So around this time (June 2013) I was planning on a great blog entry about weaning from breastfeeding, using examples of how I was successfully able to stop. I was expecting that by this time, my breasts would be my own. Isn't it funny how expectations can be dashed?
I had actually successfully weaned Thatbaby down to 1 breastfeeding session a day - at night, before bed. My favorite. Our quite, cuddle time.
And the he got sick. And I figured the extra session might help kick whatever was in his system. So we were back up to 2-3 nursing sessions a day.
And then TFIL got sick. And Thatboy was gone. And it just didn't seem an appropriate time to mess with Thatbaby's schedule any more than life already had done.
Right now, he's back to where we were before I started the weaning process. At this point, I'm following the "don't offer, don't refuse" philosophy I've been using since he turned one. Which means he only nurses when he asks to do so. He nurses before bed, and sometimes in the morning. And we'll continue with this until Thatboy gets home next month and life returns to normal.
Not much advice here, other than a word of warning about the best laid plans of mice and men. This is applicable in so many situations in dealing with parenting. As I mentioned even before Thatbaby was born, it's really important to remain flexible in terms of expectations. Things just don't always go the way we expect or the way we want. And that's okay! No matter what your plans are, the reality is usually what's in everyone's best interest.
I think just going with the flow is best at this point also! I'm sure the pure kiddo is already confused enough!
ReplyDeleteYour breasts will someday soon become your own again-
ReplyDeleteI breastfed at bedtime which enabled us to both fall asleep contentedly.
ReplyDeleteMy condolences on the passing of TFIL. Your flexibility makes a lot of sense. I'm all for the approach of continuing until it doesn't "work" for one or both people.
ReplyDeleteSome days it seems like I'm going to be breastfeeding forever. It's ready-made, almost instantly stops crying, great for quiet bonding time, perfect food for babies, the list goes on... So far, I haven't been challenged on breastfeeding, but as E gets bigger, I'm not looking forward to dealing with comments.