Tandem Nursing Survey:
What disadvantages do you see?

I don't tandem nurse in public. My three-year-old doesn't understand why I let her brother nurse anytime anywhere and not her. I already feel like people think I'm a circus freak for nursing an 8 month old around people who think nursing for 6 months is a sufficiently long time and that nursing such an "old baby" is not right. They'd never get it if I let my daughter latch on too.

The public has a hard enough time seeing women nurse one baby. They'd really flip if they saw women nursing two, especially when they aren't twins and especially when they are so far apart in age. We shouldn't let the public control us, but we need to be aware of what we may encounter when tandem nursing in public.

Everytime my mother sees me nursing my daughter, I get a lecture. She's been lecturing me since my daughter's first birthday. You'd think she'd stop.

So, I hide the fact that she nurses from everyone except my husband. I get tired of defending my choices.

Also, in the beginning my older daughter suddenly looked so old. She was only 2 1/2, but all of a sudden she looked like she was 10. It was hard to be patient and let her nurse all the time when my body is telling me to focus on the baby. Even now, a year later, I get very impatient with her. But again, I suppose this dynamic could have shown itself in other ways without the nursing.

Only society's views of tandem nursing! Most people have no idea that I nurse my almost 5 year old and that works for me.

The only thing that really bothered me were the breast battles. Both Hana and Amaya are hard headed and they both favored my right breast. This had it's moments....*laugh* Nursing them both at the same time was not something I desired as I preferred to nurse one of them at a time, even though it took longer. (but I got to relax longer!). Hana would push her feet against Amaya and Amaya would push against Hana that made Hana even more angrier. In turn my boobs went separate directions, nipples pulled and well, it just wasn't the most comfortable of situations!

Once we got onto scheduled, used loosely as I did demand nursing. I staggered nap and bed times so that I would nurse only one at a time while they were tired and it worked out much better for us.

I imagine a lot of the issues I am facing have more to do with close child spacing than with tandem nursing. It is very tough to have two under two in the house.

It is very awkward to nurse both at once, so we don't do it often and that sometimes leaves my toddler hopping mad demanding 'my turn!' or the baby fussing.

My supply tends to be a little more erratic too, since my toddler's nursing schedule is erratic. So sometimes I feel overly full. On the other hand, my second son has not put me through marathon nursing sessions during his growth spurts - I think he is able to take more of what's already available at those times and then between he and my other son both nursing they help my supply increase further.

"Being touched out." There were some nights when I felt like my body belonged to everyone else but me. I would nurse one then the other all night sometimes. I don't miss the kids fighting over the right breast either.... both of them favored it. My daughter who is the oldest would push her brother off the breast she wanted. I used to nurse them laying on my side, one on the bottom and one laying over my hip nursing on the upper breast. Not the most comfortable.

There are some days that I feel very "touched out" from nursing both. Usually I feel better after some time to myself to take a bath or something like that. After the baby was born, I did feel like I was always nursing one or both of them, and that grated on my nerves sometimes. My toddler also gained quite a bit of weight from the newborn milk. I know several tandem nursing moms & they said the same thing happened with their older children. I guess it is better that he gained on breastmilk than on junk food & too much TV, though!

Makes me tired sometimes.

When they both want to nurse at the same time. I have never mastered nursing 2 at the same time. I have large saggy breasts that need to be held up. But in saying that, there is an advantage that the older one has learned to wait and has learned that she will still get my attention and love.

I was worn out constantly trying to keep everyone happy. I guess this is true anytime a new sibling joins a family and there is never a good substitute for mommy, but the access to my body seemed particularly stressful.

1. My milk supply is a little more erratic as the toddler's nursing isn't regular and depends on what we're doing -- some days he nurses a lot, sometimes almost not at all.
2. I get engorged at night as the toddler doesn't wake up to nurse anymore (probably part of answer #1 -- supply more erratic...).
3. Nursing in public is hard -- people don't understand what I'm doing or why.
4. All my old center-slit nursing shirts are useless to me since I now need shirts with slits on both sides -- I wish I had planned ahead!

It takes a lot of commitment and patience.

The biggest challenge for me has been being patient with my older nursling. I often see him as grown and independent and feel that he should't always *need* to nurse when he wants too. Sometimes the difference in sensation between their two mouths is uncomfortable for me as my son has a full set of teeth and my baby's mouth feels so different.

Sometimes it is a bit hard juggling a kid on each breast and also holding a bowl under the baby (we are practicing EC). It can be tiring, my let-downs are quite powerful and I feel like my energy is being leached out of me occasionally, but I also felt that way with just 1 nursling.

No disadvantages to my kids at all - only benefits. To me, I guess I can'