Weaning Complete....

It is with both great joy and sadness that I announce my third, and final, child has been weaned. She breastfed for 25 months, longer than any of the others. Actually, she nursed longer than the other two COMBINED. She was a boobie hound, boobie-holic, whatever you want to call it. She took to nursing like a champion and never looked back. I tried to cut her back slowly, but she is just not that type of child.

It became clear to me that there would be no child-lead weaning here. If I wanted to be done, I had to call it, cut her off cold turkey and deal with the repercussions. I made the decision to do so about 3 weeks ago. It was not until about 3 days ago that she stopped asking for boobie. She has been having temper tantrums for the duration of the weaning, which I cannot completely attribute to the weaning. I mean, she did just turn two.

My boobs got engorged almost immediately, which was actually helpful when I told her they were broken. Every movement, every time she touched them, shoved her hands down my shirt, or even looked at them too hard, they hurt like CRAZY. She could tell I was in pain. I saw the empathy in my little child's eyes. She could somehow see that this was hurting me too. She stopped asking except for at bedtime. That has been a struggle, and continues to be, although she does not ask anymore. She does try to pull them out. Yes, I know it may sound creepy to some that I have to fight off a two year old. But that is because you are sexualizing the situation. Remember, we are talking about innocent breastfeeding. No nasty comments please.

So now, my little one has been weaned, and as far as I can tell I will never again nurse another baby. I am both happy to have my body back, and sad that this part of my life is over. I try to focus on the happy to have my body back part.

Do Co-Sleeping Babies Lead To Independent Children???

I read an article the other day that left me going, "Hmmmm????"  It was geared towards how our American society views certain child rearing techniques somewhat in a backwards way.  Co-sleeping was one of the topics that was touched on in the article. 

I have three children and I have never co-slept, before now.  My third child, who is now 19 months sleeps half the night in her bed, and half in our bed....okay, sometimes more than half.  I have always felt somewhat guilty about this, like I was not teaching her independence.  Now after reading this article, and examining my child, I have to wonder if I have in fact been teaching her more independence than she would have if she did not co-sleep.  Hmmmm...

First and foremost, here is the article titled, "Have American Parents Got It All Backwards?"  It sites the Japanese culture and their beliefs on co-sleeping.  The Japanese are very supportive of co-sleeping and the notion that it fosters independence by feeding the need for nurturing and closeness at night.  Children automatically feel loved, nurtured, and bonded through co-sleeping, and therefor will act more independently during the day, because that basic need is met.  When they are ready, they will gravitate to their own bed.  Hmmmmm...

I have to say, I feel like this article is certainly valid, and not because I am looking for an excuse to keep my toddler in me bed...well not solely because of that.  I feel like I am benefitting sometimes by having her there also.  I feel like we are exchanging some sort of great energy, bonding, recharging together.  It is hard to put into words. 

So for the time being, I plan on keeping her close, still encouraging her to sleep in her bed when she is okay with that, and letting her come snuggle up with Mommy and Papi when she needs that closeness and comfort.  I will listen to her cues, not society's, when it comes to what is best going to meet her needs. 

I would love to hear co-sleeping stories, or independent sleeper stories.  I am always open to hearing what everyone else's experiences have been. 

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.

Teething Hell

I cannot fathom the pain my little bit is in right now.  She is currently cutting about 4-5 teeth.  I have given Motrin, Hylands teething tablets, and vodka...the vodka was for me, not her.  I can see the teeth, just below the surface of her gums, sitting there, wreaking havoc with no regard to her discomfort or my sleeplessness.  At night she is sleep talking, and sleep kicking the living bejeebies out of me.  You know it is serious when the actual bejeebies get kicked out of you. there is no recovering from that. 

She is sitting in my lap right now, just sitting here in her Motrin haze. I feel so bad for her, and by her I really mean me.  Well, her too, mostly her, and a little bit me.  I feel like there is nothing I can do to take the pain away, and I cannot help force the teeth through, and the worst part....there are more teeth to come.

I think this may be the worst phase of childhood....teething.  There is no telling when it will stop, when they will cut through the gum finally.  There is no explaining to a toddler what is going on, and why Mommy cannot make it better.  She is just stuck, in teething Hell....and I am there with her. 

So, my prescription....extra snuggles, extra cuddles, and extra boobie, since those are a few of her favorite things.  Oh yeah, and I let her play with my cell phone....I think she called the Canadian Mounted Police or something, but they cannot help her either.  So she babbled something incoherent and hung up on them.  I tried to tell her they would not send Dudley Do Right, but she did not listen to me, eh.

Okay, so we are off to try to get something accomplished, even if that something is just  a nap for the tired toddler of the house.  Teething, who needs it...I mean you just end your life gumming your food all over again anyway.