10:29am
I never wanted to wean my children. Weaning always seemed like curse word to me. I love the nursling/mama bond, why would I want that tot stop. I have three children, a 4 year old girl (Sally), a 2.5 year old boy (James) and a 3.5 month old baby girl (Charlotte). Charlotte is nursing and loving it and I'm not looking forward to the day when she weans. My philosophy tends to lean more to the side of child lead weaning; where the child decides when to stop nursing. While I do have a top age limit, 4 years or so, I do not practice extended breastfeeding.
My daughter Sally decided to stop nursing WAY before I was ready. She was only 15 months old and I was three months pregnant with James (yes, I've been knocked up and/or nursing for the past 5 years). She stopped cold turkey from nursing about 4-5 times a day. This was so painful for me. My breasts were engorged and sore for about a week. I remember feeling like somewhat abandoned. My baby didn't need me in the same way that she used to. She was growing up. I wasn't thinking about what my daughter needed but about what I wanted. That realization helped me a lot!
My son stopped nursing a week before Charlotte was born. I really wanted to tandem nurse (having more than one nursling). James got a stomach bug about a week before he weaned that made his poo very liquidy. When it didn't clear up after the bug, I thought it might be the colostrum that my body was producing. He was down to one nursing right before bed. I stopped offering to see if not nursing would firm up his poop. It did and he never asked about "nursies" again.
I think I was more emotionally prepared for James' weaning than I was for Sally's. It helped that there was a baby coming soon after James stopped. I have a personal goal to give my children the best start possibly by breastfeeding for at least two years. Perhaps I had a harder time when Sally stopped nursing because I didn't fulfill my "goal". The global average age of weaning is approximatley 4 years and I think that is why around the age of 4 seems to be my weaning number.
I wonder how I'll feel when Charlotte decides she's done. So far, we seem to get pregnant when our littlest is about one. We'll see if that rings true.
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7 comments:
I want Judah to make the decision as well. He loves to nurse and I love to nurse and it seems like a real kick in the face to get this far and have my supply plummet. I'm worried this is it and am once again back on Reglan, fenugreek and oatmeal to try and get it back. It's just not fair!
Thanks for linking up with this week's blog hop!
Wow. I am amazed at you. 5 years of being pregnant and nursing. And I thought it was hard taking care of an 8 year old while being pregnant and/or nursing. I've also always wanted to tandem nurse but with gallbladder removal surgery and Upper GI's and working, I dont know when we will be able to try again for a little one. You are doing great though and I feel that the way you are weaning is the best. Let the baby show the way... I found your blog through the Breastfeeding Blog Hop and I would love if you could follow me as well at http://hardtimesmom.blogspot.com
Wow. That is amazing. Not something that I could ever do, but more power to ya! I will probably never nurse again, as I am almost 100% sure we are done with babies, and won't miss it!
But I truly applaud the women that enjoy it and are able to do that for their little ones.
First of all... I love the name of your blog! very cute and secondly you are just an awesome role model for nursing moms! Kudos! I found you on the breastfeeding blog hop :)
Wow, 5 years of being pregnant or nursing. Very cool that you shared your experiences with weaning. Thanks for linking up to this week's Breastfeeding Blog Hop! (next week's topic is Breastfeeding & Fertility - I hope you link up again)
I kinda hope we can get pregnant again while I'm still nursing Rissa and that she weans around the time the new baby comes (if all goes to plan, she'd be almost 2yrs old then).
You give me hope that I don't have to wean n order to get preggers again!
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