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22 months, 11 days

We finally weaned! Henry officially nursed for 22 months and 11 days. Way to go us! 

When I was pregnant, our birthing instructor told us to just set little breastfeeding goals for ourselves. We shouldn't start out thinking we were going to breastfeed for a year, but start out hoping for a day, then a week, then six. That's exactly what I did. 


We hit every goal I set. At one year, I don't think I was ready to stop. I was proud that we were still going strong. I did force Henry to wean quite a bit between 12 and 18 months in a failed attempt to help me get pregnant. But we hung on to our last session. 

By 18 months though, I was done, DONE. Ugh, I've been so touched out. I dreaded nursing Henry for no particular reason. Nothing had changed, it wasn't something he was doing. I was just done. But then, in crept the guilt. 

The thought of stopping for my own selfish indescribable reasons made me feel so guilty. Henry was clearly happy with the relationship. He didn't do anything, it wasn't his fault. The overwhelming guilt seriously forced me to clench my teeth and nurse no matter how I was physically feeling. 


Even now, I can't totally explain the guilty feelings and why I had them. I very much feel like a toddler should be able to self-wean and by stopping, I was disrupting nature's course. But in the end, I called chicken and pulled away first. But this time, Henry didn't really care. He asked to nurse a couple times over the week since we've stopped, I said "your a big boy now" he responded "yeah, book?!" So, we read a book instead. There have been no tears, no tantrums, no fights. I truly think he was ready too. 

I never planned to breastfeed this long, but I'm so glad we did. Seriously, go us!

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Comments

Steph @ The Kat Almanac said…
I'm going through the same thing right now. Physically I'm ready to be done but emotionally I'm not there yet. However, it may not be up to me. We still nurse in the morning and at night and sometimes in the middle of the night. Since weaning during the day my supply has taken a nose dive. When inurse before I feel like nothing is coming out? He's frustrated and I feel bad so we might have to wean the ones we have left before I was ready :( and I had really wanted to make it to his 1 year check up dayso that he could get all the good stuff from my milk after his shots!
February 6, 2013 at 9:05 AM
Sarah said…
Way to go! That's SO great! We made it to 21 months and it was such a great experience. It's definitely nice to have my body back and I am sure you will love that!
February 6, 2013 at 1:49 PM
The Pajama Mama said…
YOU. ARE. AWESOME!!! I'm starting to feel that "touched out" feeling more and more, but Mango shows no signs of slowing down. When we introduce the subject by telling him that someday, when he is ready, he can snuggle with Mommy without nuh-nuhs, he says, "NO." And if I ask him if he is a baby or a big kid, he says, "Both." So, I'm hanging on. Emotionally, I'm still into it, but I get frustrated physically a lot easier now.

Did you do a letter to Hen or any other sort of ceremony to mark the end of it?
February 6, 2013 at 10:33 PM

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