9 DTY/12 DTC (Days-'til-Yule/Days-'til-Christmas)
I believe the weaning process has officially begun. While Tree Faerie still LOVES to nurse, she's only taking two bottles at daycare, so I only have to pump once a day now. I'm still not producing well since I had the stomach bug, so I have not had any problems with engorgement. In 16 days, I won't have to pump at all.
I won't miss the pumping, but I'm not sure what it's going to do to my supply. I feel pretty empty right now, and I'm still producing at least half as much as I was. When Tree Faerie nurses, sometimes I think, There's nothing in there! What am I going to do if she throws a fit because she doesn't get anything? Of course, she always manages to get milk.
I must admit I'm also a little afraid of the hormonal changes weaning will send me through. I'm hoping that if we wean slowly I won't end up on a roller coaster ride of hormonal fluctuations. I'm very emotionally sensitive to hormonal changes and really don't want to have that explosive, uncontrolled feeling that I usually get when my hormones change.
One of the aspects of weaning I want to focus on is night-weaning. Tree Faerie has never been a great sleeper. In fact, it's rare for her to go more than 4 hours without waking up to nurse. Usually she sleeps 2 or 3 hours before waking. Sometimes it's every 45 minutes. I know that most of those times she's just wanting comfort because I can often get her settled back down and back in bed in about 20 minutes or so. I've been practicing only coming to her when she actually demands to nurse instead of coming to her every time she whimpers.
The hardest thing about this is the fact that I DON'T LIKE CHANGE. I have to make changes slowly and prepare myself well for them. Tree Faerie has taken matters into her own hands a couple of times already when I was taking my own sweet time and she was ready for change (like refusing to be spoon-fed and now weaning herself off the bottles). I kept hoping she'd decide to night-wean, but no. She likes the boob too much. I also know that nursing is one of the ways she reconnects with me after being at daycare all day.
Because I don't like change, I tend to procrastinate A LOT. So, right now I'm working on preparing myself for the change ahead, though I'm still having a hard time taking my foot off the brake and putting it on the gas pedal.
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11 comments:
I think it is always hard on us a moms to let go and sometimes our kids don't realize what they are doing to us!! :o) Hang in there and (I know you know this but....) in the end it will all work out! I nursed my kids too but I just had a discussion with a friend who was telling me her bottle-fed baby is weaning and she enjoys that time rocking him at night and he is wanting nothing to do with it anymore! :o(
I too, think it's harder on the nursing mom to wean, than it is the baby. She's growing up Mom!! Just think of the fun you'll have with this next stage of her life....
Annikke - I'm hanging! I'm hanging on for dear life! :)
Beth - I am definitely looking forward to the future stages, though I will miss my baby being a baby...
You'll do great! Just take it slow, like you're doing. My boobs don't work, so I can't relate. I do know that it's hard when the babies "grow" up. It will be okay!
another step of growth!
I remember these feelings - especially with my youngest. It's hard to let go of those nighttime nursing snuggles. But those will be replaced by other precious moments... Try not to stress about it - it'll come when it needs to. Until then, enjoy it while it lasts.
Gad! I must be totally heartless. I weaned the twins and later, J-man, after six months. They didn't start the weaning process, I did, mainly because the Dairy Queen was tired of being the main dish on the buffet.
The only issue I had with weaning was the pain of engorgement for five days and that, of course, made me snippy. Lots of 800mg Motrin made me happy. Other than that, I didn't have any emotional doubts or upset. I guess I'm lucky.
Good luck, hon! And keep us posted and keep those frozen peas in the freezer just in case! :-)
Thanks for the words of encouragement, ladies! :)
Take it slowly... do what's best for the two of you!
You're doing fine {step back and just breathe!} My oldest weened himself at 8 months and the resat were 15-17 months! It's hard to let go of nursing, it's my favorite part of having a baby, the snuggle time while they eat.
I weaned LittleMan at a year, and I still miss it. Don't miss the wretched biting, but I do miss the night nursing. It helped that my hubbie took over the middle-of-the-night soothing so that our son no longer linked the nursing with the comfort-back-to-sleep thing. It was still hard. But I know you will make it.
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