I think yesterday was my last day breastfeeding

sgrl

I stopped pumping last week, and I had planned to keep the morning nursing session, but with my supply being low anyway and her relative lack of interest in nursing anytime except her rare middle-of-the-night wakings, I didn't feel like I really had any milk in the morning. So this morning I just gave her the bottle and skipped the nursing session for the first time. It felt so weird. I guess she got at least some breastmilk every day for eight months, but I still feel sad. I've debated on weaning for so long that I can't believe it's actually happening.

Plus she's starting to pull up and then stand unassisted for a few seconds at a time . . . between no more nursing and that, I'm feeling all like "MAH BABY IS GROWIN' UP!!!!"

campbell2178

Way to go BFing for 8 months! Congrats!  

redhotchili83

I didnt make it nearly as long as you (2.5 months) but the last itme I pumped and made the consious decision to dry up, I got sad. 

Kai drank his own bottle for the first time the other day and I got all mushy, thinking soon I wont have to cuddle up and feed him anymore!

Cheekie4

8 months is a long time!!! Congrats!

biochemgirl

You did a GREAT job-congrats to you!!!!  I hope I can make it to 8 months.

I read something on the BF board once that stuck with me.  A poster said she weaned her first child at 6 months and her second at 14 months and that she felt just as sad and emotional each time.  She thought weaning after going for longer would be less emotional but it was not-she felt the same level of loss each time.  I would love to go for a year but if I can't make it that long I will try and remind myself what a good job I've done and that no matter when you wean it is going to hurt.

kimberlyk921

I'm right there with you! I started the weaning process, as of right now I'm just BFing before bed and the 5am feeding.....I never thought it would be hard (emotionally) on me. 

sgrl

redhotchili83:

I didnt make it nearly as long as you (2.5 months) but the last itme I pumped and made the consious decision to dry up, I got sad. 

Kai drank his own bottle for the first time the other day and I got all mushy, thinking soon I wont have to cuddle up and feed him anymore!

I do kinda wish Sadie would hold her own bottle! She started holding it a little bit when she was around 3 months old (or maybe it was 4?) but then decided it was easier to let us do it. Now she likes to smack the bottle really hard while she's eating, or hook her hand around the bottom and play with the drop-in insert. Goofball.

Scooter359

sgrl:

redhotchili83:

I didnt make it nearly as long as you (2.5 months) but the last itme I pumped and made the consious decision to dry up, I got sad. 

Kai drank his own bottle for the first time the other day and I got all mushy, thinking soon I wont have to cuddle up and feed him anymore!

I do kinda wish Sadie would hold her own bottle! She started holding it a little bit when she was around 3 months old (or maybe it was 4?) but then decided it was easier to let us do it. Now she likes to smack the bottle really hard while she's eating, or hook her hand around the bottom and play with the drop-in insert. Goofball.

. Mason still doesn't hold his either, he will take it from us and put it in his mouth, but once he starts actually getting something out of the bottle he let's go and then gets flustered. I don't mind holding it for him, but he is getting to the point where he doesn't want to be held and fed at the same time. Sigh, every day when SO comes home to find us playing he says "what happened to that tiny nicu baby that I remember?" they are all growing so fast.

jonnygurl76

ohhhhh, i think i will be sad too.  even though lately it is a wrestling match with her, she scratches/grabs/kicks the entire time and is popping on and off.....i get so frustrated, especially by the end of the day when i am worn down.....but i know once it is over i will be sad.

feel good knowing you went as long as you did!!

Vuja_de

::hugs:: I am struggling with this as well. I keep putting the weaning process off, he has started to self wean but still wants to nurse in the morning and at night.

sgrl

biochemgirl:

You did a GREAT job-congrats to you!!!!  I hope I can make it to 8 months.

I read something on the BF board once that stuck with me.  A poster said she weaned her first child at 6 months and her second at 14 months and that she felt just as sad and emotional each time.  She thought weaning after going for longer would be less emotional but it was not-she felt the same level of loss each time.  I would love to go for a year but if I can't make it that long I will try and remind myself what a good job I've done and that no matter when you wean it is going to hurt.

And really, I mean, my supply was so low it wasn't like she was getting very much anyway. At the point when I was pumping three times at work and then power pumping for an hour at night, I was getting ten ounces total for the whole day! So I had gotten down to one pump session at work and wasn't pumping at night, so she was only getting maybe two ounces of expressed milk and then whatever she got from nursing (which was pretty sporadic as she wasn't very interested). I figured I wouldn't be sad to let it go as she's getting so little, but yeah, it's hard!

Good luck making it to a year!!!!!!

biochemgirl

jonnygurl76:

ohhhhh, i think i will be sad too.  even though lately it is a wrestling match with her, she scratches/grabs/kicks the entire time and is popping on and off.....i get so frustrated, especially by the end of the day when i am worn down.....but i know once it is over i will be sad.

feel good knowing you went as long as you did!!

This is identical to us.  Somedays I find myself thinking I should just give her all bottles but I know that won't really solve the problem either.  Lots of hair pulling and pulling on and off

Mrs. Erin

You should be proud you made it 8 months!!  Nice Job!

 I quit at 5 months, and was surprised I made it that long.

mrs_sherod

First...congrats on making it 8 months...I know how much you struggle with a low supply.  Second...you've done and EXCELLENT job.

Leap08

I think I'm getting pretty close to stopping as well. I'm only able to pump about 8 oz a day now, so my daughter nurses in the morning & evening and gets one large bottle of pumped milk at daycare. I'm about ready to give up the pumping and just see how long we last nursing in the morning/evening. I'd love to make it one more month, but we'll see. I'm getting all teary just thinking about it.

Congrats to you for making it to 8 months! 

kle+spd

sgrl:

I stopped pumping last week, and I had planned to keep the morning nursing session, but with my supply being low anyway and her relative lack of interest in nursing anytime except her rare middle-of-the-night wakings, I didn't feel like I really had any milk in the morning. So this morning I just gave her the bottle and skipped the nursing session for the first time. It felt so weird. I guess she got at least some breastmilk every day for eight months, but I still feel sad. I've debated on weaning for so long that I can't believe it's actually happening.

Plus she's starting to pull up and then stand unassisted for a few seconds at a time . . . between no more nursing and that, I'm feeling all like "MAH BABY IS GROWIN' UP!!!!"

Yesterday was my last day too! We've been slowly weening for a month! She asked (pulls on my shirt) for it once and I just gave her a bottle and she was fine with it...I'm SOO much sadder than I thought I'd be! It's what I've been wanting but now that it's here it's hard....

blessedinthewest

Hugs!  You did a good job for 8 months!  My baby is 6.5 mths and I am going back and forth on when to wean him.  He's like yours where he doesn't seem to have the much interest in nursing.  I'll probably be weaning soon too.  Just think you'll have your body back now!

lcmeg

biochemgirl:

jonnygurl76:

ohhhhh, i think i will be sad too.  even though lately it is a wrestling match with her, she scratches/grabs/kicks the entire time and is popping on and off.....i get so frustrated, especially by the end of the day when i am worn down.....but i know once it is over i will be sad.

feel good knowing you went as long as you did!!

This is identical to us.  Somedays I find myself thinking I should just give her all bottles but I know that won't really solve the problem either.  Lots of hair pulling and pulling on and off

This is my DD too, and I've totally fantasized about just stopping and giving her the bottle... it gets so physically and emotionally tiring by the end of the day. One thing, though that has helped us... I feed her less often now. She was going like every 2, 2.5 hours, but now she can go 3, 3.5 hours and for some reason it has really helped. Maybe it was just a coincidence, but I'm thinking she wasn't that hungry when i was feeding her that often (even though I thought she wanted to eat) and so she was easily distracted and just snacking and having fun at the boob. Now she gets down to business- most the time!

KelMel

I did the same exact thing, the last time b/f was at 8 months, I had slowly weaned for about 3 weeks, but I was really sad when it was all over...but it is a miracle, Andrew sleeps through the night like a champ now...and I have my body back!

You did a great job, be proud of yourself!!