Tuesday, August 10, 2010

We are NOT weaning

I was planning to wean my daughter this summer. If things would have gone the way I planned, she would be weaned over the Canada day weekend and the following week. I'd go with the Jay Gordon's method, and hope for a slow but certain transition to her won bed with no mama milk. Well, things happen. Things sometimes happen the way you absolutely do not want them to happen. And so, the happiness seeped out slowly from my summer. What was left was the constant realization how quickly things can change. I suddenly understood, that I simply cannot go through with this. I love nursing my daughter. I love to put her to sleep every night - I read her poems while she nurses. I cannot imagine taking this away from either of us and so I will not wean.

I don't know for how long our nursing will go on and I'm sure that I will eventually decide to wean again. Though I hope that it will be HER decision and it will be a slow and gradual process and not a sudden ban imposed by tired mommy. All that I know - it is not the time yet. And I'm happy about that.

I'm a little late with this, but still almost on time for the International Breastfeeding Week :) PLease note that it says - WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding until a baby is six months old, and continued breastfeeding with the addition of nutritious complementary foods for up to two years or beyond. So that's where we are - BEYOND!

6 comments:

  1. Good for you. I went 22 months with my first. We ended because I was pregnant with my second and it was getting really uncomfy for me, but my daughter took it ok I think. She wasn't nursing terribly often by that point anymore anyway. Now my son is 1 and we see no signs of stopping anytime soon. We'll see what happens this go round.

    As long as it's still working for both of you I think that's great. :)

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  2. Well good for you. As long as you are both happy with your decision, everyone else should be too! I only made it 10 months with my first, and 6 months with my second. I'm just not one of those wonderful self-less mothers, but I was glad that I made it that far! I am enjoying nursing Oliver more though since I know he will be my last baby. I hope to make it at least a year with him.

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  3. Thank you Skooks and Keeling! Skooks, I know exactly what yo mean. I never planned to go that long myself. Always thought it was extreme mothering :)) But for now - I cannot imagine letting go.

    Keeling, before I even had a child I thought nursing is something you do every 3 hours or so and DD turned out to be one of those every-30-minutes babies. I wasn't sure how long I would last like that. I don't think I'm self-less I just choose I way of lesser resistance IYKWIM :)) You shouldn't feel obligated to do it, but if you want to - you should know that it's okay too. Plus, if you think it's your last baby - I can only imagine how you cherish all those baby moments.

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  4. Thank you Skooks and Keeling! Skooks, I know exactly what yo mean. I never planned to go that long myself. Always thought it was extreme mothering :)) But for now - I cannot imagine letting go.

    Keeling, before I even had a child I thought nursing is something you do every 3 hours or so and DD turned out to be one of those every-30-minutes babies. I wasn't sure how long I would last like that. I don't think I'm self-less I just choose I way of lesser resistance IYKWIM :)) You shouldn't feel obligated to do it, but if you want to - you should know that it's okay too. Plus, if you think it's your last baby - I can only imagine how you cherish all those baby moments.

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  5. Well good for you. As long as you are both happy with your decision, everyone else should be too! I only made it 10 months with my first, and 6 months with my second. I'm just not one of those wonderful self-less mothers, but I was glad that I made it that far! I am enjoying nursing Oliver more though since I know he will be my last baby. I hope to make it at least a year with him.

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  6. Good for you. I went 22 months with my first. We ended because I was pregnant with my second and it was getting really uncomfy for me, but my daughter took it ok I think. She wasn't nursing terribly often by that point anymore anyway. Now my son is 1 and we see no signs of stopping anytime soon. We'll see what happens this go round.

    As long as it's still working for both of you I think that's great. :)

    ReplyDelete