Breastfeeding Bonanza

My nineteen month old is still a breastfeeding machine. This is something I never thought we would be doing at this age. My older two daughters weaned much earlier. My littlest princess really loves the nurturing, soothing feeling she gets from nuzzling up to my breast and latching on even if just for a couple minutes. She is teething right now, which means her nursing sessions are more frequent. I wonder if she will start to self wean after all the molars she is cutting have broken through.

I read an article once that said if a child does not start to self wean by 18 months then the mom will have to force wean them. I am not 100% sure if this is true, but I hope not. I am trying to let her lead the way into weaning, but she seems to have no interest. I, however, am beginning to hope the light at the end of the tunnel is near. While I love her to death, and love our little moments together I would like my body back. I am happy to snuggle, nuzzle, and cuddle her whenever her little heart desires.

Maybe if she did not nurse as much as she does I would feel differently. I don’t know. She asks for boobie every couple of hours, and a couple times still at night. So I have not slept through the night in over two years, including those pregnancy months where I was up peeing every hour or two. She asks so politely too, “Boobie please, Mommy, boobie please.” I mean really who could say no to that. Then she gives me this cheesy grin and sometimes kisses me. She is a con artist of epic proportions.

I don’t know. I say I want her to start weaning, but who knows, if she does actually start I may cry about my baby growing up. I think I am ready to start weaning, but then again this is probably the last baby I will ever have the chance to nurse and wean anyway so why not relish the last moments we have like this. She is smart, healthy as a horse, happy, and a complete joy. I guess when I really think about it, in my heart of hearts I am happy with her still at the boob. I just wish she would give me a break at night.

Formula Freebies...

There is a push in today's mother/baby units to remove the free sample formula.  In New York, Mayor Bloomberg is exercising his efforts to increase breastfeeding by telling formula companies that they may no longer provide free samples of formula to the new mothers.  Many people are up in arms over this.  People seem to think that he is trying to take away a mother's right to choose whether or not she breastfeeds her child.  In reality, he is trying to level the playing field. 

These companies are simply exercising a marketing campaign.  They are selling their product to new moms by giving it away first.  These same companies do not provide free samples for moms who choose to breastfeed exclusively.  I did not leave the hospital with breast milk storage bags given to me free.  No, I left with a can of formula, which I did not use.  I have been nursing my 15 month old since the day she was born, and have no use for formula.  If I did need it, I would be okay with the idea of having to buy it myself. 

No one is taking away the choice to breastfeed or bottle feed.  What is being taken away is the advertising to new moms who may be inclined to give up on breastfeeding when it gets tough, and sometimes it gets tough, because they have this free can of formula sitting there.  It is meant to encourage moms to give breastfeeding a chance.  This country is one of the only ones where breastfeeding is almost deemed as a bad thing by a large group of people.  They become vehement at the site of a woman nursing her baby.  Only in America.

We claim to stand for the free and the brave, but turn our backs on the most basic of sustainance giving practices, breastfeeding.  Our society is filled with over weight, under exercised, disease riddled people and we cannot figure out why.  Hello, wake up!!!  It is what we put into our bodies, starting from DAY 1!!!!

So I say, ditch the FREE formula at the hospitals!!!  It is still your choice whether or not to breastfeed or formula feed.  No one is taking that away from anyone.  You just have to pay for it, which you do anyway once you run out of that first can.  

My High Needs Baby...

Yesterday was a trying day.  I was overcome by tears when after trying for 2 hours, I could not get my 7 month old to take a nap.  I was laying in my bed nursing her and searching on my phone for some answers.  I found a very interesting article that has made a world of difference in my mind. 

This article, "12 Features of a High Need Baby," changed my outlook.  My daughter is a sweet, loving, alert, attentive baby.  She sleeps well at night, waking a couple times to roll over and nurse but nothing major.  She does not nap during the day for more than 20 minutes unless on rare occassion.  This article gave me the reassurance that its okay that my child is the way she is.  It does not mean that I am not doing right by her, in fact the complete opposite, I am doing exactly what she needs.  She needs me. She is a high needs baby, and that is okay. 

She is perfect the way she is, and so am I.  We will do our best to work with her personality, and cater to what works for us and her.  I love my daughter, high needs, low maintainance, whatever personality type she has....but it felt very good to read a little reassuring article.  Thank you Dr. Sears.

Ever Wish Your Two Nostrils Would Cooperate???

We have been fighting a cold around this house for about a week or so now.  I am getting better, but back to the one open nostril, one closed nostril situation.  What is up with that?  Why does that happen?  Just how much snot can one nostril produce in one day???  Okay, okay, that was too much...lol..

The baby is finally napping.  I vacuumed the first level of stairs, cleaned the foyer, threw in laundry, showered, walked the dog this morning, and have done some dishes....I feel like I have sooo much more to do and yet feel like I have done so much already. 

I also wrote to the school regarding the Hunger Games issue.  Waiting to hear back on that one.  I need to dust, vacuum some more, fold more laundry, create a clone....haha...no really.

You know, often times stay at home Moms feel like the forgotten souls.  I know I struggle with feeling inadequate because I do not contribute financially to our household.  I feel a bit insecure when I think of being completely financially dependent on my hubby, and worry about the what ifs of my life.  But I could not, and would not, want to stick my baby in daycare to work.  I would love to work from home, but right now, with Gabs not napping reliably....well, I would need a good deal of flexibility.  I am pretty good with typing, so data entry would be great, if I could do it at my leisure, which is usually 4 am.  As Gabs gets older, I will be hunting more voraciously for something I can do from home, legitimately, and make a decent buck, or two.  Right now, here I am....doing what I can to take care of my family the best way I can. 

Doing a Happy Dance....

My little 6 month old doll baby is napping, in her own bed....praise God, Allah, Jesus, Buddha, whomever the most high praise can be praised to.  She fell asleep under protest, at 9:35, and almost 2 hours later, she is still asleep.  I did some online research for vacay, some vacuuming, some laundry, some dishes, planned dinner, etc....and now just waiting for her to get up so we can go walking....get my exercise on for today.  It is a wonderful first day of Spring!!!!

Cry It Out, Don't Cry It Out....What the heck is the answer....

My little Gabs does NOT like to nap.  She sleeps at night in our bed, and during the day I try and get her to nap in her bed.  She was rubbing her eyes, yawning, and rubbing her face into my chest, she is CLEARLY tired.  I laid her down in her bed, she starts SCREAMING.  I picked her up, laid down in our bed with her, and popped a boob in her mouth, she starts rolling around, still rubbing her eyes, but playing, not napping.   So, I laid her back in her bed.  She is starting her protest now. 

With my oldest daughter I did crying it out, it broke my heart, but after a week or so, she adjusted, and slept great from there on out.  BUT she didn't protest, ie scream, as much as Gabs....
With my second daughter, I didn't have this problem, she slept where ever, whenever...from the start. 
What is the answer....

Busy Baby = Busy Mom

It seems like forever since I blogged last, I was still pregnant, and now my lil peanut is almost 6 months old.  It has been a whirlwind of activity, excitement, stress...

Our little Gabs is a beautiful, precious gift, who is active, alert, and hates to nap....I mean come on, she might miss something!  So of course, what was the first thing to fall by the wayside....computer time.  I am ready to jump back in there, probably mostly early in the morning, and late at night...LOL...so I start babbling like a fool, it's most likely because I am tired. 

I hope you missed me while I was gone, more importantly I hope you are happy that I am back...