I love nursing Roey. I really love it. We get to be so close and snuggly and it’s the magic fix-anything “pill.”  But…I’m also ready to slow it down and stop when he’s around one. I’ll need to so when he is one, I can get back to the rat race without having to be a pumping maniac. And also I’d just like to have my body to myself for a bit before we start trying for Roey’s lil brother or sister.

I just don’t know exactly how to do this….and I’m scared I’ll miss it a lot. I feel like I should be getting started on the process now that he’ll be 10 months soon so it’s a gradual process and not just a cold turkey stoppage. That wouldn’t be good for him or me!

How do I go about it though? Do I just take out one feeding a week or something? Do I have to replace the milk with formula? I’d like to get it down to just a morning and evening nursing session and then phase it out to nada.

I’m worried about denying him the boob also. I don’t want him to feel any loss during the weaning process. I figure I can make sure he drinks a lot of water and give him loads of snuggles for closeness when he would normally nurse but is that enough?

Added burden: He falls asleep during our mid morning and mid afternoon nursing sessions and I LIVE for those naps. If those sessions change to snuggle sessions or sippy cup feedings will he EVER sleep?

Even as I write this I’m feeling a slight sense of loss…I know I’m going to miss nursing him like crazy. I just want to make the transition as smooth as possible for both of us.

Help me mommies!!!

I haven’t done a breastfeeding update in a while have I?

Before giving birth I knew I’d breastfeed for at least 6 months, with 1 year being my ultimate goal of giving only breastmilk. I figured after any teeth popped in, I would be a pumping mommy. Not the case. Roey has one tooth in and another just under the surface and we are still going strong!

Now that he’s eating solid foods, we nurse in the morning, before bed, and 2-4 times during the day, depending on how often he “asks” for it. I offer a sippy cup and sometimes he’ll take it and sometimes he’ll throw it away and “ask” to nurse again. Let me explain what “asking” is. He doesn’t use the sign language word for milk that we’ve been practicing with him for months. He has his own signal for it and uses that instead. He climbs up me, and divebombs my breast with his heavy head. If I don’t get the picture he takes it a step further by rooting around my nipple area and will even start chomping or try to latch over my shirt.

I’m surprised, but happy to report that even though he’s got that sharp lil tooth in his mouth, he has not bitten me once! He would “bite” and chew on my nipple before the tooth arrived, but stopped since shortly before they broke through the gums. Thank goodness. I was really nervous about that and figured biting with his new razor blade teeth would mean the end of our breastfeeding journey.

I’m glad he still wants to nurse even after experiencing all the cool new flavors and textures he’s been exposed to with solids. I love breastfeeding! I still love the snuggly closeness of it, and the amazingness of the human body. I look forward to his last nurse of the day during his nighttime routine. He’s all calm and cozy and knows this means the day is coming to a close.

Looking forward, I don’t know how I’m going to deal with weaning. I know for certain I want to do it around the year mark, but I am concerned about the process of it, how I’ll deal emotionally, and how he’ll deal emotionally and his confusion of being told “No” for something that he likes and used to do several times a day.

Any advice for me?

I’m still going strong with breastfeeding Rohan (a new adventures in breastfeeding update post is coming soon) and am starting to get more vocal with friends about breastfeeding. I’m so glad I’m able to help encourage women when they’re thinking of giving up and then speak to them a couple months in when they’re happily breastfeeding and loving it!

Anyway, I thought I’d share with you some of the best breastfeeding advice given to me when I was pregnant, and in my first month of breastfeeding.

Stick with it: Those first several weeks can be torture! Sticking to breast feeding no matter how awful you think it is at the time is so important because after the rough part, it’s smooth sailing. This was not an issue for me, because I was ready to stick it out no matter how hard it became. Thankfully after 6 weeks or so it got blissfully easy.

See a lactation consultant: The lactation consultants in the hospital were heaven sent. In the cloudyheadedness of post c-section hospital stay the consultants were so great in helping me get Sharkie in different positions, helping me self express some colostrum, and encouraging me that my milk would come in soon. I am so grateful they were available to us.

Use both breasts: I didn’t realize what an important bit of advice this was. In my head I was like “duh of course I’ll use both breasts” but I din’t realize how a little baby would favor one breast. When he’s fussing on one boobie but happy to take the other, you can really want to take the easy way out and give him his fave breast. It’s important to keep him using both breasts equally. I start Sharkie on his least favorite breast so he can suck strongly on that before switching to his favorite breast. And I’m starting to pump his least favorite breast when it doesn’t get “used” as much.

Try many positions: A simple switching of position can take Sharkie from fussy and seemingly “not hungry” to calm and “insatiable.” It’s amazing. He loves side lying at night, and the standard cross body snuggle hold. I also try out the football hold and random twisty positions that allow him to be more upright. I didn’t realize that a position switch could really make or break a nursing session.

Single best piece of advice:

Ignore all the advice What you read in books are “standard” issue information and advice.  Your baby is anything but “standard issue” so follow his or her lead and do what makes your baby happiest.

That’s definitely my favorite bit of advice, and it works for us.

What’s the best breastfeeding advice you’ve received?