Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Bye Bye Breastfeeding... Sort Of

I'm pretty much done with Breastfeeding. With the exception of the last feeding before bed, it's all formula now. I have to admit, it's a great feeling. Sure I would have liked to go a year but it had become such a source of stress and resentment in my life, I made the decision that was best for us. Now no rushing home from work afraid he's going to starve if I don't get home in time, no pumping at the office, no planning every time I leave the house around feeding time, no more stressing about making enough milk, the list goes on. I don't like the smelly poop and all the extra bottles we need but I'm working through that.

Unfortunately, there isn't a lot of encouragement out there for moms. When I decided to stop breastfeeding, I went to google to find the best way to wean a baby. The first 3 articles that pulled up were moms saying that you should NEVER wean a baby early and you would become depressed and your baby would never be the same if you did and anyone who doesn't breastfeed for a year is pretty much a horrible mom. I got a little angry. No wonder so many moms have a hard time. There are so many people out there who just want to tell you their opinion and not let you figure out what's best for you. So I gave up on google and just figured it out. And what do you know, Cason is still doing okay!

6 comments:

Anjolee said...

Good for you! Only you know what is best for your baby and yourself. You did a great thing for Cason by breastfeeding. You shouldn't feel like you stopped early either. You breastfed for the amount of time that was right for you and your baby. I can't imagine daily pumping. Anyone who does that for any length of time is a hero in my book!

amberdawn said...

Oh honey! You should have called me-I would have encouraged you! It is whatever is best for you and Cason! Added streess is not good for either of you. It is awesome that you were able to nurse for as long as you have! Good for you!

Kim said...

Hey, I had such a stressful time with Sarah that after six weeks I had to quit or go insane. Then with Katie I never even tried. I may have got dirty looks, but I had to do what kept me sane. My girls have always been two of the most healthy I know. They have no allergies, no medications, never had chronic ear infections, and to this day are rarely sick. It is possible not to breastfeed and have your kids turn out just fine. So don't let anyone tell you what's right or wrong. God gave you motherly instincts for a reason, so listen to them!

Crystal said...

I am so proud of you for making it this far! It is a great gift you gave Cason. Working full time and breastfeeding is hard. Really hard. And you've done a great job.

Tricia said...

Hey, I have a couple of friends who stopped nursing for the same reasons if you still need some encouragement. It's probably not easy to wean a baby--how's it going? You should totally post an update. My milk always dries up around 8 months so we don't go through any problems with it. If they want to eat, they've got to take a bottle. I'm always curious how it goes giving a baby a bottle if they can smell you still... Good for you for following through with your instincts though. : )

The Carter's said...

Hi-
I stumbled on this particular post and wanted to comment. Any amount of breastfeeding--no matter how long you do it--is beneficial for your baby. If you get 1 day in, great. If you can make it a year, you're a soldier. You know this; I'm sure you've done the research. Please don't let anyone attempt to make you feel bad that you stopped: a happy mom leads to a happy baby.

I was able to breastfeed my son for about a week before he got the dreaded "Failure to Thrive" diagnosis (I wasn't producing enough); I felt like I was being labeled "Failure to be a Good Mommy". I stopped and put him on formula and it took me a while before I realized that that was probably the healthiest decision I could make in my situation and for my family. My 3 year old is healthy and happy and smart, and I like to think it's because I made a conscious decision to put my pride aside and endure the sneering looks from women who have the GALL to make comments, and put his need to not only eat, but have a sane mommy, first.

Congrats on breastfeeding as long as you did--it's something to be proud of. What's more is that you have a healthy little one.

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