Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
*Christina*
Feel free to PM me or message me on FB if you aren't comfortable talking about it here, but I think you are one of the only other moms I know that is doing (what the US calls) extended BFing without supplementing with cow's milk or formula at this point. I also know that Lucy is small (but tall) like Mariela. Are you offering her any vitamins besides what she gets in foods and BM? Was your pedi at all concerned with Lucy's weight (M was 18lb 10oz at her 1yr appt & has dropped to the 25th percentile- our pedi was only slightly concerned & said to add in two additional snacks)?
M is on iron supplements at least until her 15 mo check-up due to her anemia, but I'm really considering holding off now on introducing cow's milk a lot longer than I ever anticipated for various reasons (her anemia being one of them- as I know she absorbs the iron from BM easier than any other sources). I've been doing some casual reading on extended BFing, but yet I'm still concerned she'll get all that she needs from my milk and solid foods especially if her weight remains in the 25th% while everything else is 50th%. I will most likely be weaning off of the pump at work within the next two weeks, but I have enough milk in my freezer to keep her on BM at least another 2.5-3 mo based on what she's drinking during the day now and I hope to still nurse her before bed and 1st thing in the AM.
Do you have any thoughts to add? I guess I'm also kind of looking for additional support and someone to talk to about it. I've gotten the side eye from a few people at work already for still lugging my pump in. DH is on board and so is my MIL (come to find out Alexi was also anemic as an infant and she knows BM is best for her still), so that makes me feel a bit better. I had to NIP at the mall this weekend and got some stares, but I tried to ignore them. I never thought I'd last this long and I know M and I aren't ready to stop yet. She is slowly getting there during the day, but I don't want to rush her. Thanks for listening.
Re: *Christina*
I never thought that we would nurse past a year so I feel you.
Lucy was in the 15% at her 1 year appt as well but in the 65th or so for height. They weren't concerned because they know she is getting nutrition and eating lots. They know she is active and moves around all the time and she looks healthy, she has muscles but just is tall and skinny like her dad.
She gets vitamin D drops in one of her drinks (usually her smoothie in the morning) we still do cereal every so often for iron but otherwise we just let her eat normal foods for that (but she isn't anemic so I don't have to worry about that).
I don't think there is any reason to be concerned if she stays in the 25th percentile, as long as she is on the charts then she is fine. If she made a drastic drop then I'd be concerned, ya know?
I think it is totally fine if you want to stop pumping, you have plenty in the freezer based on what you have told me, I'd just nurse her when you want to and supplement with your frozen milk.
My goal was to have her keep nursing at least through this surgery and then I'll look at slowly weaning her. I think I'm just starting to be getting closer to wanting to nurse less. Right now she nurses in the morning, when she wakes up from nap #1, before nap #2 , after nap #2 and sometimes 1x more if there is a long stretch between nursing/dinner.
It will just be so much more expensive to put her on goats milk and then cows milk. I think we'll keep the morning nursing for a bit (maybe even until we TTC) but I think I'll slowly wean her off of the other feedings.
If you need to chat about it I'm more than willing too.
I haven't really experienced any side eyes but then again we mostly nurse at home, but if we were out and I needed to I'd just throw on my cover and I doubt anyone would notice.
I did however get a bunch of curious glances/weird looks when we were at the mall and I was putting lucy into the mei tai on my back....haha!
::butting in::
I just want to say that you ladies are rock stars. I had hoped I could BF P until 18 mo or even his second birthday (and to be honest, I think most of his ear/allergy problems stem from switching him earlier than I wanted) but it just wasn't in the cards for my body and health. Don't worry about if strangers give you the side eye! B gets it all the time for babywearing a 21 mo old but he's not planning to give that up any time soon!
2012 Reading Challenge
::butting in::
I also think it is awesome that you both are still in it! I hope I can make it well after one too, but we will see based on what my body lets me do!
I feel like my body is slowing down a bit even though I know it tends to make what baby needs but it gets really frustrating with the lack of supply for nearly 2 weeks a month before AF, I think that is partially why I want to slow down to maybe 1-2x a day in the next few weeks/month
and thanks ladies, it's nice to have people who think it's ok, even if it isn't IRL
Yes, thanks so much for the suppor Heidi and Becky. It's hard to come by once your LO is over a yo. I know I was suprised at how many moms I've now learned nursed their LO's, but most didn't go past 6 mo let alone a full year.
Heather- I am SO sorry that you dealt with that at work. as you know from the FB post about my MIL and what she was asking some people just don't understand and this it is wrong/gross etc.
Personally for me anything past 2 years I don't think I could do but if all is going well and it isn't like she is walking up to me in public trying to pull down my shirt or something I don't see the harm.
I think she should have been giving you a bigger side eye if you were stuffing her full of McD's and soda! people have some things messed up!