Revisiting Nursing In Reverse

Awhile back I wrote a blog about being a 24/7 Milk Bar.

Jaron was a BIG reverse cycler. I even wrote a pretty thorough guest article about reverse cycling and false weaning for Ask The Lactation Consultant while we were in the middle of everything.

Now that he's nearly 15 months old and starting to wean in general the reverse cycling has pretty much stopped. But I'm so glad I didn't rush it. He nurses at bedtime and usually sleeps about 9 hours before he's ready to nurse again, then sleeps another 3, then he'll nurse a time or two or three at different points during the day depending on if we're out or at home.

Three months ago, he nurse ALL. NIGHT. LONG. and rarely during the day. We did it! He did finally stop the all night nursing and I didn't have to force him. It can be done!

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Nursing Stories ~ This Too Shall Pass

Clenching pillows, gritting teeth, nursing a tongue tied baby...this too shall pass.

Sitting with my baby in my lap watching him drift off to sleep as he nurses...this too shall pass.

Crying because I have too much foremilk and it's hurting my baby's tummy...this too shall pass.

Watching my 13 month old squeal with a huge grin and coming running across the room as I lift my shirt...this too shall pass (ok, that might come back in a few years, but not in regard to me...)

Frustration with my baby being distracted and not eating enough...this too shall pass.

Calming every tear with cuddles and Mama's milk...this too shall pass.

Being the only thing my baby needs to survive...this too shall pass.

Being the only one who my baby will let put him to sleep...this too shall pass.

Waking 6 times in 8 hours to night nurse a baby who's reverse cycling...this too shall pass.

Waking to see my baby unlatch and roll over to cuddle into his Papa's arm...this too shall pass.

Holding my breath at each doctor's appointment to see if he's gaining weight...this too shall pass.

Being forced/able to rest every few hours as my newborn and I figure this nursing thing out...this too shall pass.

Watching milk go everywhere as I make my baby laugh while he's nursing...this too shall pass.

Sore nipples, feeling "touched out"...this too shall pass

Memories, relationship, knowing you're doing what's best for your baby...now that will never pass.

Hold on to each wonderful moment, it will go too quickly. Hang in there through each challenge, it won't last forever.


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This was written as a part of the Breastfeeding Blog Hop hosted by Life With Levi, The Slacker Mom, & Diary Of A Devil Dog Wife. Check out the other great posts and link up!

And He Needs to Gain More Weight

Just when I thought things were going great we had Jaron's 9 month check-up. He's perfect, which I knew, except that his weight percentile has dropped. Again.

I make my babies Travel Sized

He was born at 8lbs 5oz, I'm sure that was a little inflated due to IV fluids (don't get me started), but not too much. That was around the 68%ile, at 4 weeks he was at the 48%ile, not too bad, 2 months 32%ile still dropping but no one was worried. This was when I started wondering and putting the pieces together about 2 weeks before  his 4 month appt I figured out that I had a Hindmilk/Foremilk Imbalance (story here).

At his 4 month appt he'd dropped from the 30's to the 13%ile. That's when our Dr said something, but when I told him what our issues had been and that I had taken steps to balance things out he was confident that his weight would stabilize by 6 months.

Six months rolled by and it did stabilize somewhat, at the 10%ile, the smallest drop we'd seen. I stopped worrying as much. I fed him as much as he wanted, which wasn't much, but he's getting older, so I chalked it up to that. He's more active, more distracted, more efficient. He would go through phases of loving solids and then refusing all of them, even his favorites and only nursing. It made for some interesting diapers, but I wasn't worried.

Then we had his 9 month appointment yesterday. He's 16lbs 8.5oz. At 9 months, he's not even quite doubled his birth weight. He's <3%ile by one chart and in the 3 - 5%ile on the other. If he were little all over it might be more explainable, but he's 28" long (40%ile).

Fortunately we have a good doctor, his recommendation through all of this has been "Breastfeed more!" So at the end of World Breastfeeding Week I'm trying to get my active 9 month old to nurse more instead of staying the same or starting to wean. Well, at least it gives me an "excuse" for all the critics who think he should be mostly on solids at this point. Doctor's orders!

I got some great advice at #BFCafe Twitter chat last night, so glad his appt was on a Thursday! We'll be working on cutting out distractions, which means occupying Aedyn with a movie in another room. I'm going to try and get him to nurse on both sides every time, maybe the change in position will help him eat more. (A little worried that this might lead back to oversupply and imbalance, but it's a risk I feel I have to take.) I'm also going to offer more frequently during the day and I'm going to stop trying to put him back to sleep at night without nursing. I'm thinking now that it wasn't really a habit, but that he really was needing those feedings. (I wasn't trying terribly hard anyway.)

I'm not quite ready to wake him to feed him at night, but I will if he hasn't stabilized by 12 months. Why do I feel like his nursing style has been the exact opposite of most babies? Sleeping 6 hour night stretches as a newborn and talking about waking him to nurse at 12 months....


But, as if he heard the doctor, he nursed really well all day yesterday after his appointment and was eating anything he could get his hands on...including breaking his way into a bag of Cheetos...

Maybe he just has a height spurt before he packs on a ton of weight and we caught him between the two.

So it's time to nurse again and no distractions means no NAK (nursing at keyboard) for me. Say a prayer and wish me luck!

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Nursing Stories: Too Much Milk, Not Enough Babies - Oversupply and Imbalance

Today is the final post in my Nursing Stories Series, for now. The first two posts were about why I don't like Lactation Consultants and some tips and tricks for nursing with large breasts. You might also be interested in my thoughts on Nursing In Public and tutorial How to Make Your Own Nursing Bra.

NOTE: Please know that I'm not bashing Lactation Consultants as a whole, I think it's a wonderful profession and doesn't have the regard or the influence that it should have. However, I am talking about my experiences which were less than stellar. I think if there were more demand for LC services then by sheer experience the LCs I have come in contact with would have been better equipped to handle my particular problems. I hope that my negative experiences will not steer women away from using an LC, but encourage them to ask for second opinions and keep looking for answers until a problem is dealt with. I also hope that if I have problems with future children that I will not allow these experiences to keep me from asking for help.

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I was a bit naive when Jaron was born. I thought that after the tongue-tie issues with Aedyn, followed by a smooth and near perfect nursing relationship, my second breastfeeding experience would be a breeze. Boy was I wrong!

Nursing Stories: Nursing with Large Breasts

This is the second post in my Nursing Stories Series. The first part talked about Why I don't like Lactation Consultants; you might also be interested in my thoughts on Nursing In Public and a tutorial How to Make Your Own Nursing Bra.

NOTE: Please know that I'm not bashing Lactation Consultants as a whole, I think it's a wonderful profession and doesn't have the regard or the influence that it should have. However, I am talking about my experiences which were less than stellar. I think if there were more demand for LC services then by sheer experience the LCs I have come in contact with would have been better equipped to handle my particular problems. I hope that my negative experiences will not steer women away from using an LC, but encourage them to ask for second opinions and keep looking for answers until a problem is dealt with. I also hope that if I have problems with future children that I will not allow these experiences to keep me from asking for help.

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Since I wrote yesterday's post I've been trying to find the website that helped me so much. I can't. Other than remembering vaguely that it had a lavender background, I have no idea what the URL is or what search terms I used to find it. So if you know of a good site for info and tips for nursing with large breasts please comment with the link or email me!

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Leg Supported Cradle

For this hold, use your forearm to support baby's head, and support his body weight with your thighs.

Your opposite hand is free to support your breast or do other things.

As baby gets bigger (Jaron is 8.5 months in the pic) I find that it's most comfortable for both of us to let his rear sit between my legs, so one thigh supports his back and the other his legs.

This is one of my favorites, I usually have the laptop next to me and can work one handed. Or cuddle a toddler.

Nursing Stories: Why I don't like Lactation Consultants

I've had this post sitting in draft since February 21st. I've come back to it multiple times, but this is the first where I'm not in tears or angry about how things are going. Now I'm talking about the issue instead of just incoherently venting about the frustration. Please know that I'm not bashing Lactation Consultants as a whole, I think it's a wonderful profession and doesn't have the regard or the influence that it should have. However, I am talking about my experiences which were less than stellar. I think if there were more demand for LC services then by sheer experience the LCs I have come in contact with would have been better equipped to handle my particular problems. I hope that my negative experiences will not steer women away from using an LC, but encourage them to ask for second opinions and keep looking for answers until a problem is dealt with. I also hope that if I have problems with future children that I will not allow these experiences to keep me from asking for help.

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First nursing

My experience with Lactation Consultants (LCs) has not been a good. I've seen or talked to 3 different women and none of them were able to help in any way, any of the time. One of them even honestly told me that I was so well informed that I could probably do her job. I've visited my local La Leche League meeting and at my first meeting was answering more questions more thoroughly than the leaders. I've researched a lot I've read books, googled my mind out, watched videos. But either I'm weird or women with similar problems are keeping their mouth shut. Or like me, told that what they're experiencing was part of the process. Or unlike me, giving up breastfeeding.