As you may well remember, I have been a lactating, breastfeeding, pumping FOOL since little Mr. O graced us with his presence. And honestly? I've been happy to do it. Sure it's been challenging (understatement: please reference the first TWO WEEKS of mighty sore nipples, the engorgement, and the frequent plugged ducts. The latter of which have only recently vacated my life. Knock on wood. Oh, and the sleepless nights, leaking, and feeling not just a little bit like a milk cow) but. BUT it has also been rewarding (for this, please kindly reference the increased attachment to my baby, yummy "well-being" hormones, decreased risk of breast cancer, providing nature's perfect food for baby, increased I.Q. points (for him, not me. As you all know, I have been suffering from "momnesia") ) and for that I am glad I stuck with it.Little Mr. O's 1st birthday is rapidly approaching, however, and I've been thinking, nay DREAMING about the day I get to stop pumping at work. I don't want to totally wean quite yet...I'm fine with the early morning nursing, the evening nursing, yes and even middle-of-the-night nursing for a while longer- its just that I'd like to say HASTA LA VISTA, BABY to my GD PUMP during daylight hours.
So here's my plan: Once Otto is 1, I'll assess how he's doing on eating solids (hopefully he'll be just a bit more gung-ho than he is at present) and try him out on some organic cow milk. See how that goes. If all's well, I'll start cutting out one workday pumping session at a time. (If all is not well, then we'll explore our options. )
Right now, I pump once in the morning, bike to daycare and nurse him at noon, then pump once in the afternoon. I figure I'll cut out the morning session first, then the afternoon session, saving the noon-time nursing for last. We both enjoy seeing each other in the middle of the day and while saying "Bye" twice a day (or as little O says, "Die-Die" while clenching and un-clenching his fist) is not too traumatic for him, I think it would be good to save this feeding for the last one to go.
So that's my plan. Whether or not it turns out to be actually feasible, it feels good to have it in place. (Yes, I am a teensy bit Type A...)
1 comment:
Sounds like what we did. M still doesn't like cow's milk though. I dropped one bottle/pumping at a time, until I wasn't pumping at all, and then I used the last of what was in the freezer to get her to her to 15 months. Then, it was up to the toddler room and bye bye bottles anyway.
I was going to go to two years, but I may not make it for medical reasons. However, isn't it a great feeling to have done it long enough you can free yourself from the woosh woosh woosh.
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