breastfeeding, weaning, and more!
Apr 18 '00
Before I got pregnant, I thought there was no way I could or would ever breast feed. Of course, I also never thought I would get pregnant. Boy did that change my mind in a hurry. I started reading a lot of books, and everywhere I looked I saw "Breast is best!". I then started reading up on all the benefits of breastfeeding: the antibodies it provides the baby, how it helps keep them from having ear infections, how it may increase their IQ, it keeps them from being obese later in life, and so on. I then, in my 3rd month of pregnancy, decided I too would breastfeed.
I am so glad I made that decision. Maybe breastfeeding isn't right for everyone, but for me, it was a perfect decision. And I was adamant about it too. I lived through a bout of thrush (which doesn't hurt the baby, but boy is it painful for the mother), cracked nipples, and new teeth. But nothing would stop me from giving my baby the perfect food.
And I have seen what I think are the benefits from my choice. Although my baby is now 7 months, and we had to stop breastfeeding, I went through 6 and 1/2 months of it. CJ (my son) has only been sick once (bronchitis), he is his ideal height and weight for his age, and he is happy and eats his solid foods wonderfully. And of course he is the smartest baby there ever was!:) But when I compare him to his cousin, who was bottle-fed, I can see a big difference. His cousin has been sick numerous times, has asthma, has to get tubes in his ears, and is underweight for his age. Maybe this isn't scientific, but it's enough for me to know I made the right choice!
And as far as when and how to wean, I can only give you advice from my experience, but I think I had a good one. At 3 1/2 months, my son suddenly started wanting to nurse every hour for three days straight, with no sign of stopping. I called the doctor, and he suggested starting him on solids so he wouldn't nurse as much. Sometimes the mother's milk isn't rich enough for the baby, and I think that might have been my problem. So, we started cereal, and he loved it. But I continued to nurse and expressed when he ate his cereal (made with my milk of course). Then, I started back at work, and had to use a breast pump.
All of these things started the weaning process. My goal was 6 months, and I finally reached it, with my son nursing about 3 times a day. I got a new job and decided it was time to go down to one nursing a day. Then, one morning, my son didn't want his mommy's milk anymore. He refused the breast! That ended our nursing experience.
Now, this may not be everyone's ideal way to wean, but it was painless for me and for my son. He never missed his mommy's breast, and I didn't have any pain when my milk dried up. Just my epinion, but it worked for me!
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CJsMommy
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Member: Jennifer Boyle
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
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