By Heather O.
Yessirree, I have done it. I’m ready for that new medication that is supposed to work miracles with my blood pressure. She’s all set.
What am I doing? Oh, this? This isn’t nursing, this is just some comfort sucking. She’s totally weaned. Seriously. Oh, this nursing bra I’m wearing? I mean, it’s not really a nursing bra–it just supports me really well, and is sort of convenient if,you know, just in case she needs something, like if she’s really distraught, or if she’s really out of control, or if I’m lying on the couch reading my book and she comes wandering up and pulls at my shirt wanting to nurse. You know, emergencies.
But really, other than a little swig in the morning after she gets out of her crib, maybe some alone time with her in the afternoon before she goes down for a nap, and some nursing in the middle of the night when she wakes up and won’t go back to sleep, she is totally done.
Totally. Absolutely. 100% weaned. You betcha.
Excuse me, I must go. My milk is coming in.
Not that my daughter drinks any breast milk anymore. The milk–it’s just for show.
Really.
This post really cracked me up. I always plan to wean my babies at 12 months, but I have gone 13, 15, and 17 months with them, just because of the situations you brought up. Very funny post!
Comment #1 by Rachel WJune 17th, 2008 at 6:54 pmWould you get on the good meds already? Your blood pressure is IMPORTANT!!!!!!!!!!
Comment #2 by The WizJune 17th, 2008 at 7:21 pmWeaning is so tough. My last baby went longer than any of the others because I sorta knew she was the last. She could have stopped much earlier, but I wasn’t ready for it. Sniff.
Comment #3 by AnnetteJune 17th, 2008 at 7:23 pmI don’t know if weaning is harder for the baby or the momma, but I totally hear you. Just about to start up again here and is it weird that I’m kinda looking forward to it? Yeah, weird.
Comment #4 by StarababaJune 17th, 2008 at 8:33 pmHahaha! I was really sad when my baby weaned herself at 14 months. She went cold turkey when we were still doing 3-4 sessions a day. And we were in the middle of a move. I was in so much pain and not much help with carrying things around.
Comment #5 by ErikaJune 17th, 2008 at 8:36 pmThis made me laugh. You have such a way with words!
This brought back a lot of memories of weaning - ahem, yes weaning… well, eventually weaning - my own babies. My youngest will be 6 on Sat. I will be crying my happy dance again, just like I did when she started kindergarten last fall.
Comment #6 by Michelle AMJune 17th, 2008 at 8:57 pmhaha! my wife will have something to comment about this with regards to our 2-month old voracious milk sucking tot. I don’t have much anything to say about it, but when Heavenne is totally out of control at 3am in the morning and I’m on ‘duty’ during that family baby care shifting schedule, I am telling her… ‘I am here, but I have nothing to offer you’ then she will starts pouting, banging her head and mouth on my chest and kicking and crying, and wailing…oh! “Honey, please wake up, the baby wants to play…look at her, she can cry with tears now!”
Comment #7 by kenjebzJune 17th, 2008 at 9:21 pmI’m right in the middle of the process now. (I just accidentally typed NOT instead of now.) I’ve got her down to four a day. My friend, our peditrician, gave me the talk about childhood obesity and would like me to wean her at 2. Next month. The last baby. It’s sad. It’s hard. And once it’s done it’s bye-bye na-nas. Concave time. Which is really sad and hard.
Comment #8 by JamiJune 17th, 2008 at 9:25 pm“The milk-it’s just for show.”
This totally made me laugh. And then cry. Because for me, the milk really was just for show. Once I weaned my last baby I had nothing to show for myself, if you know what I’m sayin’.
Comment #9 by bythelbsJune 17th, 2008 at 9:37 pmI weaned Irish1 at about eleven months only because I found out I was pregnant again. If I hadn’t I’m pretty sure he’d still be nursing. He’s two. I used to think it was really weird that people kept nursing after the first year but now I can see it.
Comment #10 by Alison WonderlandJune 17th, 2008 at 10:03 pmI gotta tell ya - I’m with the wiz!
Comment #11 by wbprawJune 17th, 2008 at 11:13 pmAmen Sista, I feel your pain. (both physically and emotionally)
Comment #12 by LeigulJune 17th, 2008 at 11:28 pmcongratulations… (c:
Comment #13 by randajoyJune 18th, 2008 at 12:03 amI’m so sad at the thought of weaning. I’m one of those people who could probably go on nursing forever. Few things make me feel as content as curling up with my little one for a nursing session, even in spite of the fact that they’re very rarely quiet or relaxing now. I don’t blame you for holding on!
Comment #14 by TrishJune 18th, 2008 at 6:58 amI don’t know what all the fuss is about. I never had any problem weaning any of ours.
Comment #15 by RayJune 18th, 2008 at 8:35 amIf you didn’t need to get on medication I would say “what’s the rush?” In general I think moms should nurse their babies as long as they and the baby want to and not worry about some “supposed” time children should stop nursing. I always thought nursing helped children not be obese when older. I am skeptical that nursing a baby longer than a year can cause childhood obesity. I assume it has more to do with bad eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle.
Anyhow, I would give anything to be nursinga baby right now or just having a baby.
Good luck with the weaning!
Comment #16 by HeathermommyJune 18th, 2008 at 9:16 amJami - what is this talk about childhood obesity, and what does it have to do with breastfeeding? Like Heathermommy, I always heard that breastfeed helped curb child obesity, not contribute to it.
Comment #17 by aprilJune 18th, 2008 at 11:24 amAnyway, weaning my first was easy, cuz I got pregnant with the second and got so sick my milk basically dried up. I had no problem with engorgement, and DD didn’t protest much because she really wasn’t getting much anyway. We did hang on to the 5am comfort feeding for a few more weeks though, it’s like a snooze button on babies/toddlers, hehe.
Now I am nursing my new baby, and I love it; though there are some things I won’t miss when he is done (like making sure my outfits are always boob accessible, ugh).
Last night my baby (age 3) came in and plopped down next to me on the bed. He put his head on the pillow next to mine. I was watching “So you think you can dance” (tivo.) His eyes were on me. I looked over at him and he looked so sweet. It reminded me of those nursing days.
I have to say - glad the nursing part is done! I’ll take a good cuddle and regular (sometimes even pretty) bra any day!
Comment #18 by TamiJune 18th, 2008 at 11:36 amIf nursing caused obesity, then wouldn’t all the people in the 3rd world countries be obese. Crock of bull I say, just a stupid scare tactic. Nurse your baby until you are both ready…for me that was between 9-12 months. For others it is different!
Comment #19 by LeigulJune 18th, 2008 at 12:37 pmI’m nursing a 3-month old. I’m so sad he won’t take a bottle. That means I can’t ever leave him with a sitter for longer than the gap between feedings. Nope, can’t pump a bottle for him and know he’ll be all right. I hate that!
Oddly enough, his older brother took a bottle just fine, and I still didn’t leave him for an evening until he was 7 months old. I guess it’s just the comfort of knowing that I could leave him if I had to that I’m missing. With this one, I don’t get a break, even if I wanted it.
Comment #20 by MelindaJune 18th, 2008 at 1:33 pmOh, but weaning the older brother was really easy. I just gave him a sippy cup for breakfast one morning instead of me, and that was that. I never felt a twinge of engorgement, and he never acted like he missed it. I don’t think I had much milk by then anyway.
Comment #21 by MelindaJune 18th, 2008 at 1:35 pmI’m glad the “feeding” days are over. I actually have a bra that fits properly - not that there is much left. My 4 children have sucked the life out of my chest, leaving nothing but EMPTY POCKETS!
Comment #22 by AbbyJune 18th, 2008 at 1:42 pmWell either my baby has a lower metabolism than my others or my milk contains a lot more calories than it has for previous babies. C-girl has been trotting along at 95th percentile in height and 105th percentile in weight since her birth. And suddenly, she’s 90th/115th. Still cute as can be. Since the sweet girl eats all the time (healthy stuff at meals) and drinks breastmilk at the same rate (or more) than she did as an infant, she’s needs to cut back on the nursing a bit. She, however, wants to nurse when she’s bored, sad, tired. She’s about to be two; tired, sad and bored happen a lot. Thirsty is last on the list as nearly as I can tell. She seems to ask for water or milk in a cup when she experiences thirst. I’m actaually just in the pondering weaning stage.
So I’m a bit like Heather. The baby’s weaning. Yep. We’ve cut WAY back.
And really I failed to communicate the true point of my comment. I’m going to have no na-na’s at all when I’m finished. Concave wrinkled, used up skin where once the hardworking pair were. That is sad. Pathetic almost.
Comment #23 by JamiJune 18th, 2008 at 3:37 pmI’m currently nursing #2 and I love nursing. But I have to say that I passionately hate nursing garments, nursing pads, and nursing bras. And the larger-sized chest that comes along with nursing. (Yes, I know I’m in the minority with this, but I really miss my not-quite-A’s) But the actual nursing part - love it. Even though my 4-month-old beats me up every time he eats.
Comment #24 by RorieJune 18th, 2008 at 3:37 pmI am just not sure why people feel that they have to wean so soon (not that you do, just an aside to the post). My sister’s daughter JUST turned 1 and people are already saying to her, “You’re STILL breastfeeding?!” I’ve read that all the way up to two years old is fine to still be breastfeeding, but do know that each mother and child have their own timing. I just say, good for you because ultimately you’re doing your baby a world of good by breastfeeding and as some of the others have said, you and baby will know when you’re done.
Comment #25 by Carole G.June 18th, 2008 at 4:09 pmLala is 17 mos. We are down to one feeding a day. We are almost there but I keep getting engorged! Ughhhh! I’ve tried cabbage leaves, ice, 5 (yes, FIVE) sports bras (at one time). Nothing stops it… but a “drink” by Lala. I feel your pain, sister.
Comment #26 by WoogieJune 18th, 2008 at 7:04 pmWoogie (26) Sage tea and/or parsley, juiced or chomp it up plain. It’ll really help decrease your engorgement.
Comment #27 by JamiJune 18th, 2008 at 9:02 pmBleh, I just realized how unclear that was. Don’t drink sage and parsley together. They taste bad enough one at a time.
Comment #28 by JamiJune 18th, 2008 at 9:04 pmHeather, I know you are smart and all, but the PDR is WAYYYY too conservative about nursing and drugs if that is what your doctor or pharmacist is using to advise you to wean. There is a high likelihood, esp. with an older, healthy baby, that you can take your medication and keep nursing with very little risk to your daughter… and your doctor can know about it. Check out Thomas Hale’s website and book Medications and Mother’s Milk. It doesn’t have to be either/or. Good luck!
Comment #29 by claireJune 19th, 2008 at 7:59 amI weaned my near-to-be-two year old son last week. Now, guess how many times he was up last night from his crib and came to my bed? 15 times one night–untill I gave in and let him sleep by me. Yes, he gets out of his crib(the lowest possible)and yes it was 15 times. It was worse than when he was a new born! What am I going to do? This waking-up thing is such a pain!! His sister never did this when she was 2 after I weaned her at almost the same age. Help!!!
Comment #30 by GracelynnDecember 10th, 2009 at 2:55 am