Nursing Your Kids

In response to comments on yesterday’s post, I want to clarify that the nursing down is not the issue. Of course I prefer not to nurse him down for naps, but I’m glad to do it if he’ll actually fall asleep. The problem is that he generally doesn’t fall asleep nursing for naps. He’ll just doze and chew on my nipple and become furious if I take it away. That’s why he’s been napping in the stroller or the car for close to a year now.

At nighttime breastfeeding is not an issue. He almost never nurses before bed at night and when he does he’ll stop nursing while still awake but drowsy and roll over to fall asleep on his stomach.

Sam’s only been nursing on a “don’t offer, don’t refuse” basis since June. He often goes for days at a time without showing any interest in my breasts and a lot of the time when he asks to nurse he’s so tired that he forgets he asked and rolls over before I even get my bra open. Unfortunately, even though he’s gone as many as ten days straight without nursing, I don’t think he’s going to wean completely any time soon. Especially with Operation Nap Indoors in full effect.

I don’t mind offering the breast for comfort when it’s not painful. At night he’s been pretty well-behaved on the occasions when he nurses. During the day it’s just horrendous. I have battle scars. So the two issues- napping indoors and breastfeeding are intertwined, but it’s not like I’m trying to make two major changes at once.

As for Operation Nap Day 3, I have a prenatal appointment at nap time and Bob will be home with Sam and possibly the guys who’ve been working on our heat. (We have no heat in our bedroom and a few other radiators in the house won’t work. We’d be screwed without space heaters and our wood stove. The current temperature in our house downstairs is 58 degrees except for in our laundry room and powder room where it’s so cold you can see your breath. The current temperature in the room with the wood stove on the second floor is 85.) If the heat guys are here I imagine it will be day three with no sleep. If they aren’t here Bob’s going to attempt to get him down in his bed. I’m sure you’ll be awaiting my update with bated breath.