Operation Weaning Sprout

So here's my post about weaning. I don't know what else to say except, "she's weaned." We took things slowly for about 6 weeks. I dropped one feeding at a time and replaced it with a sippy cup of milk. The first morning feeding was the last to go. I nursed her on Thursday morning while lying in bed. We snuggled and I stroked her hair and told her how much it all meant to me and how I was going to miss it. She just nursed. We switched sides and I told her all over again.

I marveled at how beautiful she is, how much she has grown and developed into a little girl. I thought about those days when I had blisters on my nipples and cried through every feeding and how my stubborn streak was the only thing that kept us going. I wondered if weaning now was the right thing to do, but I knew that it felt right.

I'm so glad that I stuck it out and got to experience the pleasant, happy side of BFing. And I'm glad that we ended on a high note. It was hard, but so worth it. It feels a little strange because, although it is such a big milestone to me, it really doesn't feel like much has changed. Our days are just about the same. We did that on purpose so that the transition would be easy for both of us, and it was successful, but like so many things, it's a little anticlimactic. Kind of like the last day of school. The kids leave and you're just sitting there with a pile of paperwork. You're happy and relieved, but you still have to get on with things.

I have had no engorgement or discomfort at all, which is nice, but a little strange, since I was expecting it.

To be fair, I left Friday morning for Las Vegas. It was the perfect way to celebrate and reward myself for a year of Breastfeeding. I got a weekend for just me. No husband, no baby, just my college girlfriends and a carry on bag. I'll talk more about the trip later, but I think that weaning right before I left was perfect because I didn't have to be the one to give her that cup of milk instead of nursing her for the first couple of days. And I really needed the time to myself.

So, we did it. I nursed Sprout for over a year. I'm proud and relieved. And I'm a little sad, because my baby girl isn't a baby anymore. I guess all those mommas know what they are talking about when they say that it all goes by so fast.