To wean or not to wean?

FancyFrenchie · July 2011

I've read many of the posts on here, so I'm hoping maybe your ladies can give me some advice.

Here's the story: My DS just turned 1 last week. I always hoped to nurse until at least 1 and then to see what happened and I'm really glad I got this far. On the weekends he nurses before each nap (am and pm) and every day, before bed and throughout the night. He can rarely fall asleep without nursing/being rocking to sleep/or a bottle (of BM, with MIL who watches him during the week). I mostly enjoy our nursing relationship, however sometimes I get frustrated when I have other things I'd like to get done in the evening, or spend time with DH and I end up nursing DS.

We'd like to TTC probably end of 2011 or beginning of 2012. However, I've had some minor health issues since 1 month PP. I started having joint pains, that got increasingly worse. The specialist at first thought I had rheumatoid arthritis, but then it was determined I didn't and the pain for the most part went away. However, it still comes and goes in my wrists and fingers mostly. Also, after a fever when these pains got really bad, I feel a pain in my chest every time I yawn, take a really deep breath, etc. The last the rhumatologist said is that he believed that with the pregnancy and the change in my rib cage and the enlarging of the breats and the additional weight due to BF, that this is causing extra pressure, causing this pain. Therefore, I would somewhat like to wean, to see if this pain goes away. However, I don't want to wean and then find out it didn't help - but then maybe I could inquire more and see what it really is. I just don't want to go from BF to PG right away and not give my body a chance to recover. Plus, we want our LOs to be relatively close in age.

There's not really anybody else I can talk to about this, so any advice is welcome!

liongish119 · July 2011

It sounds like you are ready to wean. If you are, its OK. You made it to one year which is great.

Do wean slowly though, dropping one nursing session at a time over perhaps a couple of months. My suggestion would be to start with the nursing during the night. Although I didn't completely wean until 22 months, I weaned DD from nighttime nursing/bedsharing at about a year.

WiggleBaby · July 2011

it sounds like you have a lot of reasons for wanting to wean. you dont have to feel bad about that! do what is best for your health and your family. it would be hard for anyone on here to tell you to continue to nurse when you mention the health issues, etc. you have to take care of yourself first so you can be there for your LO.

agreed to night-wean first. i know a lot of people on here recommend the Dr. Jay Gordon night weaning plan -- you can google it for the link. best of luck!!!!

LouiseB2001 · July 2011

Firstly, I am happy for you that it was determined not to be rheumatoid arthritis, a friend of mine has that and it is very difficult for her. I was wondering why your doctor thinks it is the extra weight from your chest that makes it ache when you yawn? For me now, my chest is not much bigger because I don't BF that much, not unlike you, morning, evening and weekends a couple of times per day. Occasionally also at night. It sounds strange that a little extra weight would do that. Have you checked other things, gotten a chest x-ray etc? For the fingers and wrists it could be carpal tunnel syndrome, it can come and go. I have it permanently but can keep it down with regular exercise and yoga. I think I disagree a bit about the weaning, you could probably night wean but if you enjoy it, keep the morning and evening session. It is possible to go out and skip one evening of nursing without any problems, I do that occasionally.

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