This post is part of a series of posts from bloggers with babies who have breastfed. In honor of my journey of breastfeeding ending with my son, I asked five different bloggers to share their breastfeeding stories with us all. This post is part of my breastfeeding experience. My hopes with this series is to share the differences in each woman’s experience. I also want to highlight the fact that not one of these mothers did the same thing in their breastfeeding journey and that all of their babies are beautiful and healthy. Moms— Do the best you can do for you and your child. That is what counts!
Check out the other posts from this series and the “More Milk Naturally” ebook giveaway!
6. Did you have a breast feeding goal?
My breastfeeding goal was six months to begin with and then, when I hit that mark, it changed to one year. When I realized that I was going to hit the year mark I considered continuing nursing. There were several reasons I decided to stop. But, one big one, was that I was applying for full-time work. I didn’t want to start a new job and insist on pumping time.
When we hit a year we started weaning. I expected it to take at least 4 months. But, by the time my son was 14 months old we were done. It was bittersweet. It was nice to have my body back. It was sad to not have that time with him. But, lately he has begun cuddling with me when he has his morning bottle and his evening bottle. It is so sweet.
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| Already trying to get into a Starbucks treat with Macey |
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| Kiddo wants coffee just like Daddy. (No coffee was in the cup, he does not need MORE energy.) |
7. Have you weaned? If so, how did you go about it?
Yep! Weaning was much easier than I had anticipated. I started weaning at a year by cutting out the day time feedings I was doing. He would nurse in the morning and then drink organic whole milk throughout the day, along with his regular meals. At night I would nurse before he went to bed and when he woke up at night.
Pretty soon we took out the morning feedings. And, before long…. goodbye evening feedings. I had hardly any pain or engorgement when weaning. I think that some weird part of me wanted it to be harder.
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| See, you don’t need to nurse to make ’em sleepy… blueberry pancakes do the job as well! |
8. Any tips for mommies out there thinking about breast feeding?
Know that it might not be easy and you may have to work at it. But, also… don’t pressure yourself too much. There is too much pressure out there and too many people telling parents what is best for their baby. Take advice, chew it up, decide which parts work best for you (and your baby), and then throw the rest out of the window.
I’m not saying take the easy way out… I’m saying, no one knows all the answers.
Also, if you need help, ask for it. Surprisingly enough, I was able to be strong and push through the first two months of my son’s life when he was screaming non-stop and we couldn’t figure out what was wrong. Then, when we figured out what he needed and things were getting better, something inside me snapped and I fell into a pretty deep depression. I had constant anxiety attacks. I got the help I needed and things got much, much better.
Have you weaned your child? If so, how did it go?
What is YOUR advice for nursing moms?
Thank you for reading!
I’d love to hear about your story as well!
