Another tandem nursing question

I am seriously thinking about trying to tandem nurse, and I want to be as
prepared as possible. When my milk came in with DD, I got really, really
engorged. I couldn't even lie down, and poor DD had real trouble latching
on (which might be part of the cause of my present problem!). Am I correct
in thinking that engorgemnt would be much reduced with tandeming, given that
the milk is sort of already there?

Cathy

Cathy wrote:
Am I correct in thinking that engorgemnt would be
much reduced with tandeming, given that the milk is sort of already
there?

Mmmmm, no, not exactly. When you are pregnant, your milk transitions back to
colostrum due to the presence of the placenta, regardless of whether or not
you're still nursing. Towards the end of pregnancy, the older child is
getting all colostrum and probably not very much of it. So your body still
has to make the transition from colostrum back to mature milk, and that can
subject you to some engorgement.

What *does* reduce engorgement when tandemming is having a toddler 'round to
"take a bit off the top" when you get too full while the baby's sleeping
g.
--
Be well, Barbara
(Julian [7/22/97], Aurora [7/19/99], and Vernon's [3/2/02] mom)
See us at http://photos.yahoo.com/guavaln

This week's special at the English Language Butcher Shop:
"How a seller can improve their home's value" -- newspaper headline

What does it all mean? I have *no* idea. But it's my life and I like it.

"Cathy" wrote in message
...
I am seriously thinking about trying to tandem nurse, and I want to be as
prepared as possible. When my milk came in with DD, I got really, really
engorged. I couldn't even lie down, and poor DD had real trouble latching
on (which might be part of the cause of my present problem!). Am I
correct
in thinking that engorgemnt would be much reduced with tandeming, given
that
the milk is sort of already there?

Well, there isn't milk still there its colostrum by then but... The
hospital LC said that most second time mothers don't have nearly as bad of a
deal with engorgment as first timers and expected I wouldn't be engorged
since I had a nursing toddler. I had some mild "fullness" but never
anything close to being rock hard and engorged. And whenever I was feeling
a bit too full I just pulled the big girl along to nurse for a minute or two



--
Rhiannon
Madison Sophia - 9/6/01
Owen Grady - 6/23/03

Circe writes:

: What *does* reduce engorgement when tandemming is having a toddler 'round to
: "take a bit off the top" when you get too full while the baby's sleeping
: g.

This is what I was going to say.

Larry

Circe wrote in message
news:hW1Ta.14490$u51.10736@fed1read05...
Cathy wrote:
Am I correct in thinking that engorgemnt would be
much reduced with tandeming, given that the milk is sort of already
there?

Mmmmm, no, not exactly. When you are pregnant, your milk transitions back
to
colostrum due to the presence of the placenta, regardless of whether or
not
you're still nursing. Towards the end of pregnancy, the older child is
getting all colostrum and probably not very much of it. So your body still
has to make the transition from colostrum back to mature milk, and that
can
subject you to some engorgement.

What *does* reduce engorgement when tandemming is having a toddler 'round
to
"take a bit off the top" when you get too full while the baby's sleeping
g.
--
Be well, Barbara
(Julian [7/22/97], Aurora [7/19/99], and Vernon's [3/2/02] mom)
See us at http://photos.yahoo.com/guavaln

Right, that makes a lot of sense. So keeping no. 1 nursing depends on
whether she likes colostrum rather than milk! Still sounds like a good thing
to try and do though. Thanks for the reply.

Cathy

She's A Goddess wrote in message
news:Hg3Ta.116244$N7.16058@sccrnsc03...

"Cathy" wrote in message
...
I am seriously thinking about trying to tandem nurse, and I want to be
as
prepared as possible. When my milk came in with DD, I got really,
really
engorged. I couldn't even lie down, and poor DD had real trouble
latching
on (which might be part of the cause of my present problem!). Am I
correct
in thinking that engorgemnt would be much reduced with tandeming, given
that
the milk is sort of already there?

Well, there isn't milk still there its colostrum by then but... The
hospital LC said that most second time mothers don't have nearly as bad of
a
deal with engorgment as first timers and expected I wouldn't be engorged
since I had a nursing toddler. I had some mild "fullness" but never
anything close to being rock hard and engorged. And whenever I was
feeling
a bit too full I just pulled the big girl along to nurse for a minute or
two

--
Rhiannon
Madison Sophia - 9/6/01
Owen Grady - 6/23/03

I like the idea of not having such engorgement. I wished I had had a tape
measure, just to see what my barely B cups had become! Still, I reckon
keeping no. 1 nursing sounds like a good plan.

Just as an aside, I had to go to the doctor earlier, and he asked how long I
would keep breastfeeding, and said something along the lines of until she
has teeth I suppose. He was quite surprised to learn that DD already has 2
teeth, and I have no plans for stopping.

Cathy

Cathy writes:

: Right, that makes a lot of sense. So keeping no. 1 nursing depends on
: whether she likes colostrum rather than milk! Still sounds like a good thing
: to try and do though. Thanks for the reply.

: Cathy

You got that right! You can only offer. She will decide if she wants to
continue to nurse after the milk turns to colostrum. With Clara it was
a slam dunk decision. She had NO intention of stopping! :-)

Larry