Part 4: My Experience with Breastfeeding and Child Spacing



For the last past of this series, I thought I would share my own personal experience with breastfeeding and natural child spacing.

I have five children.  My first four were spaced exclusively with breastfeeding.  They are all almost exactly three years apart.  People sometimes think we purposely planned our kids to be spaced the way they are, but it was just God and breastfeeding!

With all my children, I practiced ecological breastfeeding. I did my best to nurse on demand and to not be away from my babies for very long.  I did not use pacifiers or bottles, and we coslept.  I usually did not take a daily nap with my babies, but when they fell asleep at the breast, I let them nurse as long as they wanted while I held them in my arms.  I nursed my first for 3 years, my second for 2.75 years, my third for 2.5 years, my fourth for 3.25 years, and my fifth for 4.5 years.

My lactational amenorrhea lengthened with each child.  I think it was partly because I grew more in tune with my babies as time went on.  With my first, I experienced 21 months of lactational amenorrhea and then it kept lengthening until with my fifth baby, I experienced 31 months of amenorrhea.  She nursed for the longest at night - almost three years.  I think that definitely contributed.  My boys nursed for about two years at night.

I love my family’s spacing!  By the time I was pregnant with the next child, I felt ready to have another baby.  It also made homeschooling easier.  Some moms worry that their kids will not play together if they are three or more years apart.  I have not found this to be true.  My kids are very close and spend time together daily.  Now that my oldest kids are going off to college, I am so happy to have everyone home a little longer!  

What has your experience been with breastfeeding and natural child spacing?  

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