The end of nursing, or at least pumping, that is. Ella turns one on Friday (I still can't believe it!), at which point I will start to wean her, slowly but surely.
I have to say--I'm pretty proud of myself for going the whole year. I remember six months ago when I was trying so hard to get to the six month mark of exclusively breastfeeding before starting solids. I was getting up in the middle of the night--even after Ella started sleeping through the night--to pump so that I would be able to keep up both my internal and external supply. Sometime over the summer, I realized that I had more milk in my freezer than food, so I let myself cut out the late-night pumping, but I was still pumping double-time at work (twice in the morning, twice in the afternoon, and fed her directly at lunch).
Last week, I was down to about ten bags of milk in the freezer, and I started pumping just once in the morning and once in the afternoon at work, while still feeding her during my lunch break. Her one-year appointment is on Monday, at which point I'll talk to her pediatrician about introducing milk. My plan is to mix her sippy cups with half-breastmilk/half-milk until she totally transitions to milk. At that point, I'll stop nursing her at lunch...then stop nursing first-thing in the morning...then cut out her bedtime nursing.
I admit--I'm thrilled at the thought of no longer being hooked up to a pump. At this point, it's become so routine that I no longer hate pumping the way I did at the beginning. But I know that I'm really, really, really going to miss the nursing time. I love my special time with her. I really do. I'm not going to "rush" her, but I now that the end of her reliance on me for this kind of nourishment is coming soon.
Today's blessing is seeing new life in a little plan at work. I know this sounds totally corny, but there was a plant in our lobby at work that was dying over the summer. I re-potted it a couple months ago now, and it now has three new leaves. I love walking by it every day and seeing it continue to grow. I know it sounds crazy, but it gives me hope. Sometimes it's just the little things in life, right?
I can't believe she is going to be one!! Even though it meant I could EAT, ending breastfeeding was soooo hard. The last night I fed her I put her down, walked in to the bedroom & cried like a baby into my hubby's chest. There are days I still miss it. We will be praying your weaning process goes smoothly.
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