Last night as I was nursing G-unit before bed, my husband asked me how long I was going to continue to nurse her.
"Why? Does it bother you that I'm still breastfeeding?" I asked him.
He said it doesn't "bother" him, but he thinks I should stop at two years old. Obviously, it does bother him, or he wouldn't have brought it up.
I've felt as though it was time to stop for awhile now. (Well, ever since she started getting all demanding about it.) I just haven't had "The Heart" to stop. I know she'll be devastated, but I also know that I can't do it forever and that the longer I continue to do it, the harder it will be to wean her.
This morning, I made the decision to stop her morning "BOB" sessions. I was worried that All Hell Would Break Loose when I layed her in her crib without having given her The Bobs.
As I was getting ready to lay her down, she looked at me and said "BOBOHS? BOBS? BOBS!" I said "No BOBS, it's time to go night night, ok?" She shook her head and shouted "NO! NO!" I felt like crying, I felt like I was being cruel. But, I stood my ground. "No BOBS, baby girl. It's time to go to sleep."
I hugged her, kissed her, layed her down and braced myself for the screaming that would surely take place as I walked out of the room.
To my GREAT SURPRISE, there was no screaming, nor was there any crying. Instead, she giggled and said "Bye Mom."
Within 5 minutes, she was out cold.
Operation Phase Out The Bobs is in full effect.
I have mixed emotions about it. On one hand, I know that it has to end sometime and it feels like that time is now. On the other hand, knowing she's my last baby, that the beautiful experience of holding my daughter while she drinks (Cheesy Version) the milk of my breasts (Non-Cheesy Version) my awesomely nutritious Tittymilk will no longer be a part of my life, knowing that this part of my life as a mother is coming to an end is hard to accept. It's painful in ways that I never imagined.
I know some women who are THRILLED to be done with breastfeeding. They're like "I'm SO over this! I want my boobs back!"
WHY CAN'T I BE ONE OF THOSE WOMEN?
Wait! I WAS one of those women when I was nursing my boys. Why is it so different this time around?
Why do I have to be The One Who Cries and Feels Guilty for quitting? THE GIRL IS ALMOST TWO! She has molars! And! She asks for them by name! And pulls up my shirt to check up on them. And then, kisses them and says "niiiiice boobies."
It's SO time to stop.
I just wish it wasn't so damn hard for me. (Because, obviously, I'm the one with the problem here, since my daughter is snoring away, totally not upset at ALL about not having partaken of The Bobs. Which, I suppose I should be happy about! But, instead, I sit here slightly traumatized that SHE HAS CLEARLY MOVED ON.)
(I don't blame her, she's growing up and has more important things to do with her time, things like, you know, "Go Wee".)







Did you nurse your boys this long? I nursed my first child until he was one and my second self weaned herself around 10 months. Both times, I was glad to have my body back. With my third- and last- I nursed until he was 2 1/2 and it broke my heart to wean him. In fact, I STILL miss it and he will be 3 next week. My first two kids liked breastfeeding but they were "busy" kids and were often clammering to get down and play and explore. My third child was content to lay next to me or be held in my lap for up to an hour and nurse. This will sound cheesy- but I think it was more of an emotional experience for him as well as a nutritional need. It was hard for him to let go and therefore I think it made it hard for me to let go. I really think it all depends on the child when it comes to how easy it is to stop nursing. Joe "needed" it more than my other two kids.
All that said, it took less than a week for him to get over it and move on. lol I, on the other hand, really miss those cuddly times where he would snuggle up next to me in bed and nurse. My heart is having a hard time coming to terms that he is my last baby. I think that had a lot to do with it as well.