Exactly one week ago, I had my last feed with Lainey.
We had a 14-month run.
Deciding to "end" our breastfeeding journey was a very hard decision. Lainey and I both loved our nursing sessions. But it was time. She was ready. More ready than me, probably!
I am very process orientated, and I felt like there were not many guides or resources on "how to" wean. I had many questions and not many answers. My original "plan" was to be to remove a feed per week, starting when Lainey turned one, which meant Lainey would be fully weaned around Thanksgiving. We ended up doing something completely different (which I am happy about!) but sums up motherhood pretty accurately!
On Lainey's first birthday, we introduced her to whole cow's milk (in a sippy cup) for the first time with her dinner. I wanted her to be introduced to milk before I took a feed away from her. Lainey didn't seem too interested in the milk. She's been very preferential to breastmilk so I wasn't very surprised.
The next day, on October 22nd, I started the weaning process. At that time, we were nursing four times a day (morning feed, morning nap, afternoon nap, and before bed).
I read that to wean, you should start with the easiest feed to remove. I thought the morning feed would be the easiest to remove because Lainey is very active! I figured I could easily start reading or playing upon waking, and she would be too distracted to even think about nursing.
That morning, I offered Lainey a sippy cup of warmed whole milk upon waking. She drank it sporadically while we read books and played for about 30 minutes before we ate breakfast together. She didn't fuss or sign for milk at any point. Whew!
Same would be true for the next 4 days. We had no issues removing the first feed of the day.
After 4 days of weaning from the morning feed, I tried removing the morning nap feed. Maybe this was unconventional (removing both morning feeds) but I thought it was the next easiest, since she's always been pretty tired in the morning after reading, playing, and eating. I had no idea how it was going to go. Typically, before her nap, I would sign for milk, and we would sit in her rocking chair and nurse before I would put her down to nap.
Before her morning nap, I did not sign milk, but instead just sat with her in her chair. I offered her milk from a sippy cup, which she didn't really want to drink. So I sang to her, and we cuddled. She seemed fairly content. She didn't fuss, cry, tug at my shirt, or anything. We sat in the chair together for about 10 minutes. To my surprise, I was able to put her down- no problem!
For the next eight weeks, Lainey would only nurse before her afternoon nap and before bed. She had no issues with not nursing in the morning. A few times she would sign for milk while we sat in her rocker but I would offer milk from her sippy cup instead. She would sometimes take it, but usually opted for her thumb and would cuddle into my arms. I would comfort her in other ways like singing and cuddling, and she didn't seem to mind she wasn't nursing. She never fussed, cried, or tugged at my shirt.
On December 12th, I decided to remove the night feed. Typically, at bed time, I would nurse Lainey and then put her down. But a couple weeks leading up to this date, Lainey was giving signs that she was ready to remove the night feed as well.
During her bedtime feed, she wasn't nursing much. Instead, she would sign for her book and was much more interested in eating some snacks, singing, tickling, and laughing together. (We have a lot of fun together at bedtime - just ask Tyler! He can hear our laughing and silliness through the monitor!).
I was really sad about removing the bedtime feed. There was something so sentimental about it. Nursing at bedtime was our routine for over 13 months! Even though I knew Lainey was ready, it was hard for me to accept that my baby was hardly a baby anymore! She was growing up!
I followed the same process as I did when I removed the feed before her morning nap. I didn't offer her milk, and she didn't ask for it. We continued to do the same thing we had been doing for a few weeks- reading, eating, singing, tickling, laughing in her chair- just minus the milk. It was pretty seamless, again, I think because she was showing that she was ready.
Eight days later, on December 20th, we had our last feed together.
It was a Sunday, and I knew it was going to be our last feed. I felt anxious all day, knowing that when afternoon came, our last feed was going to happen. I was so sad! I was especially loving the afternoon feeds. Lainey had been falling asleep on my chest during these feeds. The days of her falling asleep on my chest were harder to come by, which made this time of day even more special! I really didn't want to wean from this feed but I knew I had to.
The next day, before Lainey's afternoon nap, I followed the same process as I had been. Again, I didn't know how Lainey was going to take to this one, especially because I had been nursing her to sleep (and it was all that was left!). But she went down just fine.
It has been a week, and we have had no issues. There have been a couple times she has signed for milk (throughout the day), but I think it has been more of her asking for me, rather than actually asking for milk.
Thinking back, our weaning process was really seamless. Lainey did great and was ready, which I think helped the process go smoothly.
I am sad our journey has ended. I was hoping to have kept at least one feed for awhile, but I knew this is what I had to do. Even though I am sad, I am also really thankful! Though I wish our journey could have been even longer, I am so thankful that we were able to have the journey together- period! The amazing connection and all the memories we built from it are priceless. I know Lainey won't remember our journey, but I always will. And that makes my heart incredibly happy!
Thank you for making me a mom and for making a fantastic team, Lainey girl!! I love you so much!!!
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