(no subject)
E's post on weaning reminded me that I wanted to record Finlay's weaning here, in case I forget.
I introduced solids late to Fin. I started at 6 months, but he got a cold and it was holiday-time, so I went back to exclusive bf until the holidays were quite finished with, just after 7 months. But he was very slow at taking to food -- partly because I was very hesitant about giving it to him, probably. (How could he possibly chew without teeth?!? And he was definitely still very interested in bf.
When I went back to work, he was 12 months, and I pumped for him to take a bottle with him. It took him a few days to learn to use the bottle, but he soon decided he'd rather have the bottle than subsist on solids throughout the day. He was eating some solids at this point -- well, if jars of baby food can be counted as solids.
I gradually got him down to only one bf each day, at nighttime, and replaced his pumped milk at school with formula. And traded in the baby food for sandwiches and real, non-pureed fruit.
And then around 15 months, I got pregnant and was worried that the new baby wouldn't get enough nutrition if I kept bf. My dr also suggested that I wean for this reason. So we cut out his nighttime bf by having Brian put him to sleep with a bottle. Once this feed was gone, he started asking for mimi the odd time, so we were only bf-ing occasionally on demand. Even though I was definitely "leading" the process, I didn't want to ever actually refuse him. That was my concession to "mutually-led." So basically, he was asking for mimi whenever he hurt himself and wanted comfort, which became less and less common over the next couple of months. The last time I breastfed he was 17 months old.
He did ask once more, at about 18 months, when he was sick. He had just puked all over me, so I took off both our clothes, and took him right into the shower with me and washed us both off. I guess the sight of my boobs reminded him of bf, because he asked for "mimi" (his word for bf). I let him latch on, which he did -- very tentatively, and then came back off again when he realized there was nothing there. And he hasn't asked again, so I was happy with how that turned out. No guilt, because I never actually refused him mimi when he asked for it. And I don't have guilt on the other side, because I breastfed him only very small amounts and not at all far into the pregnancy.
He's 19 months now, and I don't think that my having led the process has had any negative effect at all on his developing psyche. It was such a gradual process, that he really barely noticed.
As for the pregnancy, I am 18 weeks now, and showing. This pregnancy is going so much faster than my first. I am so much busier, I guess, that I haven't as much time to count the days going by.
I introduced solids late to Fin. I started at 6 months, but he got a cold and it was holiday-time, so I went back to exclusive bf until the holidays were quite finished with, just after 7 months. But he was very slow at taking to food -- partly because I was very hesitant about giving it to him, probably. (How could he possibly chew without teeth?!? And he was definitely still very interested in bf.
When I went back to work, he was 12 months, and I pumped for him to take a bottle with him. It took him a few days to learn to use the bottle, but he soon decided he'd rather have the bottle than subsist on solids throughout the day. He was eating some solids at this point -- well, if jars of baby food can be counted as solids.
I gradually got him down to only one bf each day, at nighttime, and replaced his pumped milk at school with formula. And traded in the baby food for sandwiches and real, non-pureed fruit.
And then around 15 months, I got pregnant and was worried that the new baby wouldn't get enough nutrition if I kept bf. My dr also suggested that I wean for this reason. So we cut out his nighttime bf by having Brian put him to sleep with a bottle. Once this feed was gone, he started asking for mimi the odd time, so we were only bf-ing occasionally on demand. Even though I was definitely "leading" the process, I didn't want to ever actually refuse him. That was my concession to "mutually-led." So basically, he was asking for mimi whenever he hurt himself and wanted comfort, which became less and less common over the next couple of months. The last time I breastfed he was 17 months old.
He did ask once more, at about 18 months, when he was sick. He had just puked all over me, so I took off both our clothes, and took him right into the shower with me and washed us both off. I guess the sight of my boobs reminded him of bf, because he asked for "mimi" (his word for bf). I let him latch on, which he did -- very tentatively, and then came back off again when he realized there was nothing there. And he hasn't asked again, so I was happy with how that turned out. No guilt, because I never actually refused him mimi when he asked for it. And I don't have guilt on the other side, because I breastfed him only very small amounts and not at all far into the pregnancy.
He's 19 months now, and I don't think that my having led the process has had any negative effect at all on his developing psyche. It was such a gradual process, that he really barely noticed.
As for the pregnancy, I am 18 weeks now, and showing. This pregnancy is going so much faster than my first. I am so much busier, I guess, that I haven't as much time to count the days going by.