Weaning

Something that I dreaded, feared, and looked forward to all at the same time finally happened this summer: I weaned my daughter. Or, more accurately, we weaned together. It was a combination of her asking and needing less, my pregnant body producing less, and a very very busy itinerary through June and July that led to eventually completely stopping breastfeeding. I'm not even sure when our last yime nursing was. She started asking for a bottle of milk at bedtimes sometimes instead of nursing, and now usually drinks about 3 ounces of milk or water before going to sleep on a pretty regular basis. She also goes potty before bed now and hasn't had a night-time accident in a long time.

My big girl dancing

I am a lucky mom. I had no engorgement, no anger from my daughter, and just a few tears when I told her my momma milk was going away. That only happened once that I remember, and made me feel bad for a moment, but she was less upset then than she has been many times for something as small as "no gum right now." She was just under two and a half, and I think both physically and emotionally ready. So was I. I haven't had any sadness or regret, and I also don't think I waited too long. This could have gone so many other different ways, and has for so many other moms. And it might go quite differently for me the next time around! But for now, I am just feeling lucky that at least one thing on this parenting journey has been relatively easy. I guess we'll see how she reacts to me nursing a new baby, but we have talked about that as well and she seems to get the idea that momma milk, or "milp" is for babies. The other night some friends with a 3-month-old had dinner with us, and when the mother breastfed her baby, Sweet Pea explained to them that her mommy's milk is gone now, and milk is for babies.