i have been thinking about weaning ché for a while now. but as has been my experience of mothering i've always taken a long while to move onto the next stage. in retrospect each and every one of those stages has been a smooth transition. even his birth (i'm just realising while writing this that his 11 days overdue was probably just me taking my time to move into transition. ahhh, it was me holding on. ahhh, a revelation. nice). breastfeeding ché has been a wonderful experience and daniel and i have been really lucky to co-sleep with him too. but co-sleeping often means he was feeding up to four times a night. over the last few weeks i realised that in order to be an energetic, healthy and fun muma i needed to stop feeding him. I need some energy for me. he's almost two and we've been telling him for a while now that when he blows out his candles, no more milky.
and so last week i decided it was time. no more milky. the milky's gone. and over three days ché, being the adaptable little creature he is, left milky behind and embraced lullabies and bedtime stories. i thought it was going to be really hard. but it was easy. i felt like i had all the patience and the calm in the world, to stay close to him, to read and sing until he was lulled to sleep. it worked.
i'm not sad. because i really believe it was the right time for us. i feel quite free actually. and ché's face has changed. his vocabulary has expanded. he's almost two and turning quite quickly into a little boy. He's confident and gentle and sweet. and yes there have been times when I've been frustrated by the demands of feeding a little one who would be happy to be on there for an hour at a time. he understood what i was telling him and i know this because he pointed to my breasts a few days ago and said: "all gone muma, all gone" and then he trotted off to play in the garden. i feel so nourished by the fact that it was the right time and that it was smooth.
i'm off to see my naturopath next week and refuel my body with goodness. and i'm going to treat myself to a few new bras of the non-maternity kind.
funnily enough, it hasn't taken me long to feel a little clucky again.
this ad makes me smile, every time. to give the breast is to give life
Oh Jodi, I totally hear you, it took me a while to adjust to our changes, our youngest still sleeps with us and we have just started to encourage him to sleep in his own bed, it is totally as much about you as it is about him! But after three years of not having a full nights sleep, I need to do this both so that he and I are able to function during the day, without having a meltdown due to tiredness! love the link ;0) emma x
ReplyDeleteI love this post, so heart felt. My little just stopped last weekend, all on his own, his choose not mine.
ReplyDeleteGreat post. Oh, if it was only so easy to wean my little one. I'm not sure what our problem is but I suspect its mine.
ReplyDeleteI've been there once and I'm going through the same right now. When to stop, when to stop. Such a beautiful story of following your intuition.
ReplyDeleteI love that ad too. I love those stretchy breasts. WoW! Inspiring.
We've just been through this process too. I wanted her to give up on her own, but in the end I had to initiate it. I was just feeling so depleted of everything. Suprisingly it was a non-issue for her and I'm feeling like a new woman!
ReplyDeleteA lovely post J.
ReplyDeleteMinnie was about 2 1/2 when I finally weaned her. We also co-slept for most of that time and I was just getting exhausted. Lots and lots of night time feeding. And as much as I knew how much Minnie loved it, I knew she would cope well when it ended. She did. I cried a little at times as I missed it. And sometimes I still do.
i love how intuitive both mama and baby become when held so close to each other...:) it was that way with our girls, where i was afraid it would be hard on them it was such a smooth transition that we all knew we made the right decision. great post..what a loving mommy you are..:)
ReplyDeleteahhhhh! sweetness.
ReplyDeleteMy son is just at the age where I wish to transition him as well, the funny part is, I think my husband is having a harder time with it that my son and I!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad for you that things went smoothly. It makes for much happier lives.
I weaned Lola at 2. We had a 'no more nurtsies' party, cake and all! Congratulations :)
ReplyDeleteBrave mummy, brave little man...
ReplyDeleteMy daughter weaned around 19 months. It was bittersweet however it was the right time for both of us.
ReplyDeleteThe transition was very simple. There was no crying and she didn't ask for it again.
Another transition, another leaf turned. These times go by so quickly...
well done, i've also found giving up b.feeding to be very emotionally challenging but always been happy to be on the 'other side' feeling that the timing was right. sorry i haven't dropped by for a while, so lovely to come visit and read one of your beautiful insightful stories xx
ReplyDeleteThis is beautiful. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeletethanks so much for sharing jodi, i actually weaned at 16 months - he's 19 now. i was ready for this big dramatic fight and there was nothing. he simply put his head on my shoulder and let me pat him to sleep. i was really really tired too...i was ready. i didnt feel bad about it. it was time and so i tried.....nursing was such a big part of our lives but it was time to stop offering....and he stopped asking. its been bittersweet for me, i loved having my body back - pregnancy + nursing...thats a long time! about a month ago, i felt a little sad but I think its more about watching him grow and develop so fast....they are becoming these real little boys!! xo
ReplyDeleteLovely post Jodi! So great that you nursed Che for 2 whole beautiful years.
ReplyDeleteI hear ya about taking my good ole sweet time with change too ... lol.