Are you breastfeeding a toddler?

[labdogs42]

Yes, hi all! I have a funny story to share about my nursing toddler. He is 2.5. Yesterday, he lifted up his shirt and asked, "Mommy, you want to nurse?" while pointing to his chest. It was hysterical. My DH almost fell over laughing. It was so cute. I said no thanks and told him that boy ****ies didn't make milk, only mommy ****ies make milk!

 

[GiGi30]

Hi guys! I BF my daughter until she was 13 months. I got pregnant with my son, who is now 4 months, and had to stop. I went into pre-term labor with her at 32 weeks (luckily she was born at 36 weeks). They did not want to risk the contractions while BF. She weaned very easily!

I am now BF my son. He is a strong nurser! We head to Disney on Saturday. I will take advantage of the nursing rooms! I am not comfortable nursing in public, but more power to the Mommies who do! I know it would be much easier on me if I did!

Are the nursing rooms private in the parks, or are they a community room? I would be fine nursing in front of other nursing Mamas!

 

[DisneyPhD]

Hi guys! I BF my daughter until she was 13 months. I got pregnant with my son, who is now 4 months, and had to stop. I went into pre-term labor with her at 32 weeks (luckily she was born at 36 weeks). They did not want to risk the contractions while BF. She weaned very easily!

I am now BF my son. He is a strong nurser! We head to Disney on Saturday. I will take advantage of the nursing rooms! I am not comfortable nursing in public, but more power to the Mommies who do! I know it would be much easier on me if I did!

Are the nursing rooms private in the parks, or are they a community room? I would be fine nursing in front of other nursing Mamas!

MK has one big room with rockers and leg rests for nursing moms. AK has individual rooms, I think MGM and maybe Epcot does too. I only used AK and MK for nursing before that I can remember. They are nice if you are close by, but if you are not are too big of a hassle to trek over to just to nurse.

 

[disney_family_1247]

I've only used the nursing room at MK, so I don't know what the other ones are like. It's a small room with two or three comfy chairs, so you might not be alone, but you won't be in a crowd either. The sign on the door says "Nursing Mother" so you should only have other bf moms in there. It is very peaceful, the only light is from a table lamp. The problem I had with it was that I went in to nurse my third baby when she was three months old. She has two older siblings, so she's never nursed in such a quiet place She was thrown off, and we didn't stay long!

I have a nursing in WDW story that you ladies might appreciate. In 2000, we visited with our first baby, who was four months old at the time. DH and I took her on the Animation Tour at MGM. I haven't been on the tour in a while, so it might be different now. They took the crowd into a room with an animator at the front. Everyone sat on the floor. DD was getting hungry, and I didn't want to nurse her while squished with everyone on the floor (I was new to nursing at that point; now I could do it in an elevator full of people ). There was a bench at the back of the room, right next to some frosted windows. DH sat beside me while I started nursing the baby. All of a sudden, the animator tells everyone that they can now see into the actual studio and directs their attention to the frosted windows . Every eye in the room swiveled to face me, and the windows magically became transparent!!! I kept nursing and looked through the windows because I was afraid to look at any of the people. I have no idea what they thought; I was not only beside the windows, but I was sitting much higher up than they all were!!!

 

[hink4687]

Wow...that was a long thread to read through!

My little guy self-weaned a few months ago around 27 months but we nursed him several times at Disney last year! I'm also a very AP and Crunchy momma. I'm actually a leader of Attachment Parenting International.


I'm on MDC too but I don't post super often there. And I know one mom, jennobrn01 I think, mentioned gentlechristianmothers. I'm a moderator there! What's your username there?

Way to go everyone!

 

[GoofyG]

I'm so jealous, my DD1 decided no more after 12 mos. I had to stop BF DD2 after 15 mos. She is having health issues, and they are having to do blood work. So they told me no more. I'm sad but for her health I would do anything. There is still hope if I'm blessed to have another one, my goal is to make it even longer. No one else I know BF that long. You all give me hope. I love that special bond, and feeling my daughters that close to me.

 

[Crazy Mother of Two]

Wow! I love reading about all you breastfeeding Mom's!!
Unfortunately, my kids are 7 & 9 - but I breastfed my oldest until she was 3 years and 9 months (she self-weaned) and my youngest until he was 3.

I miss it soooo much. The closeness was incredible. My husband and I also had a family bed until the kids were 3 & 5.

I can't tell you how many people had something negative to say when they knew I was pregnant and breastfeeding! And then when I was breastfeeding 2 at a time! (dueling-boo bies ).

My kids NEVER had ear infections and still maintain a very healthy immune system. They are well adjusted and very bright. I believe that breastfeeding played a huge part!

 

[happypooh]

I BF my son til 23 months but recently he's been asking if he can nurse (I think because he sees his little sister 6months old nursing all the time!) He's 2y9mths old now. Today was real funny as he asked to have some milk so I let him have a nibble and he said "Yum, your milk tastes like blueberries!" I really wish I had that on videotape! I do know that his immune system was so much better when he was nursing - I wish he would nurse more so he wouldn't get sick so much!

 

[KandiB47]

I have a nursing in WDW story that you ladies might appreciate. In 2000, we visited with our first baby, who was four months old at the time. DH and I took her on the Animation Tour at MGM. I haven't been on the tour in a while, so it might be different now. They took the crowd into a room with an animator at the front. Everyone sat on the floor. DD was getting hungry, and I didn't want to nurse her while squished with everyone on the floor (I was new to nursing at that point; now I could do it in an elevator full of people ). There was a bench at the back of the room, right next to some frosted windows. DH sat beside me while I started nursing the baby. All of a sudden, the animator tells everyone that they can now see into the actual studio and directs their attention to the frosted windows . Every eye in the room swiveled to face me, and the windows magically became transparent!!! I kept nursing and looked through the windows because I was afraid to look at any of the people. I have no idea what they thought; I was not only beside the windows, but I was sitting much higher up than they all were!!!

 

[FatElvis]

I'm guessing there are a lot of experts here and I need some help!

My youngest is nearly 10 months and has become a violent nurser. It's partly that she's super-distractible, but even so, it's becoming dangerous to feed her! She tries to climb all over me while she's latched on, so things get all twisted - things that shouldn't be twisted because it hurts! She bites, she pulls, she stretches waaaaaay back.......

The only time it's normal is at night, as long as she's tired. Otherwise it's just a circus act and I have to admit, it's getting real easy to hand her off to my husband so he can give her a bottle. An occasional bottle here & there doesn't bother me, but I certainly don't want to wean completely yet.

I do put her down and say "no!" when she starts to get all squirrelly, but she usually just grins at me and crawls away, the little turd.

Any suggestions? Is this just her self-weaning? Dang, I don't want to have to buy formula for the next 2 months!

Oh, I'll share my one Disney breastfeeding story - in March we went with my parents and all 3 girls. My husband, parents and oldest were riding BTMRR. I was waiting, leaning against that 3-rail fence outside it & Splash Mt. Baby got fussy and I really couldn't go somewhere secluded, so I just kind of perched on the middle rail, all hunched over and fed her there. A family that was French (I think) came and stood right in front of me, about 10 of them. They just all kept looking at me and talking amongst themselves, then looking back with a weird expression. I have no idea if they were offended or just wondering why I didn't just sit on the ground. Must not have bugged them too much, they stayed for awhile, looking at me the whole time.

 

[DisneyPhD]

I'm guessing there are a lot of experts here and I need some help!

My youngest is nearly 10 months and has become a violent nurser. It's partly that she's super-distractible, but even so, it's becoming dangerous to feed her! She tries to climb all over me while she's latched on, so things get all twisted - things that shouldn't be twisted because it hurts! She bites, she pulls, she stretches waaaaaay back.......

The only time it's normal is at night, as long as she's tired. Otherwise it's just a circus act and I have to admit, it's getting real easy to hand her off to my husband so he can give her a bottle. An occasional bottle here & there doesn't bother me, but I certainly don't want to wean completely yet.

I do put her down and say "no!" when she starts to get all squirrelly, but she usually just grins at me and crawls away, the little turd.

Any suggestions? Is this just her self-weaning? Dang, I don't want to have to buy formula for the next 2 months!

Oh, I'll share my one Disney breastfeeding story - in March we went with my parents and all 3 girls. My husband, parents and oldest were riding BTMRR. I was waiting, leaning against that 3-rail fence outside it & Splash Mt. Baby got fussy and I really couldn't go somewhere secluded, so I just kind of perched on the middle rail, all hunched over and fed her there. A family that was French (I think) came and stood right in front of me, about 10 of them. They just all kept looking at me and talking amongst themselves, then looking back with a weird expression. I have no idea if they were offended or just wondering why I didn't just sit on the ground. Must not have bugged them too much, they stayed for awhile, looking at me the whole time.

UGH, that is so frustrating! I remember saying "it's not to go food!"

The only thing I found is stop nursing. Do just what you did, close up shop and don't let her continue. If she just crawls away she wasn't hungry to start with. The difference is don't give her a bottle as an alternative. Other wise all she learns is if I wiggle to much I get a bottle instead. After a while they learn, if they are hungry not do do that. She will learn, she won't starve. Around that time I had to only let her nurse when she was really hungry, not just maybe a little bit. My DD was so tiny I really wanted get all the food in her I could, so it was more my issue of me wanting her to eat instead of her wanting it. Also trying to nurse in quiet worked well too. She was too easily distracted at that age.

Often what might seem as self weaning is really a nursing strike. She (and you) will get past this.

 

[wendygrace]

I agree with DisneyPhD. I'm still nursing my 3 3/4 yrs old. She went through that stage (more than once) and I just put her down and she went off to play. Most kids won't starve themselves. At 10 months she may just be ready for more real food then nursing. She doesn't need a whole lot and some kids at this age only nurse 1-3 times a day. At least for awhile. They have also gotten more adept at getting the milk out as well. Dd can nurse for a couple minutes and probably has taken in a good 8ozs minimum!

 

[NemoMOm]

I have to agree with the other moms. Let her know it is not okay and stop nursing. DS is 2.5 and almost weaned but he did the same thing for awhile and it worked. Even now if he gets rowdy and say "do we need to stop" and he settles down. Use the same language everytime so she will learn.