Forced Weaning

P is currently 30 months old and I've been thinking of weaning him after he turned two years old. He only latches before sleeping and when he's fussy in the car. Every time I tell him he can't latch, he kicks up a fuss so I end up feeding him.

When my operation was scheduled, I once again tried to wean him but I could not bear his crying. Besides, he became extra clingy after my ovarian cyst was discovered, as if he knew that something was wrong. I was not about to push him away then, figuratively speaking.

So we ended up forced weaning cold turkey. I spent 2 nights in the hospital. My sister was the one who slept beside him and she said ge tried to pull up her shirt while half-asleep. Hahaha. When I got home, he tried to come near me for me to carry him and I would show him my bandages. He'd say, "Funny, Mommy." At night, we kept pillows between us especially on my stomach area, and he'd try to cuddle. However, he never specifically asked for "dede mommy".

I guess that's that, we're weaned. Now I have to wean him from the bottle and maybe potty train him.

Getting Ready to Wean from the Breast Pump

I think I am ready to wean myself from the breast pump at sixteen months post-partum. Note that I said "wean" and not "self-wean" because so far, P shows no signs of self-weaning. However, his demand for the boob is not as frequent as before.

I love breastfeeding despite the complications I had. Especially so that when we went abroad for three weeks a couple of weeks ago, direct latch proved to be so convenient and helpful. I usually breastfed P before take-off and he'd be asleep during the actual take-off and usually for the rest of the flight. I breastfed him when he got antsy during the shows at Disney World and Kennedy Space Center. Now at home, I breastfeed him after dinner and he falls asleep.

However, despite taking malunggay tablets, drinking malunggay tea and gorging on oatmeal cookies, my pumping output is beyond pitiful. I pump 3x at the office and I hardly come up with half an ounce. So it really makes no sense for me to lug my heavy pumping paraphernalia of parts and cooler with blue ice all the way to the office for half an ounce, or even lesser, a day.

Lest I get mastitis again, which I've read could still happen, my strategy is to drop a session this week, then another session next week. So I guess I won't be pumping on May 10 henceforth.

As for weaning P from the boob, I think I'll keep offering it if he still wants to. Again, I've noticed that he's not demanding more of it naman, and he falls asleep immediately after a few minutes, so I guess he wants it more for comfort rather than for sustenance.

Wish us luck.

Self-Weaning or Nursing Strike?

Pio latches to me every night to sleep and whenever we are together during the day. He refuses the bottle when I'm the one giving it to him. Last Sunday, I remember trying to feed him before we leave the house but he just bit me. Then throughout that day, he'd latch then bite me. That night, his daddy lulled him to sleep as he kept on biting me.

Monday night was the same, even worse, because he'd refuse to latch. He would pull up my shirt then immediately turn away. He went to sleep without nursing, I recited the two books of his that I had memorized until he fell asleep. I turned to Google, I read that babies don't self-wean earlier than 18 months, and Pio is just turning 14 months this month. It could be a nursing strike daw. But later that night, when he stirred in his sleep, I offered him the boob and he latched and nursed.

Last night was the same. He refused to latch at all and put himself to sleep after tumbling around the bed for an hour. When he stirred, I again offered him the boob and he latched and nursed.

With all the difficulties I've gone through with breastfeeding, you'd think I'd be ecstatic that he's weaning. No more nursing tops and dresses, no more pumping and washing the pump! But I felt sad. We are travelling soon and I plan to nurse him during the plane's ascent and landing as it'd be easier to take out the boob than make a bottle haha. And I'd miss having the power of the boob to soothe him when he's going cray-cray.

This morning though, he nursed while he was awake and he did not bite me. Agh. Baby, you're driving me crazy. :)


UPDATE: IT'S A NURSING STRIKE. Within the week, he just went back to nursing. just like that. haha.