What better time for this post?
I have been wanting to write about a secret life I live: one that only a handful of people know about, one I keep secret, and one that I feel embarrassed about even though I know it is perfectly human, normal and deep down I feel it is right.
BLAINE IS STILL BREASTFEEDING.
Some days I am overrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr it. Some days I am not. One thing is for sure: he is not over it. I tell him he is getting big and that big boys don't need it. He says he needs it and it is yummy. "I want boobies when I'm old". Oh boy, gotta laugh out of that! He will cry if you say "no". Saying "no" to a kid who is doing something bad I can do but saying "no" to a kid who only wants his mommy's comfort is impossible. I don't weaning to be 100% my decision and a decision that causes him tears.
I have read that if weaning is 100% child-led, it happens between 2.5 and 5 years. So it is perfectly average what we are doing. Even though it seems that 100% of society feels 3 is waaaay too old to be nursing. To the point that I often try to keep it a secret. I like reading blogs about other kids who are extended nursing but know I could never nurse through a pregnancy / do tandem nursing. That will be my cutoff for good if / when I get pregnant again [trying October 2014]. Maybe just maybe he will wean himself before then!
I definitely believe the benefits Blaine gets from nursing are still continuing but more importantly, the chances of breast cancer decrease 4% with each year of nursing. Considering I feel I have a 100% chance of breast cancer, I need to go quite a few more years. ;)
I still don't consider myself a hippie mom!
8 comments:
My takeaway here is that since my 9 month old decided to wean, she is very, very advanced. Clearly she is going to Harvard. :)
I am in awe of you. All I wanted when LD was born was to be able to nurse until he self-weaned. Then of course I ended up EPing for him for a year so he could have BM for 18 months. Then CJ came along and OMG he is a nurser and it rocks!! But he doesn't take a bottle at all and some days I'm just completely touched out. So part of me feels super guilty about it but man I dream of the day we're done nursing, and the other part of me says if self-weaning for him is 3+ we'll keep trucking away. But he seems on his way to weaning at 9 months. He would pick solids over boobies any day. Congrats to you and Blaine and hopefully someday society will get over the stigma of BFing to self-weaning.
I LOL'ed at your takeaway Kara...loudly. And my 9 month old seems to be on the way to weaning himself too so nice to know I'm not alone.
This is so special ...seriously. I don't know why this makes me cry. Could be because I feel sad our society makes you want to hide this, or that I know a woman like you has so much going on and it can't be easy but you're sacrificing for him or perhaps I'm just hormonal (always)...
I just want you to know I think you are amazing and this is amazing
When you get my age your realize you worried too much about what other people think. Go with what you want to do. And do what is best for Blaine, and breast milk is so good for him, why be in a hurry to end something so healthy? One day you will know you did the right thing.
Holy cow - you rock! I think you should do what works for you both - whether that meant stopping when he was 6 weeks old or breastfeeding until he self-weans.
Good for you! For still breastfeeding him and for writing about it. It really stinks there's a stigma around breastfeeding longer than a year or so. It's hard to imagine still breastfeeding Meredith, but gosh, I would love those quiet, cuddly moments with her some days. I have a feeling Mattias will nurse for a longer time than she did (13 months). He doesn't take bottles or really like sippy cups and he'd still nurse every couple of hours if I offered. Yay for you and Blaine :)
I am impressed- and a little jealous! I love breastfeeding and hope I can continue for a long time- but I've had to supplement and Charlotte loves formula- so we'll see how long we go :) I'm just trying to focus on the fact that we've made it this far- and for me I'm considering it an accomplishment!
How awesome! I think this is awesome and wish my body would allow extended breastfeeding. Lainey stopped sometime between 16 and 18 months (I can't remember anything anymore) but only because my milk ran out when I became pregnant with Owen. Owen turned 18 months last Friday and my body is down to drops of milk but he will NOT let it go. So basically I am nursing for comfort which is probably something I should be ashamed of but I really can't stand turning down his comfort. We're working on it and I'm hoping one day he will just magically forget that "nigh night" (what he calls it) even exists. I think what you are doing is awesome! Good for you! :)
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