Throw in the Towel on Breastfeeding? :(

I have a personal family friend thats a GREAT lactation consultant this is her link and shes great at getting back to you. She hopefully can help because i would hate for you to give up! her Facebook page is mothering multiples (but she will work with moms that just have one, doesn't have to be a multiple) or you can try this link...

http://www.karengromada.com/karengromada/index.htm

she would be so upset if you quite without being able to help:) good luck!!

also try kellymom.com

All breastfeeding experts (and not all medical professionals are) know that children do not self wean at this age. It is true that they may go through nursing strikes and other phases, and it definitely sounds like your little one is going through a lot all at once!

I advise talking to a lactation consultant. They are not just there to help establish breastfeeding but are there to help you through the entire process. It sounds like you don't want her to be weaned yet, and that's fine. Breastmilk is important nutrition not just in the first year but through the second year of age, too. All international medical organizations advise that the mother and child continue breastfeeding at LEAST until age 2. Please get some professional help before making that final decision.

The nursing is just for you?????? Give me a break. Don't let people discourage you like that. Breastmilk is good for babies/children no matter what their age. And just because most women in the US wean their children at 12 months doesn't mean that that is the "right age" to do so. The right age is when they are ready. I agree that she is probably associating the nursing with the ear pain. It might take quite a while to get over that. I agree with the PP that seeing an LC would probably be your best bet right now.

Is it the end of the world if she stops at this age? No. But if you want to continue and she was doing well with it before the ear infection and teething she probably wants to continue as well, it's just this pain/situation that is creating a roadblock for you. I think you are doing well by trying when she is sleepy....what you might do is give her some time to let that pain/nursing association fade. Just pump for a while and give it to her, take some fenugreek if your supply starts to dwindle a little from no direct nursing. Drop it for a while, and then when everythings cleared up, try again when she is sleepy. I nursed both my kids till they were over 2, you could have a whole year or more left and that milk is the healthiest, most perfect food there is for her. Don't let people tell you that this is just your problem. Nursing is what's best for your baby and if you can recover from these setbacks it's is still what is best. Especially after all this time when you have maintained all the pumping (I know that's hard work I did it till 14m with my first). If you want to continue and you can continue, I would work to try. Don't beat yourself up though if it doesn't work out either. Just do what you can to try to get it working.

Big hugs!

.

Sound slike she associates the breast with the ear infection pain - so it could be over. Liek others ahve said, pump if you can so she can still get the benefits of breast milk - but sounds like she's done. That's how I felt when my youngest was done becuase I knew he was the last baby I'd nurse. Bittersweet. There will be lots more of those moments in the years to come when they try out their little wings - it's our job to prepare them to not need us - this is her first step - and it's sad. Give yourself a little time to be sad then think about the benefits and focus on that.

I would consult a lactation consultant. Skin-to-skin contact and lots of cuddling helped me get through a long nursing strike w/ my son - he is almost 16 mos. and we are still nursing. As for the biting, no strategy my lactation consultant and i could come up with would stop my daughter when she was 10 mos. and I had to wean. Hopefully, you'll be able to get her back to nursing in no time - just keep pumping to keep your supply up and keep trying :) You're doing a great job and congrats for making it this far!

It sounds to me like she is weaning naturally. Can you pump? Then at least she would be getting breast milk.

I think since you've done it for this long anyways (it's close enough to a year) you should consider giving it up. If she's screaming and biting you while you're trying to nurse, it's kind of a lose situation anyway. You could switch to formula and save yourself the pain. She seems to have lost interest anyways. Babies can wean themselves at any age really. There's no 'set' age, even though most of them do around the same time. Kudos on making it this far!

My youngest did that too. When the biting didn't stop, I decided that I was done nursing. She was ten months and I still wanted her to have breast milk so I just kept up the pumping until a year - which is easy to do as they get older since they nurse less as their solids pick up. Good luck!

Here's a link with some great info: http://www.drmomma.org/2010/09/is-your-baby-on-nursing-st...

This site has lots of great info about extended breastfeeding, so poke around!

I don't think this is the end of your nursing relationship, and I understand your emotions around not wanting to stop! (My son is ten months old, and I plan to keep breastfeeding for a few more years, if possible!). Good luck, mama.

I feel for you... cause I felt the same way when my son was 9 months. He started to strike, and I was determined to nurse until 1 year so that we could transition right to whole milk. I did that with my first. I thought of all the cost savings by not buying formula, and all the benefits for the baby with getting your immunities from breast milk. My mom kept telling me to just give up, but I am very stubborn and determined. I took all the herbs in the world to just keep up my supply, and spent an entire weekend with just my son and did a lot of skin on skin contact. He eventually started nursing again. Have you tried to pump to see if you have any milk yet? She may be frustrated because you may not be supplying her enough? Just a thought. Good luck!! You are an awesome mommy for everything you have done!!

Sounds like she is weening, so let her. My son weened at 3 months. It can happen at any age. Since she is almost old enough for cows milk anyway this will save you the trouble of having to force ween later.
Blessed be.

Three of my boys all weaned themselves. Two wanted to stop nursing at 6 months, one at 9 months. I always like to follow the child's lead. Looks like your daughter is done, but the good news is you've got many more milestones ahead of you! :-)

My first child did the exact same thing. It also started with a double ear infection. I tried and tried to nurse him for about two months but he was done. It was exactly like what you said except he never nursed after his ear infection again. He was also 9 months old. My other 3 nursed until they were two and I'm currently nursing my 6 month old. I had wanted to breastfeed my oldest until at least a year but he had other ideas. Part of me wonders if my milk was drying up anyway because, if I'm remembering correctly, I didn't ever feel a let down or full or anything ever at that age. With my others, I did. It is sad. I felt disappointed after weaning all mine, even when they were two. LOL You did great to nurse for so long. Good luck!

I agree with Elizabeth J. I nursed my babies for 18 months each, and then only weaned because I was done or pregnant again. I had consistent contact with my LC for the entire time. Donna, (LC) was AWESOME. We did go through phases like the one you are in but we were still able to resume nursing when the issues resolved.
Have you been to see an ENT yet? Your daughter may need tubes to drain the fluid from her ears. My youngest got his first ear infection a 6 weeks old, nasty. I feel your pain and hope you can get this figured out.