Weaning
It's the end of six years of continuous breastfeeding.
My body feels so happy and I am far less touched out :) In the end it was pretty easy...we had tried to night wean for MONTHS, both Riv & Raine were super great when we chose to night wean so it was a shock when Reef flat out refused.
He screamed at me, he screamed at Eric, he just screamed.
Then in Byron he decided to wake up five or so times a night in that first week, and be up for the day at 5.30am...it was fucked.
He woke up during the night less as the weeks went on and he settled in, the last week I was only feeding him to go to sleep and he was pretty good most of the time but still asked to feed a lot.
The trip home sealed the deal...as I was driving I "couldnt" feed him. So he fed once in three days, then I felt engorged and on the verge of mastitis on one side. He hadnt fed in about four days, I woke up at baout 2am one morning and he was feeding on that side. That was about six days ago...and he has not fed since.
I was as gentle as possible, and I am not even a little bit sad about it! I've had such a great time nourishing my babies.
While I encountered many issues in establishing breastfeeding with River:
- cesearean birth
- flat and inverted nipples
- nipple shield
- mastitis and engorgement
- thrush
- limited support
With Raine, it was a breeze. I tandem fed both river and Raine. With Reef it was far more challenging due to severe tongue and lip ties which were lasered (and resulted in him feeling traumatised), he was severely underweight for a few months and refused a bottle (of my breastmilk), I was stressed which made my supply dip though I managed to tandem feed Raine & Reef too.
Raine had her last feed just after our wedding last year in Feb. I assumed I would make it to age three with Reef but I was pretty done with breastfeeding at around 18months!
What a blessing to have exclusively breastfed each child for 6months before introducing solids with Baby Led Weaning, tandem feeding (and donating milk to babies in need) and finally weaning each child after 2years of age.
Breastfeeding is one of the best gifts you can give your child. Benefits include:
For the baby
- Superior nutrition
- There is an increased resistance to infections, and therefore fewer incidents of illness and hospitalisation
- Decreased risk of allergies and lactose intolerance
- Breast milk is sterile
- Baby experiences less nappy rash and thrush
- Baby is less likely to develop allergies
- Baby experiences fewer stomach upsets and constipation
- Breastfed infants tend to have fewer cavities
- Breastfeeding promotes the proper development of baby’s jaw and teeth.
- Breastfed infants tend to have higher IQs due to good brain development early in life
- Babies benefit emotionally, because they are held more
- Breastfeeding promotes mother-baby bonding
- In the long term, breastfed babies have a decreased risk of malnutrition, obesity and heart disease compared to formula fed babies.
For the mother
- The baby's sucking causes a mothers uterus to contract and reduces the flow of blood after delivery
- During lactation, menstruation ceases, offering a form of contraception
- Mothers who breastfeed tend to lose weight and achieve their pre-pregnancy figure more easily than mothers who bottle feed
- Mothers who breastfeed are less likely to develop breast cancer later in life
- Breastfeeding is more economical than formula feeding
- There are less trips to the doctor and less money is spent on medications
- Breastfeeding promotes mother-baby bonding
- Hormones released during breast-feeding create feelings of warmth and calm in the mother
The decision to breast or formula feed remains your individual choice. However, breast milk is undoubtedly the best nutrition you can give your baby, with added benefits for a mother.
http://www.australianunity.com.au/
www.who.int/nutrition/publications/infantfeeding/global-bf-collective-calltoaction/en/
With love,
riel x