Sunday, February 17, 2013

Baby led weaning at 15 months. No more breastfeeding

When people ask me about breastfeeding I always say the same thing... it was sooo hard to start and soo hard to stop. Women need support, the only way I was able to push through and keep trying was from support from other moms. I wrote this blog post a while back. Weaning was soo hard  too. When I first tried weaning baby k he was about 9 months. I was forcing the weaning because I was going back to work..(to be clear baby k never took a bottle so pumping and giving a bottle was never an option) at 9 months he wasn't ready. We both weren't ready. It was really stressful on both of us. So I pushed my back to work date further out. Baby K at 9-10 months started the pincer grasp and feeding himself and was eating all his meals and less breast milk and onto the sippy cup. By 12 months he was daytime weaned. I still breastfed at night at first 2-3x then went to 2, then 1. Now last week to zero! Baby k is 15.5 months and with baby led weaning we are no longer breastfeeding. It was almost a surprise to me even though I was living it at seeing how much less he was needing it. When we were down to one time I was actually only offering one breast once a night for a couple weeks. Then that stopped too. We were not trying to wean, so I am happy that it was all baby k's choice. I just keep remembering the beginning when baby K was just born and trying to get to 3 months and at 15 months I wasn't looking for us to stop yet and little K was ready to move on.

Following my baby's queues and never forcing my ways on him has worked best for me and my parenting style. They eventually get it! They eventually learn how to sip the sippy cup, eventually learn to feed themselves, and eventually sleep through the night and eventually stop breastfeeding. At 15.5 month I actually feel that all the decisions I made so far worked best for our family and I'm not second guessing myself like I once was. I had some tough times and went against my initial instincts many times, parenthood is far from easy  and sometimes no decision is easy to make haha but if we can trust our decisions then that can take a load of stress off.

So moms do it your way, whatever way as long as you feel it's the best way and maybe it won't be at first but it will be eventually! Ha! I will need to come back and read my own words in future days I'm sure!

The Breastfeeding chapter of my life is now closed... for now :)



2 comments :

  1. Yes TJ was 14.5months when he weaned but I was in the hospital so he didn't have access to me. It wasn't my plan. I think though there is such a learning explosion that this is really an easier time to wean but it could also be a nursing strike and in 2wks you might notice he's asking again.

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  2. You are right, not all weaning happens from mom/baby's decision and sometimes other circumstances are the reason for it like an illness. I know this to be true too for many moms where a illness/ hospital stay ended breastfeeding by no ones choice and I can imagine how hard and painful that would be for mom and baby ;(we haven't experienced a full nursing strike before but when he was really sick with ear infections he was refusing to nurse his usual times and that was stressful for us. I wonder if he will ask for it again in a couple week, although it seems he is fully over it. He use to throw his pacifier and tug at me for it. He hasn't done that in a while and is using the pacifier less as well. I can see a change in this little guy haha. Like I said in my post breastfeeding was the hardest to start and stop and I'm sure with everything in between all moms can say the same. It's a learning experience the whole way through. And the most rewarding too. I am happy I made it this far after my rocky start and hoping the second time around is a little easier ha!

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