarian since birth--- and a skinny mini for sure (he's 40 inches and 32lbs at 3 and 1/2 years old!). For some reason, people want babies and kids to be chunky in order to consider them "healthy or normal" ... and that myth needs to just be forgotten by us parents of skinny kids. People come in all shapes and sizes... and skinny is just one of those sizes! Know that breastmilk is giving your toddler MANY advantages and not being obese is one of them!

I didn't lose weight breastfeeding- I gained! Remember to continue taking your prenatal during your breastfeeding years... and get enough good fat (avacadoes are GREAT!)

I totally understand and comiserate w/the frustration of breastfeeding a toddler. I night weaned at 2.5. I wish he was ready to do so before that for sure! With my son, the easiest way to do so was to not talk about it too much (the fact we were night weaning...) as it stressed him out. I would nurse him ONCE at night and then not say a word to him when he asked again, just give him a cup of water. It worked for us. After this ONE nightly nursing time routine for another 5 months We weaned completley and very easily! He was ready. He had integrated into daycare and, in his own words, "was a big boy and wanted a cup of water" instead of boob. On the days when I was SO OVER nursing him I would tell myself over and over that it wasn't going to last forever... and that someday I would really miss that nursing relationship. And now, at 3.5... I feel like it was an eternity ago when he was my susu-baby (what we called nursing)... and I can feel my eyes get misty just remembering when. It's a feeling/relationship that only mama's get to have... and it's really fleating! So, enjoy the warm moments... get over and thru the hard times. Good luck!

 

[Zoesmama]

My dd was sleeping all night well before a year without a middle of the night nursing. So not much help other than there were some gentle night weaning articles I remember seeing. But what you are trying sounds good.

Wanted to add that its a beautiful name.

Oh and I wouldn't worry about slow weight gain as long as they are growing on a curve its fine, meaning they stay in the same range of percentile. My dd has always been a slow gainer. 90%ile to off the charts in height and 25-30%ile for weight. At 3 years and 3 months she is nearly 40 inches and a whopping 32 lbs on good days. lol She is healthy as can be.

I work in a children's shelter and our 2 year old child weighs more than my 3 year old.