[Originally written: March 31st, 2016]
I am happy to report that yesterday, March 30th, I hit my two-week milestone…no more nursing!! It’s so bittersweet. There are definitely aspects of our nursing relationship that I miss, but for the sake of this post (and my emotional state,) I will not delve into that right now. This post is strictly to update you on how weaning my toddler (cold turkey) has been going.
The first week and a half were definitely painful because I was so engorged with milk. According to La Leche League,”When a mother’s milk supply is decreased slowly, as in gradual weaning, her breasts usually adjust without causing problems. However, when breastfeeding is cut back significantly over a short period of time, she is more likely to experience overfull breasts.” Furthermore, women with overfull breasts, are more likely to develop clogged milk ducts and mastitis (breast infection). Thankfully, I did not develop mastitis or anything like that from weaning so suddenly. Just be forewarned, that this is a possible risk you will take. I do remember day six being particularly painful and sore. Despite my discomfort, I chose to continue my weekly exercise routine as usual. Now on day thirteen, I feel like there’s close to nothing left of my milk supply. The engorgement has finally ceased. I am also able to lie on my stomach comfortably again. However, one inevitable draw back to weaning are the hormones, or lack thereof. Prolactin, the hormone that stimulates milk production, also produces relaxing and calm feelings in a nursing mom. With this hormone now diminishing, there were some moments when I definitely felt more emotional about my decision to wean. Overall though, this has been a really positive experience.
He does still remember obviously and will sometimes still ask to see them. (lol.) For this reason, I still have to wear the bandaids for now. One day he spotted my breasts without the bandaids on them; he got very upset and began asking to drink. So I quickly replaced the bandaids and all was well again! I wish I would’ve known about this trick earlier. When I was first introduced to the idea of using bandaids to wean my toddler cold turkey, I felt skeptical. Yet for some reason, the visualization of them being “broken” or “out of order” has left a lasting impression on him.
So if you have an older baby (like one and a half or older) I definitely believe this tactic can work for you as well. Especially, if gradual weaning did not work for you either, then I’d encourage you to try this. However, if at any point during this process your little one seems to be experiencing extreme anxiety or stress, then you might want to ease up. This weaning strategy is not for everyone. You know what is best for your child though, so you can decide if this sounds like a match for their personality and temperament. I am still thanking the Gods that this actually worked for us. As a result, he has already exhibited so much more independence. I’m sure I’ll have to sport these bandaids for a little while longer though, until he finally stops asking to see them. In the meantime, I’m stoked to have my body back to myself after third-two months of sharing it!
Such a sweet, challenging & beautiful journey it was.
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