Tandem Nursing and Weaning
I'm not ready to wean and nor is my son, who is 14 months, but the time is near...I have an impending business trip back to NYC and I will not pump.... so on my return, no more "mimi" (which is my son's term for nursing, combined with pointing at my breasts). If I didn't have the trip planned - right after he turns 15 months- I don't know how I would wean. Particularly as lately he has been sick and nursing more. It's our special cuddling time.
The main reason I want to wean is that despite my doctor's assurance and my own research, I remain skeptical that nursing throughout my pregnancy is a good idea. In order to nurse my son, I must create extra nutrients and I fear that I will be taking this away from my second child. Also, my son will be 15 months and even though emotionally neither of us is ready (for nursing provides such a special connection with your children) he is eating solid foods and hardly surviving off my milk. He wants to nurse - and now requests it - in the mornings, when he is unwell or when he injures himself and when he goes to bed- all instances when he wants to be nurtured and not because he is missing something vital from his diet. A secondary reason (and after I already resolved to wean at 15 months) is that it has become painful to nurse (albeit nothing compared to my stygian first two months before his frenulectomy) and worse, lately every time I nurse, I get contractions (again, nothing compared to the contractions of actual labour, but enough of an ouch factor to add to the mix). My doctor warned me about this, but she assured me it wouldn't lead to a miscarriage, but one wonders...
So my plan is to first cut down to strict twice a day and then once a day and then scuttle off to NYC and leave hubby to handle Day Zero....ha ha ha ha ...while I will be crying in NYC since I will have a weaning period too and since it would be my first time away from my little one.
The main reason I want to wean is that despite my doctor's assurance and my own research, I remain skeptical that nursing throughout my pregnancy is a good idea. In order to nurse my son, I must create extra nutrients and I fear that I will be taking this away from my second child. Also, my son will be 15 months and even though emotionally neither of us is ready (for nursing provides such a special connection with your children) he is eating solid foods and hardly surviving off my milk. He wants to nurse - and now requests it - in the mornings, when he is unwell or when he injures himself and when he goes to bed- all instances when he wants to be nurtured and not because he is missing something vital from his diet. A secondary reason (and after I already resolved to wean at 15 months) is that it has become painful to nurse (albeit nothing compared to my stygian first two months before his frenulectomy) and worse, lately every time I nurse, I get contractions (again, nothing compared to the contractions of actual labour, but enough of an ouch factor to add to the mix). My doctor warned me about this, but she assured me it wouldn't lead to a miscarriage, but one wonders...
So my plan is to first cut down to strict twice a day and then once a day and then scuttle off to NYC and leave hubby to handle Day Zero....ha ha ha ha ...while I will be crying in NYC since I will have a weaning period too and since it would be my first time away from my little one.
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