Hello friends! I hope everyone had an enjoyable weekend. We had a great time at Lola's house and have lots of fun pictures to post as soon as we get a chance.
The topic I've been thinking about recently is weaning. The pumping is really wearing me down. I know there are so many great benefits to it - immunity for the LO, eating whatever and still losing weight, not having to spend money on formula... but it's just getting really tiring. I think the hardest times are the first morning pump and the pump around 8-9 at night. The first thing in the morning is hard because I always wake up in pain and a lot of the time I'm leaking. I can't sleep in even if I wanted to and someone else takes the LO. I have to get up and pump and then I could theoretically go back to sleep but pretty much I just get up and start my day. Nothing like 13 minutes being hooked up to a machine to get you going. Then I have to prep the bottles. Then it's time for breakfast for the LO so at that point it's just silly to try to go back to sleep.
The 8-9 at night is a drag because that's time that I could have been relaxing and winding down my day - maybe even doing a little night time stretching or something. I always have the time on my mind and how long it's been since my last pump. DH has been helping at the night time pump and making the bottles and cleaning the pump stuff off but still, it's just hard to keep up.
Every time I have considered weaning I have felt this crushing guilt - like I really need to keep it up for a year. But all my friends who weaned or didn't BF at all - I didn't feel like they were bad mothers and in fact I encouraged them to do what works best for them. I don't know why I have this double standard for myself.
I do have a bunch of frozen milk stored up so that could prolong the time the LO gets breast milk for a bit. Plus I'm pretty sure the weaning process will take me a little while so that would stretch it too.
What do you guys think? When did you wean your children? How was it for you?
I think that if you think it's time, then it's time. Don't second guess yourself. I can guarantee that no one will judge you for your decision.
ReplyDeleteI BF baby #1 for 6 weeks, largely because I had to go to a work conference when he was 3 mos old and I couldn't figure out how I was going to work BF'ing in with that. That was in 2003 and there was really a lot less support/encouragement for BFing back then, in my experience.
Then, I BF baby #2 for 6 months, partly because she refused to take a bottle til she was 4 months old (when I went back to work!).
Both kids are plenty healthy, smart, etc., and I have never once felt like I "bonded" more with #2 because she was BF longer. There are so many million bonding opportunities with your kids as they grow that are totally unrelated to feeding, that I would not worry about that at all.
And I found that I had SO much more time when I stopped pumping...didn't realize how much time I spent pumping, cleaning pump accoutrements, making bottles, etc. until I stopped. I've never regretted weaning either of them when I did.
Good luck with your decision!! It's such a personal one. Just don't feel bad about whatever you decide to do.
Do what is best for you!! At 8 mo. I didn't wean Abby off and that was a mistake...one day she wasn't interested anymore, and I was tired of trying to make her eat from me so I just said thats it. Not the way to go for me because I kept eating like I was breastfeeding. Since you have already lost the prego weight and more (I hate you) :) I say go ahead and free yourself up!
ReplyDeleteIt is nice when all you have to carry is a water bottle, formula packets, and extra liners. They don't take up much room, and if you have a big purse you can throw them in a ziplock and be done with it. The formula is just as good, and if you have a costco card you can get the big tubs of it for cheap!
Your her mom you know best...and whatever you do don't feel guilty about your choice. She is eating solids, and in about 5 months she will be on milk. I hope this helps :) <3 Beth