How Breastfeeding Looks After One Year
In my experience, the first 12-months of nursing your new baby is full of endless snuggles, watching their sweet face twitch in satisfaction, and reaching for your nipple balm… again. But like all things baby, the inevitable descent into toddlerhood changes everything. My biggest lesson in parenting thus far has been; right when you think you’ve got the hang of something, the little boss likes to switch it up on you. This applies to almost everything. Sleep schedules, food preferences, and yes, nursing.
Your Baby Might Get More Demanding
This was my first clue that we were entering new territory. My daughter would no longer whimper in hunger in that sweet, helpless way that babies do. No. Now it’s something more like a growl, combined with a shriek and maybe a complementary flailing on the floor thrown in there for dramatic effect if I don’t disrobe fast enough.
The Positions Get Crazy
The second my daughter learned how to stand, that’s all she wanted to do, including when she nursed. The moment my daughter figured out how to climb, suddenly, I found myself laying there, nipple held captive in her mouth, a foot on my face and hands clawing through my hair. How. WHY?
You Are Now An Emotional Support Boob
I guess this has always been true, but toddlerhood really seemed to amplify this role for me. Feelings like happy, sad, scared, overwhelmed, and “who the hell are you?” at family functions all meant it was time to nurse.
Your Baby Might Become Less Interested
Depending on how much your baby is consuming in solid foods or taking in a bottle, they might become less interested in nursing. For some, this is a means of celebration. Finally, my nipples can breathe! Did you know nipples could breathe? I didn’t until my baby slowly started to self wean. To others, this decrease can be devastating. After all, “where did my baby go?” is pretty much the mantra of motherhood. Feel your feelings, mama. Celebrate or mourn the slow decline in whatever way suits your soul.
It’s Still The Best Ever
Just like a baby, breastfeeding a toddler is hard work. It dictates our outfit choices, alters our schedule, and sometimes leaves us feeling isolated and alone. And yet, nothing beats those moments when you look down and remember how freaking awesome this bond you’ve built is. Not only have you sustained and nurtured your baby with the sustenance they need to thrive, but you’ve created a safe space that makes them feel at home wherever they go. Amazing.
So give yourself a round of applause, mama. Whether you’re two months or two years into your breastfeeding journey, you rock. And remember, any amount of nursing is selfless and admirable, so please don’t feel pressured to do anything that doesn’t feel right to you. Just honor your body, and enjoy the ride.
Love this! My daughter just turned1 and breastfeeding has definitely gotten crazy lol. Upside down feds , grabbing my other boob constantly, pulling my shirt down herself (in public) cause shes decided shed like a snack. My boys both were done nursing by one so this is new territory for me. But im trying to laugh off the craziness and enjoy every minute of it cause when its over I’ll miss are private bond and midnight snuggles.
This is exactly how im feeling in my story with my last little baby.
My husband and I have 4. 2 boys age 4 and 2, then twin girls that will be 16m on Christmas 2019. We have custody of them they are our nieces and nephews. Though nursing was not a thing for us, I find myself so elated at every milestone they all make but specifically in relation to this article the girls as I’ve had them since release from the hospital after birth. But at the same time I am left literally sitting on the floor expecting to play with them and nurture their growth and emotions and teach them the way I have this whole time on their floor height level but am being left behind as the second twin has finally learned to stand and take strides. The emotion that goes on behind these milestones is beyond what I have ever felt I don’t know “yet” how women dealing with the hormonal changes a pregnancy comes with and not to mention post partum. That’s not to say that hormones didn’t change because let me tell you there is not a drop one of my bloodline in these children but they have changed my body chemisrty. From siduational depression that has subsided since court granted us official custody, to menstrual changes, and momma bear syndrome. The surge hearing them cry and being able to just touch them and know they aren’t feeling well or my favorite in the opposite being able to take a little one from desperate screams of oh holy hell what is wrong with you to literally just the second she is in my arms you wouldn’t know anything has just been wrong if not for those crocodile tears that linger on her cheeks . The roller coaster is absolutely crazy. The past week especially as the second twins top teeth are finally decending I realized that all members of my household will now have their two front teeth this Christmas and with her walking now I officially have a preschooler as the oldest just turned 4 and now 3 toddlers. I wasnt prepared not to have a baby by Christmas. But watching her move play and learn I could only deny the toddler word so long as she was not walking. My mother in law literally got the death glare a few weeks ago when she mistakenly called the girls toddlers those words cut .. not Intentionaly but she was seeing them for what they were and at 15 months old it seems legit that is when I realized I didn’t see these children through the same eyes I saw all the other children their age. My greatest treasures came through unconventional methods at a time in my life when I didn’t even know they were what I was missing.
My youngest daughter is actually a granddaughter we have had since she was 15 months. She had a tumultuous first year with repercussions to this day, but my husband and I both do not ever think of her as not one of ours. She is 27 now and expecting her first. We are already great-grandparents X 2, but this new grandchild will be a special blessing.
My baby is 18 months old and she is still attached and latched on to my breast. I love her to death and i know it is important to breastfeed so i decided to do it to one year mark, but when I tried to switch it over whole milk fof her, she don’t like it. I see she doesn’t eat much so i continue breastfeed her but now she won’t stop. What can i do to get to eat more solids and drink regular milk?
Just start substituting a feed every day or week
My baby is 16. I stopped nursing a little more than 12 years ago. I am thankful you have a blog like this. I had 4 kids, and nursed about 10 years collectively. There wasn’t a lot of support, but I think it’s great that there is support for this. Nursing beyond a year needs more support. It needs normalizing. It’s a beautiful thing to do.