Boobies are for Babies

We are done.

Nursing is for babies, and I have a big girl. 

Contrary to popular belief, you can nurse a baby through a subsequent pregnancy if you so choose.  No harm will come to any of the three of you, you will just have to eat enough to make the milk and gain the necessary weight and drink a ton of water.  It is doable.  Admittedly, most doctors recommend against it, including my own OB/GYN, but research says that you can do it with no adverse effects.

But, as you might remember, with a trip to Rome looming over me and now a baby on the way, it was time for weaning.  I need a break between kids, and I need this one to sleep through the night (in her own bed) before the next one comes and we start all over.

We made a “No Boobies When the Sun is Up” rule two days before Hoot’s birthday, a week after the pee-stick confirmed that Baby Appleseed was joining us.  My supply had kind of dipped, which was actually the first way that Appleseed made him or herself known and cued me that I should pee on the much talked about stick in the first place. 

So we just cut the day nursings out.

Hoot surprised me.  She never asked for it during the day, she was taking naps without nursing and she was as happy as ever. 

I stalled on cutting the night nursing for another three weeks, but three nights ago, Hayden nursed for the last time.  We just told her, "No more. Boobies are for babies. You're a big girl now." And that was that.

The world (and my heart) didn’t implode.

She was only minimally annoyed the first night, and she got over it and went back to sleep.

An era has ended – we had a good run. 

I loved nursing my girl, I loved that relationship, and I will always remember it dearly.  But we are on to a different, big girl relationship.  I think it has been harder on me than on her, but even I am proud that she is so accepting of a sippy of whole milk throughout the day and that she likes just snuggling and watching Sesame Street before naps and bedtime.  I am proud that she is so able to adapt, and it gives me hope on the sleeping through the night front.

 And in a few short months, I will be back at the starting line with a new baby - who I plan on nursing for at least a year just like his or her sister, but I can’t promise that I won’t nurse longer than that.  We’ll see what the future brings us.  All I know right now, at almost 13 months, Hootie is happy and thriving, and weaning her wasn’t as hard as it felt like it might be. 

But, between you and I, I already miss it – just a little.  ;)