First, I wanted to say thanks to all of you who have unknowingly supported and encouraged me to continue nurse my toddler through the tough times just by your posting here. There were a number of times that my daughter's hit-n-run nursing, her constant rubbing of my eye-brow while nursing , or my own stresses really made me want to give it all up. And I admit there were times that I asked my daughter if she was ready to quit. Of course she said no. And I always gave into her requests, even if it was asking her to wait for awhile.
Well, apparently she has decided she is done. She nursed a couple of times at my MIL's house over the holidays, only when she was feeling really tired and was fighting an illness. But I encouraged her to nurse and am so glad that I did. But since we've been home, she hasn't nursed. She's battling a pretty bad sinus infection and I've felt rather impotent to help her. But I've talked to her about nursing and she isn't sad about giving it up. She was just ready. I held her last night and told her how glad I was that she had gotten "milkies" for so long, how proud I was to be her mommy and how proud I was of her, that I loved being able to give her milkies and if she changed her mind and wanted to nurse again, that was fine. She just smiled and hugged me.
I thought I would secretly feel relieved when I wasn't nursing anymore, but a significant part of me is mourning the loss of that relationship. I'm always going to be glad that I let HER be the one to make the decision to end that part of her childhood, though. I know my own grief and regret would be multiplied 10-fold if I had forced her to wean before she was ready.
So, thanks ladies! The support you provide here is helping a lot of people that you'll probably never hear from. Those moms and their children are grateful, though. Keep up the good fight!
Well, apparently she has decided she is done. She nursed a couple of times at my MIL's house over the holidays, only when she was feeling really tired and was fighting an illness. But I encouraged her to nurse and am so glad that I did. But since we've been home, she hasn't nursed. She's battling a pretty bad sinus infection and I've felt rather impotent to help her. But I've talked to her about nursing and she isn't sad about giving it up. She was just ready. I held her last night and told her how glad I was that she had gotten "milkies" for so long, how proud I was to be her mommy and how proud I was of her, that I loved being able to give her milkies and if she changed her mind and wanted to nurse again, that was fine. She just smiled and hugged me.
I thought I would secretly feel relieved when I wasn't nursing anymore, but a significant part of me is mourning the loss of that relationship. I'm always going to be glad that I let HER be the one to make the decision to end that part of her childhood, though. I know my own grief and regret would be multiplied 10-fold if I had forced her to wean before she was ready.
So, thanks ladies! The support you provide here is helping a lot of people that you'll probably never hear from. Those moms and their children are grateful, though. Keep up the good fight!
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