We Have Weaned!!

20 months of nursing. 29 months of my body giving of itself to grow and then nourish and comfort my baby. To say I am proud of my nursing journey is an understatement considering my doctors warned me over and over that due to my CF there was a good chance I would not be able to nurse at all. I could lose too much weight, I could get too tired, I could get sick and needs meds deemed unsafe for nursing. And yet, Kay and I made it to 20 whole months!

I am no expert and every kid is different, but I wanted to share how I weaned because it is probably the most bizarre story you have ever heard.

I was slowly weaning over the course of several months since I wanted it to be as easy on Kay as possible. With that being said, by the time we were down to one feeding I was ready. After over 2 years of giving so much of myself to K through pregnancy and nursing I needed my body back. With my health issues I needed time to focus on my own body and Kay was old enough that her body no longer needed mine.

We got down to one feeding just as she woke up. I was her morning coffee. I loved these feedings because I was able to snuggle, doze off, and enjoy a lazy early morning while waiting for the sun to rise. Despite my own enjoyment for these slow lazy wake ups I knew that these feedings were a habit for K and no longer a necessity.

I think she knew it was time to wean, too. I started trying to distract her soon after latching on and it would work some of the time and other times she completely refused to be swayed from her long snuggles and nursing. Then one day she figured out a way to let go of nursing and leave that chapter behind us.

Let me first explain something, K has this obsession with her feet. It is seriously cute (and strange). She makes them talk, do breathing treatments (complete with fake spitting and patting them on the "back"), she makes them do silly things like read books, play with toys, and have conversations. Kids are weird and K is no exception!!

So one day Kay asked if her dedos (toes in Spanish) could nurse. In my sleepy state I agreed and Kay held her feet to my chest, we counted to five, and then she jumped off my lap and went to play. I was left in the rocking chair a little perplexed at what had just happened. My little Kay just nursed her feet and then seemed satisfied. Was this the key to weaning??

Although she ended up nursing a few more times in the next few weeks, the majority of the time she would ask to let her feet nurse and then move on. We weaned (both Kay and her feet) for a few weeks now and although she sometimes asks when she first wakes up and is sleepy she seems perfectly content with our new no-nursing relationship. I miss it at times, but know in my heart that both K and I were ready for the next chapter of our lives which does not include nursing.

You won't find this advice in a book and I am not sure any other kid would be satisfied with nursing their feet, but my little Kay found her own way to say goodbye to nursing and that is more than okay with me!