As my nursing relationship with James is coming to an end, I've been taking some time to reflect...
These are a few of the things that I'm REALLY going to miss about nursing James:
1. Our guaranteed alone time (yes, even those middle-of-the-night feedings, not that we've had them for a long, long time anyway)
2. Those big mid-suck smiles when he starts to get all full and happy
3. Watching him "fall asleep at the buffet" with milk dribbling down his cheek
1. Our guaranteed alone time (yes, even those middle-of-the-night feedings, not that we've had them for a long, long time anyway)
2. Those big mid-suck smiles when he starts to get all full and happy
3. Watching him "fall asleep at the buffet" with milk dribbling down his cheek
4. The ability to INSTANTLY calm him
5. The built-in excuse to bring him into our bed in the mornings, rather than having to get up to fix him breakfast
6. Having him sweetly play with my hair and caress my chin while he eats
7. The silly faces he makes right after nursing in the morning, when he's always at his happiest
However, these are a few of the things that I WON'T be missing though:
1. Wearing a nursing bra and bra pads 24 hours/day (not that I've needed them for a while anyway - slowly losing your milk supply does have SOME benefits)
However, these are a few of the things that I WON'T be missing though:
1. Wearing a nursing bra and bra pads 24 hours/day (not that I've needed them for a while anyway - slowly losing your milk supply does have SOME benefits)
2. The biting (which was bad even BEFORE he had teeth)
3. The extreme nipple pulling when he jerks his head around to look at something (or somebody - Daddy!) while still securely attached to me
3. The extreme nipple pulling when he jerks his head around to look at something (or somebody - Daddy!) while still securely attached to me
4. The raspberries he blows on my chest when he gets frustrated with low/slow milk flow (sorry, but no matter how cute it is, it's also a little bit offensive)
We're down to 2 nursing sessions/day now and the end is in sight. James has been losing interest in the bedtime nursing for over a week (some nights he nurses for a mere 2-3 minutes, some nights he doesn't nurse at all) and I see that phasing out in the next few days. The morning nursings are generally better (probably because he's sleepy and doesn't mind the low/slow flow), but I doubt they will last much longer either (especially if we stop the night nursings, which will only reduce my milk supply further). Since I'm not planning to tandem nurse, my OB prefers that I stop breastfeeding before I enter my 3rd trimester, when the nursing could cause contractions and premature labor. I know I have time before I reach that milestone (about 6 weeks), but my supply isn't going to last anyway, so now, at James' 1-year mark, seems like as good a time as any to wean. It's bittersweet for me, and probably won't be easy for James either (regardless of his waning interest), but we'll get through it. He's growing and eating real meals - there seems to be nothing that he can't or won't eat these days (for example, tonight he polished off 3oz of fruit and veggie puree, half a blueberry bagel with cream cheese, a handful of frozen peas, and some crackers)! His milk intake is dropping overall (he only takes 4 bottles/day now, and rarely finishes all 6oz) and he's drinking well out of his sippy cups (all different kinds now). He can do this too.
And I'm just glad I'll be getting right back into it soon with Miss Cora. I only hope I have as much (or better) success the second time around as I have had with James...
So, thanks for the memories baby. I hope this year of breastmilk (from exclusive to part-time) has given you the best start (nutritionally and otherwise) that it can. I will always treasure our nursing year, and I'm so glad I have photo documentation to look back on. I love you James!
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