Charlotte has been getting into pretending these days. The other day, after I read her the story of Corduroy she turned to me and said, "I Corduroy!" She then proceeded to recite parts of the story from memory, such as, "I looking my button! My on da mountain! Da ground is moving! It's de escalator! CRASH!" Then she decided she wanted ME to be Corduroy and that she was now going to be Lisa, the little girl in the story. "I Lisa now."
The following story may be TMI for a blog... oh well. It has to do with NURSING, so if that bothers you, don't read it!
Well, a few weeks ago I officially weaned Charlotte. It was a beautiful relationship and I feel so blessed that I could nurse her for so long. I remember being so worried that I might not be able to breastfeed after I ended up having an emergency c-section. Those first few days were tense as I waited for my milk to come in. All my life I had dreamed of being able to provide that for my child and I was worried that it may not work for us.
I remember feeling confused about knowing what to believe because I was discovering contradictions in things I had read and the advice I was being given. I remember feeling exhausted and sore from surgery and lack of sleep. I remember feeling especially sensitive and weepy with all the hormones post delivery. I felt like the smooth labor and delivery I had imagined had been taken away from me and that now the hopes of being able to successfully breastfeed my baby might also be taken from us as well.
The nurses at the hospital were freaking me out by saying my (9lb 6 oz) baby was loosing weight - I learned from my lactation consultant and pediatrician that this is totally NORMAL and not a reason to give up breastfeeding and go to formula. Besides, before the milk comes your body produced colostrum which is packed with nutrients and is exactly what the baby needs first.
They say it can take 3-5 days for your colostrum to change into milk. Charlotte was born on a Tuesday night. I was released from the hospital on Saturday. Once I got home, Charlotte and I both were able to take a good rest without any interruptions. When I woke up and it was time to feed Charlotte again, my milk had come in. Happy day. I remember feeling so relieved that I started to cry.
I know that breastfeeding may not be for everyone and there are some real reasons why it may not work. That is fine, and I respect all women for whatever they decide is right for them.
That being said, I LOVE that I was able to breastfeed my baby Charlotte. It was a commitment, true, but one that I would never trade for anything. I loved knowing that my milk was sustaining life. That it was the best possible nutrition specially made for my baby. She was always super healthy because of it and it also helped me loose the baby weight quickly. Nursing was our special time. It would comfort her if she was scared or hurt or sad. Often it would help her fall asleep. It was our time to snuggle in bed in the morning. It was convenient in that I didn't need to remember to pack a bottle or formula whenever we went out and it was always the right temperature. I love that I was able to provide that for her and that we were able to do it for so long. It was a natural weaning process. There wasn't a deadline or artificial stopping point. It was gradual and slowly the feedings decreased in frequency and eventually we were down to one time a day. Then every other day. Then as needed. And then a few more days went by and it was over. She was ready and I was ready. I will always have fond memories of her snuggled in looking up at me (my favorite was the sly grin she would give me while still latched on).
One of the things I did to wean was distract her and offer a glass of milk instead. Other times I would say, "That's for babies... are you a baby?" To which she would usually reply, "No, I a big girl now."
Charlotte has a new baby cousin in town, Baby Anna (A.K.A. Baby "Nana" to Charlotte). Recently, when Charlotte came up to me and asked for "Nigh-nigh?" I said my usual, "That's for babies... are you a baby?" This time, however, she replied, "I Baby Nana." Nice try! I thought it was a clever usage of make-believe, but, it didn't work and we got the glass of milk instead.
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