Breastfeeding a Toddler

Nothing prepared me for what breastfeeding a toddler would entail. Nothing. Not a book, a website, or any advice from well meaning friends prepared me what it would be like to nurse a toddler. It has been 16 months of breastfeeding for E and I. At the start, it was hard because we were learning "how" to do it. Breastfeeding is a skill, and regardless of what anyone says about it being a "natural process", it doesn't come naturally for everyone. We struggled through the first months with me saying several times that I just wanted to make it to 6 weeks, then to 8 weeks, then to 12 weeks, until finally I realized I had stopped counting. Luckily, we didn't have any major latch issues, but we dealt with thrush (OUCH), overactive letdown and overproduction. Gentian violet took care of the thrush while painting E's face (and my nipples) bright purple. Block-feeding took care of the overactive letdown. I pumped, and pumped, and pumped to save all that precious extra milk. E wouldn't take a bottle. All my "liquid gold" sat in my deep freeze until I discovered "Eats on Feets" (now Human Milk 4 Human Babies). With that discovery, I was able to donate over 100 ounces of milk, and to this day have donated over 200 ounces* to both friends and moms I have never met! I can't even explain what it feels like to know that my body has not only grown and nourished my own baby, but it has nourished other babies too!

After the first few months, breastfeeding became a breeze. It was just something we did. We nursed everywhere and anywhere E was hungry. I soon learned that E did NOT like to be covered up, so I had to get over my issues and figure out how to nurse discreetly without a cover. I learned how to nurse while wearing him so I could nurse and grocery shop at the same time! On long car trips, I sat in the back seat so that I could give him "road boob." I didn't have to worry about bringing bottles or how I would warm one up. It was always the right temperature and ready when he needed it.

Fast forward to 16 months and I have a complete "boob guy." He wants to nurse all night long (and would if I let him). During the day, he can get so distracted that he doesn't want to nurse even though he should. If I try to nurse him when he doesn't want it, he bites me, HARD. And gone are the days of a baby snuggling up to my breast in my arms. Nope, most of the time he wants to stand (on my legs!), dance, and perform nursing gymnastics. I have had many moments where I have thought that I just don't want to nurse him any longer, usually after a hard bite, or after the fifth time in the middle of the night nursing him. But then, there will be the odd time where he will once again fall asleep at my breast, or he will laugh at me as he's nursing and I will remember what I love about breastfeeding. And the benefits of extended breastfeeding are just too important to me.  According to kellymom.com,

• Breastfeeding children benefit nutritionally
• Breastfeeding children are sick less often
• Breastfeeding children have fewer allergies
• Breastfeeding children are smart
• Breastfeeding children are well adjusted socially
• Breastfeeding your child past infancy is normal
• Mothers also benefit from breastfeeding past infancy.

So, I have to figure out how I will deal with this new breastfeeding issue. I didn't give up during the thrush when I wanted to, so I won't give up now. If we take care of the night issues, I think the daytime issues will work themselves out. It's going to take time and effort, but if mrblueberry and I work as a team, we will get past this. "This too shall pass." Here's hoping!

What are your tips on dealing with night wake-ups?

*Edit: As of September 2013, I have nursed and donated to 12 babies (including my own 2) and have donated over 2000 ounces of milk.