DS is self weaning

disbride061103

DS is self weaning and I'm having mixed feelings about it.  I have only been nursing him 2x a day for the last couple months (he gets EBM the rest of the time).  I bf him before I go to work and again when I get home.  He recently dropped his morning feeding.  He just isnt' hungry at 6:00 in the morning anymore.  Now it seems like  he is trying to drop the evening feeding.  He just isn't interested in eating when I get home.  I know that my supply isn't what it used to be, so I don't know if that is part of the problem.  I'm sad because we are soooo close to a year (I do have a 4 to 6 weeks freezer stash so we will get pretty close to a year).  But part of me is happy because I am ready to be done.  And then I feel guilty about being happy.  Argh.  I know it's a good thing that DS is doing this on his own terms, but why is it so hard!

rjade9

Don't feel bad! You have done so well! I wanted to go longer but ended up only doing 2 months because working and pumping wasnt working out for me and at first I felt guilty but you have to do what it going to work for you!  Could you pump for those feeding so you have the extra bm to make it to a year?

NatPhoto09

I think I'll feel the same way as you when I get to that point, guilty and happy at the same time.  I love BF but hate pumping.  I'm sort of looking forward to retiring "the girls" until the next baby.  GL

disbride061103

Thanks for the encouragement.  I'm going to keep pumping as long as I can.  I'm worried about my supply.  We went through a nursing strike for about 3 or 4 days when DS was 6 months old.  I offered him the breast but pumped when he refused.  My supply took a huge hit without him actually nursing.  It took me about 3 weeks to get it back up to where it needed to be.  Hopefully I'll be able to pump enough to make it to a year, if not, I know it's fine.  I'm sad that bf'ing is ending, but I think I'm feeling more guilt that part of me is happy it's ending.  Crazy, I know.

janinekrause

ahhh. mommy guilt- let it go. there is nothing wrong with being happy about it ending. it wasnt for me and i wanted to make it to three months and was happy when i was done. 

a year, 10 months, 11 months- all amazing. 

DallasHorn

In my experience, 10 months was a hard age w/ BF...mainly b/c DS is so interested in everything around him.  I found that I would have to go in a quiet room, no TV, no sister running around him. 

Are you sure he's really not interested in BF, but more just desn't want to sit still for it?  With DS, he may not want to sit still and have a short feeding, but that next BF session, he is SO clingy as if he hasn't nursed in forever.

Liz&Eric

I could have written this post. We are going through the same thing and instead of continuing to pump I am actually willing to just switch to DD formula and use up my stash. I have had enough of pumping. It is tough. You have done great and this is always going to be hard for us Moms than it is on the babies. On the weekends DD is too busy to nurse and seems happier sometimes when she can sit on the floor and chug a bottle while looking around and being her busy self. The struggle of getting her to focus during daytime feedings really has me down and is extremely frustrating, so I have come to the conclusion that she is ready to move on and start the weaning process.

rease.

its awesome you made it this far! I love bf rylan but i dont know that i could pump like you have!

I have torn emotions about not bf anymore as well and i keep telling myself it would be great (when the time comes) if she would self wean rather than me having to stop it...he is doing it on his terms!

for me though..the bf is as much for me as for her. i love the quiet, cuddle time we get to have when nursing. maybe its that part you are torn about?

disbride061103

rease.:

its awesome you made it this far! I love bf rylan but i dont know that i could pump like you have!

I have torn emotions about not bf anymore as well and i keep telling myself it would be great (when the time comes) if she would self wean rather than me having to stop it...he is doing it on his terms!

for me though..the bf is as much for me as for her. i love the quiet, cuddle time we get to have when nursing. maybe its that part you are torn about?

I defintely think I'm going to miss that special time together!  DS isn't a cuddly baby, so I won't get that physical closeness any more. I guess that must be part of it.

I HATE the pump.  I pump 5x a day during the week and at least 2 or 3 x on the weekend.  I know that it's part of why I have such a good stash, but I am so ready to just put the pump away and not see it for a long time!

rease.

omg, you are a hero. 5xs a day?! id die. really.

maybe you can turn a bottle feeding or something into special time?

finding the little things to bond with can be a challenge but so worth the effort!  mikey is 8 almost 9 now and he still talks about how 2-3xs a week after we dropped abby off at school how i would take him to go get cinnaminis from BK and go eat breakfast at the flight museum in the grass. Our breakfast picnics still are talked about 4 years later!