# Tiredness and extended breastfeeding



## rainbowmum (Nov 15, 2002)

Jude is now 18 mths and obviously I adore him....but I'm starting to
feel completley at the end of my tiredness threshold. He breastfeeds
literally all night. The pattern often is: he wakes, feeds, falls
asleep on my arm as I fall asleep. I then wake up when my arm goes
numb, pull my arm away, he wakes up and the thing is repeated on the
other side...ALL night. Then he feeds the minute he wakes up, then
either every 10 mins or so if I'm sitting down, or hourly if I'm not.
I'm beginning to really feel fed up with breastfeeding. Yet I don't
think I could wean him. He still seems like such a little baby and
loves milk so much I'd feel heartless to take it away. What to do????
I have a futon next to my bed so I lie him in that when he first goes
off to sleep but then he crawls in with me and I'm so exhausted I
don't wake up enough to put him back in his bed after he has fed and
gone back to sleep. I wish he would self wean but NONE of my kids
have EVER done that. It gets to 2 years of really broken nights and
we go cold turkey, no more milk till morning, screaming baby pulling
my top while I lie on my front.....sad and hard. The Dad is here some
nights but not enough for me to have help.
I think to top it off at the moment I'm with all 4 practically 24/7
and the odd hour their Dad takes them to the shop during the week I
stand doing laundry, pots etc. which I do EVERY day with no help. In
fact I am SOOOOOOO exhausted I feel I could sleep for days.







( Lou


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## NaplesMama (Oct 28, 2003)

I sure understand your tiredness. It has been a long road my toddler (26 months) & I have traveled to limit nursing so it works for us both. You can and should put a limit on your sons nursing since it is so hard for you. I thought my daughter nursed a lot when she was 18 months and she only woke every 2-3 hours. It is ok to tell him that milkies are sleeping. Maybe he needs some items in bed with you (small pillow, blanket, bear) that he can start to get attached to so he has other comfort besides your breast. He is old enough to understand you explaining to him (during the day when you are both awake) that mommy can't keep nursing him so much. Eventually this will sink in for him. Keep a sippy cup of water on the bedside table. Sometimes if I give my daughter this, it satifies her thirst and she does not need nursing - now this cup in in her bed and she can use it when she wants to. Maybe a change of location. As my daughter has moved into her own room (bit by bit) I have laid down with her, but don't nurse her in her bed - so I am still there, but she does not associate nursing with it. If your son only goes to sleep nursing, then he will need it each time he wakes up. He is old enough to be able to go to sleep with more self-soothing ways. All of this gets worse before getting better. Wear a long nighgown - makes it harder for you to whip the breast out and wakes you up enough to remember that you don't want to nurse him everytime. Know you are not alone!


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## MamaMonica (Sep 22, 2002)

I have a 20 month old and am in the same boat. I am so tired and he nurses about every 12 minutes all day. i can't go out in public without him ripping my shirt off. We sat in a circle in his older sister's music class iand in in 45 minutes he tried to nurse/nursed 10 times and ripped my shirt up and I was so embarrassed but he's so strong I can't fight him off and he won't take no for an answer. He's a very acrobatic and pinchy-poky-biting nurser as well.

He nurses all night or wakes up crying if he can't have it.

I think limiting the nursings is very appropriate at this age- I just haven't been able to make any of the techniques work except for hiding from him.


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## DaryLLL (Aug 12, 2002)

How can you get your dh to give you more breaks? Or can you get a mother's helper? Someone to watch the kids for a while while you rest or do an enjoyble project? Kids often love a young teen helper.

Sometimes a dairy sensitivity can cause frequent night waking.

Try this link:

http://www.kellymom.com/parenting/sleep.html#discomfort

Toddler behavior tips:

http://www.kellymom.com/parenting/toddler.html

Read--

*How Weaning Happens*

*Mothering Your Nursing Toddler*

*The Nursing Mother's Guide ot Weaning*

*The No-Cry Sleep Solution*

*Raising Your Spirited Child*

*How to Talk so Kids Will Listen and Listen so Kids Will Talk*


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