Here I am, 2 whole weeks into my tandem nursing journey and ready to share my deep insights with the world! Or not...really I mostly use this blog to process and if someone else can be helped by what I write, even better!
We got pregnant with Hadassah when Ben was only 10 months old. That combined with how deeply attached he was/is to nursing led me to look into tandem. I decided that I would keep nursing if he wanted to, but if he weaned himself while I was pregnant I wouldn't fight him, and we would just see what happened.
First trimester was really hard-I had a lot of sensitivity/pain and Ben has always had a weird/slightly uncomfortable latch (which was now toe curlingly painful). Also, I was struggling to eat due to nausea so at times it felt like he was literally sucking the last bits of energy from me. Second trimester, I dried up, the pain continued, and I developed Raynauds in my nipples (causes very painful nipple spasms). Third trimester, a little colostrum came back and some of the sensitivity decreased. All that to say, nursing while pregnant is very hard and most definitely not for everyone!!
Having a toddler who nurses has come in handy in several ways though! I can get relief from engorgement really quickly, my milk came in very quickly after birth, and it's a great way to get him to sit still if needed!!
Benefits of tandem: I really think it has helped a lot with bonding. They nurse at the same time at least a couple of times per day and Ben is so sweet with Hadassah during those times! He will hold her hand, rub her head, pat her back, and express some milk into her mouth (she doesn't need help with this but it's still very sweet of him!). It's also a very helpful way for me to get him to follow me or do something I need him to do (yes, I bribe him with milk occasionally). He definitely enjoys it-I think it makes him feel loved and he also likes the taste. It is also a nice way for him to have some special alone time before bed with Mama. My supply has regulated much faster this time so there is less leakage everywhere-and if that starts to happen I have the option to latch Ben instead of just getting all milky!
Challenges so far: I am having a hard time drinking enough to stay hydrated (my mother in law pointed out this may be compounded by the bleeding I have had which has been heavier than normal due to a uterine infection), and if I thought nursing 1 made you hungry, 2 is even more so!! Ben is having a hard time with me putting my shirt back on after, but I think he will eventually learn that this doesn't mean the milk is gone forever, and he won't tantrum as much. I am still working on finding comfortable positions to nurse both at once-we are pretty good at sitting up now, but I would like to learn a lying down position also.
To summarize, I am glad we are tandem nursing. It has mostly been positive so far for all involved. I have been very blessed to not have to deal with many of the challenges I have read about-I never dealt with an aversion to nursing Ben (pain yes, but not aversion) and I am able to nurse both at once without being totally creeped out by the 2 different latches. As with every parenting decision I don't think it is for everyone, but so far it has been a good journey for us and I look forward to continuing!
No comments:
Post a Comment