Breastfeeding did not come easy to me and I read pretty much everything there is to read on the subject by the time Jack was 2 months old. An entire world opened up to me while frantically researching how to wean a baby from formula. We were bamboozled like so many families into the formula trap. I think of our …
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Ask Anne… Question:I stopped breastfeeding a week ago. My breasts are still swollen, extremely painful and rock-hard, after seven days. How long will this last? Answer: I don’t know any details about your weaning, but if you are still experiencing the symptoms you described after a week, then I have to assume that you stopped nursing rather abruptly rather than …
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Ask Anne… Question: My nine month old baby has been on a nursing strike for almost a week. He is teething, and I think that it all started at the end of an usually hectic week, when he bit me and I raised my voice at him. He is eating solids and gaining weight, but he refuses a bottle and does not take …
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Ask Anne… Question: Hi, I have a 2 1/2 year old daughter who who shows no sign of weaning anytime soon. I’m almost 16 weeks pregnant and expect I will tandem nurse after the baby is born. I have some questions about colostrum. Should I prevent my almost 3 year-old (at the time) from nursing for a few days, while …
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Ask Anne… Question: My daughter is 2 1/2 and usually only asks to nurse at bedtime. Sometimes I don’t mind, but other times I feel resentful because I have just finished nursing my one year old son and I feel like she’s manipulating me. I like the closeness with her, but at times I feel so touched out and would …
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The AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) recommends exclusively breastfeeding your baby for the first six months of life, with no solids or supplements, and continuing to nurse throughout the first year of life and beyond. During the period of exclusive breastfeeding, it is very unlikely that you will become pregnant. However, as more and more mothers recognize the advantages of …
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Once your milk supply is established, weaning abruptly causes certain physical changes. Your breasts will continue to produce milk for a while, and if some isn’t removed, you may become engorged, and possibly develop mastitis. You will also experience a sudden drop in prolaction levels, which may add to your feelings of depression. Here are some suggestions that may minimize your …
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Breastfeeding Basics