My Breastfeeding
Journey Part 3 – Thoughts on Tandem Nursing
This is the final installment of a three part
series by Katie who experienced the ups and downs that sometimes present
themselves when breastfeeding.
I continued breastfeeding through this pregnancy. I had dreamed of being able to tandem nurse
but would I and could I nurse THAT
LONG?! I began asking other moms
questions on should I tandem nurse or began to wean him. When I was 32 weeks pregnant I was showing
signs of early labor and by 34 weeks I was placed on bed rest and was
encouraged to stop nursing. Here was my
momma’s boy who nursed several times a day and I was supposed to stop cold
turkey?!? I went to a couple a times a
day and faithfully just stayed in bed.
At 35 weeks it looked closer and closer to labor time and I had to make
it to 37 weeks to VBA2C with a midwife out of hospital. I made the decision to not nurse anymore and
quit. I made it to 37 weeks! And sure enough all signs of labor let
up! Of course, right?! So Candan asked for milk, and I gave it to
him! J Happy day!
He still wanted me and what only I could give him! Annalise, my third was born by cesarean too. I could write out a whole other story about
my efforts to keep trying to birth, but I have a pelvis that only 3% of women
in America have and only 1% of white American women have. It’s not impossible to give birth vaginally
but the cards are definitely not in my favor.
I just held on to hope that it COULD happen. This caesarean was better and I was able to
put sweet Miss Annalise on my chest and nurse right away after birth! To make my birth story short, my husband came
down with a bad virus during labor and so within hours after delivery, the
nurses asked my husband to leave until the next day at least. On a positive note, it was just Annalise and
I so I kept the sheet pulled up on both of us and lay skin to skin for her
first 24 hours of life. No one but me
held her and she was at my breast about 80% of the time. This was the image I always had imagined
after having a baby! Because I was
nursing my second one (who was 25 months old at this point) my milk was already
in and I was able to meet her every need.
There was nothing more fulfilling then this! My nipples were not sensitive since I had
never stopped. I went through no
soreness. I can’t even express with
words how perfect it went. When we
arrived home, I didn’t know what would happen with my 2 year old. He nursed once and then didn’t like it! Well, there went my dream of tandem
nursing. L I was sad, but really okay with it. It gave me time with just Annalise. Six weeks later to the day, Candan crawled
back into “the position” and said “I want milk.” Really?
I reluctantly gave my breast to him and there he went! So, after a six weeks period of time, our
journey started back up! There are times
that I truly tandem nurse with one on each breast. But mostly I will nurse Annalise and then if
Candan choses (every morning and after nap at the least) he will crawl on up
and nurse. Annalise is such a sweet
nurser. I love when she grabs my breast
with her little hands and then gets that precious look of fulfillment on her face. And then there is my sweet big boy Candan,
who is so thankful for the security that momma can give him. I love how is able to ask for “milk” and then
also say “thank you.” My favorite moment, is the first time, he let out a big,
“ahhhh…I am done.” Sometimes nursing two
is hard. I have to deal with jealousy
issues at times. Candan really is so
big, strong-willed and determined that he throws fits when it’s not his
turn. We are both learning patience on
this journey, to say the least. I am not
sure how much longer we will continue tandem nursing, or who will “quit” first.
I am just taking one day at a time. With Annalise being my third, I nurse
everywhere while doing everything. I
cover sometimes and I just nurse modestly other times. She is now 4 months old and has never had a
bottle. I struggled with oversupply the
first three months and pumped here and there to give away to other C-section
moms who struggled with their supply at first (I co-lead a local cesarean
support group, previously ICAN). But
with tandem nursing, I couldn’t nurse two and pump and give the attention
needed to my little ones so now I do no more pumping.
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