If it wasn't for WIC, I would NOT have breastfed!

[2pinks]

Not sure if this belongs here or not. Mods please move if it doesn't.

I just wanted to say that my WIC breastfeeding counselor was GREAT!!! DD2 had latch issues, just wasn't very efficient, slow gainer etc. My poor counselor! I was either calling or up there a couple of times a week and she was so very nice, supportive, and encouraging! I would always tell her how sorry I was to be so neurotic and worried and she would always tell me that that was her job and that was what she was there for-to help moms w/ bfing, and not to worry about it, not everybody can have an easy time w/ bfing but WE would get through this .I had to supplement in the beginning, but, after about 2mos I was able to EBF and nursed dd until she self-weaved at 10.5mos when she realized she couldn't take my boobs with her-lol.

I know that some bfing peer counselors or WIC offices in general aren't very encouraging, but, I am sooooooooo fortunate that mine is.

I find myself actually looking forward to nursing again, which is great b/c for a while in the beginning it was such a struggle and i just wanted to quit every.single.day. but b/c of my counselor's encouragement, I stuck with it.

[Ruthla]

Thanks for sharing! We've heard so much negativity about WIC lately in terms of BF support and promoting formula, that it's great to hear a positive story!

I do want to point out, however, that it is EXTREMELY rare for a baby to truly self-wean before 18mo or so, and self-weaning is much more common at age 2.5-5 years old. It sounds like your baby had a nursing strike and you took that as an opportunity to wean.

This isn't a value judgement- it sounds like you were satisfied with your nursing and weaning experience and it wasn't traumatic for either of you. I just want to clarify, mostly for lurkers, that the normal age for self-weaning is much older than 10mo, and that there are many ways to get a 10mo back to the breast if the baby is losing interest (very helpful if you're currently the mom of a 10mo who's losing interest in nursing and you don't want to wean!)

[2pinks]

Originally Posted by Ruthla

Thanks for sharing! We've heard so much negativity about WIC lately in terms of BF support and promoting formula, that it's great to hear a positive story!

I do want to point out, however, that it is EXTREMELY rare for a baby to truly self-wean before 18mo or so, and self-weaning is much more common at age 2.5-5 years old. It sounds like your baby had a nursing strike and you took that as an opportunity to wean.

This isn't a value judgement- it sounds like you were satisfied with your nursing and weaning experience and it wasn't traumatic for either of you. I just want to clarify, mostly for lurkers, that the normal age for self-weaning is much older than 10mo, and that there are many ways to get a 10mo back to the breast if the baby is losing interest (very helpful if you're currently the mom of a 10mo who's losing interest in nursing and you don't want to wean!)

I never thought of a nursing strike I had heard of them but it just never occurred to me that that's what was happening. Now I feel bad and like a loser. It happened gradually over about the course of a week. First she stopped nursing in the morning, then stopped nursing in the afternoon, etc. I just assumed since it was gradual and not a sudden thing that she was done. I will say that I got my first PPAF about 3-4 days after she stopped nursing so maybe that had something to do with it?

[Ruthla]

Well, my time machine is in the shop so you can't go back and change what already happened. It's great that you nursed her for 10.5 months! And, without the support of the wonderful WIC office you had, you might have only nursed her for 2 weeks. Don't take away from what you DID accomplish!

Now you have more information and you can do better for the next baby.

[GooeyRN]

Celebrate the 10.5 months you made it! THat is quite the accomplishment now a days! I am really glad that WIC was helpful to you. I had the most wonderful free help from local LC's. I would not have been able to bf either of my kids at all if not for them.

[1littlebit]

10.5 months is awesome!!! and since ruthla's time machine is broken we will just have to live and learn lol! but when it's fixed i need to borrow it . i weaned ds at 2 mos to go on medication.. and found out later i didn't need to .. oy. what a mess. relactating and pumping .... but still get caught up in the what ifs sometimes... especially when i am really angry at the pump lol

most people don't know a lot about nursing strikes.. and it seems like one of those things that shouldn't happen... like why would a kid suddenly go on a nursing strike? they love to nurse.. its counter intuitive lol. if it weren't for MDC and my (a tad to late) research on getting ds back to the breast i would have thought the same thing as you in that situation.

[1littlebit]

Originally Posted by GooeyRN

Celebrate the 10.5 months you made it! THat is quite the accomplishment now a days! I am really glad that WIC was helpful to you. I had the most wonderful free help from local LC's. I would not have been able to bf either of my kids at all if not for them.

the LCs at my hospital were awesome.. free advice and info on re lactation.. and when i went in for one on one help to get ds back to the breast they spend way more then my scheduled time with me and didn't charge me since we didn't have any luck

[MaryJaneLouise]

Thank you for sharing that story, and for you and your persistence!

[purplepaperclip]

Good for you mama. Be proud of yourself!

[rmzbm]

My baby weaned at 5 months. Weaned. No nursing strike. It's easy to say babies don't wean before 2 yrs. (as I have myself said many times) until you get one that does. Rare? Sure. Most will nurse well beyond 2 if given the chance. But all babies are different. I wouldn't spend much time wondering about it.

[felix23]

Originally Posted by rmzbm

My baby weaned at 5 months. Weaned. No nursing strike. It's easy to say babies don't wean before 2 yrs. (as I have myself said many times) until you get one that does. Rare? Sure. Most will nurse well beyond 2 if given the chance. But all babies are different. I wouldn't spend much time wondering about it.

:

Out of six children, my mom had one that refused to nurse past 10 months. The rest of us she nursed to two years or longer, but my youngest sister totally weaned at 10 months. She went straight to a cup and would fight like crazy if my mom tried to get her to nurse. rmzbm is right, some babies do naturally wean before two years and your dc might be one of those babies.

[Scullery]

You did awesome! Don't let anyone make you feel like you didn't do enough, you did a great job and everyone's situation is different.

[guitarmama]

This is great to hear! I'm a WIC bfing counselor, and let me tell you, we LOVE when moms call us. I have a cell phone specificly for work, and it nearly never rings. It takes a mom who seeks help to get help. I'm glad you see your WIC counselor as your bfing champion, but it is YOU who made bfing possible for yourself. Good job!!!!!

[2pinks]

Originally Posted by guitarmama

This is great to hear! I'm a WIC bfing counselor, and let me tell you, we LOVE when moms call us. I have a cell phone specificly for work, and it nearly never rings. It takes a mom who seeks help to get help. I'm glad you see your WIC counselor as your bfing champion, but it is YOU who made bfing possible for yourself. Good job!!!!!

Yes, fortunately she is still there and apparently they have also hired another knowledgeable "go-getter" as well that I spoke w/ once and really liked. I don't know what i'd do if they left!

[MyBoysBlue]

Take it as a learning experience. I thought I was self weaning my DS 1 when he was 9 months. I now know that wasn't possible and realize the mistakes I made that lead to his early weaning.

I took that experience and learned from it and I am now still nursing my DS 2 at 25 months.

I am glad to hear that you had such great support.