Weaning Woes

Life in the Munce Household has taken a recent wrong turn, in the sleep department, that is. We had recently mastered sleeping through the night and then I decided to throw Sully for a loop by weaning him from breastfeeding. What a challenge this has been! I had mentally and emotionally prepared to start weaning at the first of the year in hopes to be done around the first week in February (Sullivan will be about 8 months old). I have lots of milk frozen in our freezer, so Im anticipating that we will get a bit more time out of it if I stretch it out (formula and breast milk cocktails). With a little help from a (very generous) friend (Leanne, I love ya), I should have no problems making it until Sullivan is about one year old. Although the thought of giving him at least 50 percent breast milk does give me great peace of mind, it has been majorly emotional for me, not to mention the physical hurdles as well.

I pondered wether or not to even blog about such a personal topic, but like the rest of my topics, I wanted to put my thoughts and feelings in writing.

When I was pregnant, the way I planned to feed Sullivan was a no brainer; nurse, nurse, nurse! for at least 6 months, then I will wean. Six months came and went and there was no way I was ready to stop. It is so convenient, no preparation needed. Oh yes, and the bond everyone talks about, how remarkable that is. The sweet sound of my little baby sighing, completely relaxed with his arms spread out above his head, satisfaction with every gulp he takes. These are the things I will miss the most. Tears are rolling down my face as I type. Sullivan has actually made the transition to the bottle quite well. It does help that Dave has given him one a few times each week since he has been about one month old. That part is a relief. But I think he misses me, which explains why we have spent most of the nights awake together since I have started the process. I am down to one feeding in the day time, and nursing when he needs to at night. I think I will be on target as far as my anticipated final date is concerned. With the approaching of the final date comes excitement for 'freedom,' but also sadness for what I will miss.

I will end this somewhat sad entry with a few happy things. I am thankful that I have been able to nurse Sullivan, that I didn't have any major setbacks, and that it came so easy for both of us. I'm happy that by the time I am completely done nursing, we will be through the majority of the flu season. I am grateful for a friend (one of my favorites) with a baby about Sullivan's age who is helping me to double my milk supply (do you have any idea what it costs to FedEx milk from Minneapolis to Sioux Falls in a short enough time to keep it frozen? Wow! Dave, don't quit your day job :)).   I feel a sense of accomplishment in Sullivan's numerous thigh, knee, and foot rolls, and the cellulite in his tummy, arms, and neck, and last, but not least, his chubby cheeks.

Below are a few pictures of my chubby baby, all thanks to me :).