It’s Not a Punishment
Dear Dexter,
I have truly enjoyed the last seven and a half months holding you in my arms day after day and night after night, letting you suckle at my breast. I’ve had so much satisfaction knowing that I was personally providing you with a level of comfort that no one else could ever give you. When you first latched on moments after birth, I knew that it was exactly where you belonged. Seeing you smile at me for the first time, half your face shrouded in my skin made my heart leap with joy.
And though I’ve tried several times to wean you off, I’ve never been able to do it without a sense of guilt and a desperate need to put you back.
But now the time has come for me to let you become the little boy you are showing yourself to be. It will be hard on both of us, but I know that with daddy’s help and the support of all those around us, both of us will survive.
Please remember, my little trooper, that this is not a punishment. I would let you nurse forever and a day if it’s what you wanted and what we knew was best. But for so many reasons, the time has come to give up the boob. Mommy loves you so very much, and I would never do anything to hurt you. But you’re a big boy now, and we must go forward into toddlerhood without the crutch of mama’s milk holding us back.
I promise you, though, that you are always welcome in my arms. You can nuzzle and caress me as much as you would like, and I will always comfort you as much as I possibly can.
I love you now, and I will love you forever.
Forever your loving mother,
Bubby
This post originated at A Mother Thing (http://www.amotherthing.com). If you want to leave a comment, please do so here: http://www.amotherthing.com/2011/09/its-not-a-punishment/#comments