Packing up the Medela

This is a bittersweet moment for me but I have officially stopped breastfeeding this week.  After 10 1/2 months we decided it was time to stop.  I would have gone longer but with Owen's attachment to nursing, we decided it was best.  I have over #100, 6 ounce bags frozen so this should take us through his first year with no problem.  Right now we mix 3ozs of bmilk with 3ozs of Earth's Best Organic formula and he hasn't been able to tell the difference.  After all the trial and error with formula, I am so happy that we found one that works for O! 

I stopped bfeeding several weeks ago and it was such a sad day.  I never thought I would miss those moments with just me and Owen as much as I did.   I learned to appreciate the bond we shared and still share through nursing, it's such a sweet time for just the two of us.  But I have to face the facts that Owen will soon be a toddler and he's growing up :( 

The first morning I didn't nurse him, I broke down.  We went from cuddling and nursing morning and night to Owen laying on his boppy holding his bottle on his own watching Nick Jr.  Yes, TV because he gets so distracted with what's going on around him that he needs something to focus on.  And at night he would have his bottle, hold it himself and just look at me.  It was hard on both of us and he wanted to nurse badly for a few nights after I started weaning him.  But we made the decision so we had to stick with it.

O's problem is that he associated nursing with sleep.  As I mentioned in an earlier post, part of his sleeping issues is that he was so used to being nursed to sleep and that was the only way he knew how to get back to sleep.  His doctor said sometimes it affects babies and then other babies can be nursed to sleep forever and have no affect.  But since we alreay have sleep issues with Owen, we needed to break his "sleep crutch" which was nursing. 

So for the past 3 weeks I have been weaning O and me and this week I am officially done.  Owen is doing great with his bottle and still cuddles with me with feedings, which is so sweet. 

And for me, after the first few days of being heartbroken, I was happy.  Happy that I could actually go somewhere more than 5 hours and not have to take my friend, Medela with me.

So goodbye old friend, I am no longer a plus one for every trip I go on.  I will see you again in a few years.