Struggling :o(

As hard as it is for me to admit, I am really struggling feeding at the moment

Corey is feeding non stop, and wants me just 'because he can'. I am sooo sore, and he is grazing and biting a lot.
He still feeds several times a night, and will only go to sleep on my boob, he screams if i go out of sight, and is constantlt hanging off my legs. Im just exhausted and really need a break.
I managed to get for a couple of hours the other week, but called back because he wouldnt stop screaming when he woke up.

I dont nesseccarily want to stop, and i dont even want my 'life back' (I have no life - my kids are it lol!), I just need a break and for Corey to be comfortable with other people.

He will drink from a cup, sippy cup or sometimes a bottle, but not ebm, only water or cows milk. but he wont have this as his comfort, only a drink.
I am trying to limit his feeding in the day a little, and offering drinks and food instead, but he doesnt seem to be getting it. I dont want to force him to wean, I was hoping now he is so active he would start to drop feeds a little, but its not the case.

I really dont know what to do. I dont even know what advice im after. Its just hard at the moment :iconsad:

:bighug: sorry dont know what to say hun, hope it gets better xxxxxxxxx

:aww: We have been having similar problems with Em,my boobs feel similar to when your milk comes in ,they are really heavy and its sore if anyone even brushes past,i really dont know what to suggest Kay, We tried getting Emily so busy in the day she hast time for milk but as she still wont eat much solids it just means she's wanting milk all night. I sometimes wish i wasnt feeding so i could get some sleep but she wont touch cows milk. Heres hoping things improve. xx

:aww: To Kay and Jane

Olivia went through this stage at a similar age, though she wasn't breastfeeding then.

What I am trying to say is, this could be a normal milestone and that as they are breastfeeding still they use this as their coping mecanism and its just something else that will pass.

I always find through growth spurts or normal developments Olivia becomes very clingy, wakes a lot at night, moans and winges a lot and generaly acting like shes gone back to younegr than a 1 year old.

I also find shes very intense and that I can't get 5 mins head space.

Just a thought

Also Kay Olivia would never drink bm out of anything but me, though she would only drink juice or water out of a cup and never would touch cows milk.

I tend to agree with Natasha, Willow was like this a few months ago, she was constantly hanging off my boobs, to the point if i sat down she would be there so i spent lots of time standing! What i think im saying is its just a phase, could be a stage in their emotional development when they start to 'remember ' when youre not there and need the comfort of you when they see you. I cant really offer any advice except reassure you that willow isnt like that now! i noticed that the ages tally up too, both you and jane have little ones the same age and willow was around that age when she was being like that. hope it passes soon :aww:

I'm really sorry I can't offer any advice, but just can sympathise completely. My LO is only 7 months but she won't take breastmilk unless it's from me and she won't sleep unless she has been :boob: . Yesterday, my hubby and I went to a close friends wedding, to which we took her. Came home after the meal to put her to bed and went back out again to the night do(only 2nd time out since she was born)!!! Just walked through the door to greet the newlyweds and got a call from the MIL to say she had woken up and was inconsolable!! We had to come straight back, by which point she had been crying for an hour!! She stopped the minute I picked her up, had another huge :boob: and fell back to sleep.
I totally understand how hard it can be...you wouldn't have it any way, but you just sometimes wish they could be pacified by other people.
I felt bad for the in-laws because they felt like they had failed in helping us to have a night out. :iconsad:
As the others have said...it won't last forever, I think it just feels like it sometimes! :aww:

Anna was like this last month... for about 3 weeks. It was a nightmare. I found myself at the end of my tether and crying to my husband, "I need a break! I just need someone to take her away - to be able to go a couple of hours without her hanging from my boob or wrapped around my ankles!!" I felt awful for saying it but it was just built up stress and the fact I really did need a break. It didn't mean I loved her any less or didn't enjoy her being here - just that I was working pretty much 24/7 at being mummy and had no time to even have a cup of tea!

I even thought about weaning her though thankfully she did come out the other end and now is back to feeding only when she is hungry / thirsty and will take solids or juice if I offer it to her first (though usually has milk as well afterwards! lol)

She had a cold just a few days ago and no has hay fever... I just keep thinking, "thank God I am still feeding her!!" and there are so many lovely milky cuddles when I am not stressed that I am grateful that we persevered

I think it is a normal phase hun and no doubt you little one will come through the other side just as Anna did...

Is there anyone who you could leave Corey with for a few hours in the day time? So that it's not at the forefront of his mind?

My mum is has the same problem at the moment with my sister Lily, who is a month younger than my Anna, and I have taken her for a few hours in the day just to give her break and we found that if Lily was occupied and my mum isn't there she doesn't even seem to think about milk as she doesn't ask for it or whinge at all... yet if my mum is around she cries and moans until she is put on the breast.... Maybe it is a 13 month old thing?

Hope it gets better for you soon x

I have been hoping it was an age/phase thing which is why im sticking it out , i also wondered if it was likely soon that she may want to stop which i would be sad about,so although its a pain & making me a bit depressed where im so tired im also glad she still needs me so much

Thanks a lot ladies - its reassuring to know im feeling 'normal' and you guys have or do feel similar. :group hug:

There isnt anyone most of the time that can take him, as Dave works fulltime (and he's not here much when he finishes either, but thata a whole other story we are improving on ). If and when anyone does take him, he is fine - it is the bed feeds he wont take anything other than me.
On my night out i waited til i had got him to sleep, went out (in car so i could come home if needed!), and that got called 2 hours later as he was incosolable when he woke ( and you know im not one for cry it out)

If we are out and about, he is ok. He loves walks in the buggy etc, and we can have a whole day out and about and he doesnt want boob once, like Ange said - its at home - the second i sit, or just hanging off my legs - i end up dragging him round the house lol!

Hopefully it is an age thing, by the sound of everyone elses experiences. He is also cutting back teeth, and has his MMR tomorrow, so that will no doubt set him back too!

I am proud to be feeding him still, i guess things are just a little on top of me atm.

:loveyou: girls! :aww:

:aww:

It really does sound like a normal part of his development, even now Olivia will not go to bed without me putting her to bed and when shes having these moments, she only ever wants me.

:aww: It should settle soon, hopefully the MMR wont take him too far bacl for you as I can imagine your very tierd

No advice Kay just :aww: and hope that it is just a stage xx

ldnug wrote:No advice Kay just :aww: and hope that it is just a stage xx

Same from me :aww: :aww: :aww: :aww: :aww:

:aww:

Tia went through the same thing and wasn't breastfeeding and lilmiss is doing the same thing now and does breastfeed. It must be an age thing. If I sit still for longer than a few moments, shes on my lap demanding boob... she wakes up at night and only settles with boob...she also has this munch on this boob and then change her mind and want the other one thing going on. It drives me nuts.

The clambering all over me and trying to constantly fiddle with my other nipple or moles is really the thing that has almost broken me.

At the moment I am just taking each day as it comes. Lil miss isn't ready to stop breastfeeding and I haven't encouraged her in anyway either. I really want to make it to two years... But some days and more so recently its really exasperating.

Sounds awful but on Wednesday I stayed home from work because I was ill but lil miss went to nursery. I cannot express how lovely it was to have just a few hours on my own without her. I love her so much but she is so demanding and all encompassing that the break is so appreciated. Ironically I really missed her though.

Thing is bf'ing is so convenient and so much a part of our reconnection after our separation each day that its an important part of our relationship.

:bighug:

In a nice way its lovely to know im not alone - it was kind of hard to admit really!
Like you say, the relationship, the convenience, the health benefits - everything is great - but you just sometimes wish it wasnt soley on YOU and they would just be happy with someone else for a while!

Here's hoping it is an age thing, and we'll all come through smiling!

aww :aww:

bethany went through this and lasted quite a few weeks so i am guessing its a age thing. she weaned herself off during the day quite a few months ago and still had this stage. were back to night and morning feeds now though, apart from if she sees my boobs during the day like if i am getting changed or anything and then she lunges for them and says 'mine mine'

kay wrote::bighug:

In a nice way its lovely to know im not alone - it was kind of hard to admit really!
Like you say, the relationship, the convenience, the health benefits - everything is great - but you just sometimes wish it wasnt soley on YOU and they would just be happy with someone else for a while!

Here's hoping it is an age thing, and we'll all come through smiling!

:aww: oh common... he is a man... he'll learn to love other boobs one day! x