For the past week and a half I started grieving.
My beloved son whom I enjoy breastfeeding, turned from nursing to simply suckling my breast like a pacifier.
Since I believe this is not an option I have to freely give him and since if he starts this he doesn't stop till he wakes up and doesn't sleep well anyway, I together with my husband's support decided to quit nursing. We both didn't like it and so he was tantruming his heart out while refusing straight and plain to go to sleep and me got angry at him for being stubborn and not nursing as he should.
Of course it didn't help and after a few days of battling, I tried to find some help on the net as usual. Although I didn't find actual info relevant to my situation, we still found some worthwhile solutions. So yesterday we changed a bit the bedtime routine so that the usual steps which he associates with sleeping time didn't happen and Dave took up the responsibility of bath and sleep. This worked wonderfully- he slept within 20 minutes without a single cry and when he woke up at night he went to sleep alone and when he couldn't Dave took him up and helped him back to sleep. In the end half an hour before he usually wakes up, he came for me for some breast and I did let him suckle on for 30 mins (which I will reduce with 5 mins every week). Now will see what happens tonight!
As for nap time, it is still a bit of a struggle since I'm alone at home and he wants the breast but when the worse comes to the worse I take him for a ride in the car. The same thing as night time we do at nap time - if he asks for my breast a few minutes before he usually wakes up I give it to him. This meant that 2 days in a row he woke up with a smile from nap time which of course made me smile.
It is so sad actually for a nursing mother to have and stop doing what comes so natural. However, I am blessed to have been able to do it for nearly 2 years and God willing the new comer in January will be more than happy to nurse as well. Maybe part of the sadness is also as I wish to see both my children breastfeed together and feel complete and happy all of us together... I know its a fantasy story but still.....
If we have truly found a solution, I can thank God once more that things are settling more rapidly than ever.
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Tuesday, October 26, 2010
We might have cracked the code
For the past week and a half I started grieving.
My beloved son whom I enjoy breastfeeding, turned from nursing to simply suckling my breast like a pacifier.
Since I believe this is not an option I have to freely give him and since if he starts this he doesn't stop till he wakes up and doesn't sleep well anyway, I together with my husband's support decided to quit nursing. We both didn't like it and so he was tantruming his heart out while refusing straight and plain to go to sleep and me got angry at him for being stubborn and not nursing as he should.
Of course it didn't help and after a few days of battling, I tried to find some help on the net as usual. Although I didn't find actual info relevant to my situation, we still found some worthwhile solutions. So yesterday we changed a bit the bedtime routine so that the usual steps which he associates with sleeping time didn't happen and Dave took up the responsibility of bath and sleep. This worked wonderfully- he slept within 20 minutes without a single cry and when he woke up at night he went to sleep alone and when he couldn't Dave took him up and helped him back to sleep. In the end half an hour before he usually wakes up, he came for me for some breast and I did let him suckle on for 30 mins (which I will reduce with 5 mins every week). Now will see what happens tonight!
As for nap time, it is still a bit of a struggle since I'm alone at home and he wants the breast but when the worse comes to the worse I take him for a ride in the car. The same thing as night time we do at nap time - if he asks for my breast a few minutes before he usually wakes up I give it to him. This meant that 2 days in a row he woke up with a smile from nap time which of course made me smile.
It is so sad actually for a nursing mother to have and stop doing what comes so natural. However, I am blessed to have been able to do it for nearly 2 years and God willing the new comer in January will be more than happy to nurse as well. Maybe part of the sadness is also as I wish to see both my children breastfeed together and feel complete and happy all of us together... I know its a fantasy story but still.....
If we have truly found a solution, I can thank God once more that things are settling more rapidly than ever.
My beloved son whom I enjoy breastfeeding, turned from nursing to simply suckling my breast like a pacifier.
Since I believe this is not an option I have to freely give him and since if he starts this he doesn't stop till he wakes up and doesn't sleep well anyway, I together with my husband's support decided to quit nursing. We both didn't like it and so he was tantruming his heart out while refusing straight and plain to go to sleep and me got angry at him for being stubborn and not nursing as he should.
Of course it didn't help and after a few days of battling, I tried to find some help on the net as usual. Although I didn't find actual info relevant to my situation, we still found some worthwhile solutions. So yesterday we changed a bit the bedtime routine so that the usual steps which he associates with sleeping time didn't happen and Dave took up the responsibility of bath and sleep. This worked wonderfully- he slept within 20 minutes without a single cry and when he woke up at night he went to sleep alone and when he couldn't Dave took him up and helped him back to sleep. In the end half an hour before he usually wakes up, he came for me for some breast and I did let him suckle on for 30 mins (which I will reduce with 5 mins every week). Now will see what happens tonight!
As for nap time, it is still a bit of a struggle since I'm alone at home and he wants the breast but when the worse comes to the worse I take him for a ride in the car. The same thing as night time we do at nap time - if he asks for my breast a few minutes before he usually wakes up I give it to him. This meant that 2 days in a row he woke up with a smile from nap time which of course made me smile.
It is so sad actually for a nursing mother to have and stop doing what comes so natural. However, I am blessed to have been able to do it for nearly 2 years and God willing the new comer in January will be more than happy to nurse as well. Maybe part of the sadness is also as I wish to see both my children breastfeed together and feel complete and happy all of us together... I know its a fantasy story but still.....
If we have truly found a solution, I can thank God once more that things are settling more rapidly than ever.
2 comments:
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Jenn Erickson said...
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Melissa, my oldest daughter quit breastfeeding "cold turkey" when she was just 1 year old. I remember how difficult it was, and can completely relate to what you said about grieving.
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October 27, 2010 at 1:45 AM
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Anonymous said...
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I successfully nursed my 5th son for a year. When he turned a year, I gave him a sippy and food - and he never looked back. I grieved - I thought I was ready, but I grieved! Good things pass and are replaced my new good things, but that doesn't make the passing easier! I'm glad things are settling nicely, though!
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October 28, 2010 at 5:27 AM
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2 comments:
Melissa, my oldest daughter quit breastfeeding "cold turkey" when she was just 1 year old. I remember how difficult it was, and can completely relate to what you said about grieving.
I successfully nursed my 5th son for a year. When he turned a year, I gave him a sippy and food - and he never looked back. I grieved - I thought I was ready, but I grieved! Good things pass and are replaced my new good things, but that doesn't make the passing easier! I'm glad things are settling nicely, though!
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