Tuesday, June 14, 2011

It is SO happening....

image taken from here
I am quite proud of myself.

Georgie is eleven and a half months now and has been breastfed for the entire time. It hasn't always been easy. I had trouble in the beginning (don't most of us?) and then had some huge problems with thrush, but we got through. And I even kept breastfeeding her through the first three months of this pregnancy. Something which I wasn't sure I could do. It's been hard, but I was aiming to get her to 12 months. So I feel pretty good about that.

But now I really want my body back.

I'm tired. I think being pregnant and breastfeeding is taking a lot out of me, and I just want to have a break. I think if I wasn't pregnant and didn't know that I'll be feeding a newborn again in six months time, I might have waited. I was even thinking about maybe going a bit longer and letting Georgie wean herself. Not, you know forever, but maybe to like fifteen months or so? But now, I just really, really want to stop.

The problem however, is that my little girl, she loves her some boobies. She would feed all the time if I let her. She has three feeds a day, and while she did sleep through for a little while at eight months, now, she will wake up at least once for a feed at night (and sometimes much, much more often). And I need to stop. It hurts (oh! it hurts) especially at night. I thought for a while it was the thrush coming back, but we treated that and it persisted. So now I'm thinking it must just be me.

But the problem is, I don't know how to wean her. She will not touch a bottle. She never has. And that's partly my fault because I never really bothered trying. She won't even drink from a sippy cup very much. I've started trying to get her used to straws, and now she's drinking water pretty well from a straw.

I've been trying to cut down her feeds, but she's been sick, and not herself, and so I find it hard because when she's sick, she just wants to nurse. I'm really scared that I'm going to have to go cold turkey on her, but I cannot stand the thought of having her scream for days when I know I could fix it. I'm also not keen on what it will do to me. My Mum had to do that with my oldest sister, and I know it will only be a few days, but I just don't want to do it. Especially because lately she seems to just be going from cold to cold, plus, I'm still a bit sick, plus, Shane's away a lot in the next few weeks.

My goal was to get her drinking from something else, which I've done with the straw, then stop the night feeding, and then just do it gradually. But it's the night feeding that's the sticking point at the moment. She wakes up, and will scream and scream and scream if I don't go to her and feed her. I can't just be near her or pat her. I must feed her. She's just so strong and has so much stamina! And you know how their crying always seems so much worse in the dead of night?

I'm a bit stuck. I've decided that it is happening. I need to do this, soon. I was thinking about trying to do it gradually over the next two weeks before she turns one, and I was just going to give her cows milk, I figure she's close enough to being one now that it will be okay. But I still just don't really know how to go about it. So I thought I'd send out an SOS. How did you wean your babies? And how do you think I should go about weaning mine? Because she is haarrd. And I am tired. So, ideas? Please?

4 comments:

  1. My two both weaned themselves, they just started taking less, and feeding less, and I just gradually stopped feeding them. One at 14 months, because I was pregnant and I don't think he liked the taste! and the other at 12 months. Sorry! I know you probably don't want to hear that. Maybe check out the Australian breastfeeding association website, that might help?

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  2. Ok I have a couple of ideas. If hubby is home and willing to help you can send him in with a drink of water. She won't like it, but it might be enough to encourage her not to stop.
    The other thing is to look at your whole day. She sounds like a pretty string willed little girl; does she get away with a lot during the day? Sometimes when babies get everything they want (toys, cuddles, the tv remote control) they start to think that they are in fact the boss. If you work at creating structure during the day, as well as being firm and consistent (meaning no when you say no) she will learn who is boss, and then the nights will be easier.
    I don't know if that helps. Hope it does. My little one has just weaned herself (which I wasn't ready for) but the other three I did gradually with a bottle.
    Hope things get easier for you soon

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  3. Thanks! I checked out the ABA website, and also today she has gone down for her lunchtime nap with a drink of cows milk from her new cup with a straw! She is very strong-willed and stubborn, but I think she isn't in charge. I'm pretty sure she knows I'm the boss. Shane is away for a while now, but I'll try the drink of water idea at night anyway. It's just a process I guess, but we WILL get there!

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  4. I breatfed for two years then weaned her slowly. I told her she can only have the boobies for bedtime then that's it. After that I explained to her the boobies are only for babies and the bottle is for big girls like her. It was a smooth transition but everytime she sees the boobies she screams and gets excited hahahaha like her daddy!! hahahaha

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Thanks for stopping by, I would so love to hear your thoughts!

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