Weaning

For as much as I've complained about giving up most of my lunch to pump, not being able to run while nursing, soreness, Cate biting, and mastitis (which reared its very ugly head for the last time this fall), I am thankful that I've been able to nurse Cate this long. When the pediatrician and lactation consultant both told me this time last year (when Cate was still a month away) that nursing for a year was optimal, I thought they were completely crazy. But Cate was a great little eater from birth and each little hurdle seemed to challenge and encourage me more rather than make me want to quit.

This week we began weaning Cate. She HATES sippy cups (we're on cup type #4 now...the Nuby sippy cup...this after the AVENT Magic Trainer, a Gerber sippy cup, and some from The First Years). Cate takes about an ounce and then decides she's done with the cup-- throwing it on the floor or turning it upside down to shake. Eventually we give in and transfer the milk to a bottle because she needs the milk. Tonight at dinner, we stopped doing that and only gave her the cup. She took more with the Nuby than with the others, but didn't even finish a quarter of the cup. Then she started crying and pulling at me. It hurt to deny what I knew she really wanted- to nurse. But I've got to stay strong. I did NOT like that this morning as she crawled around the bedroom while I got dressed she looked up at me and started smacking her lips...not cool. That means it's really time to wean.

So we're going to keep going with the cup and not transferring it to a bottle...she'll catch on. And for now she can only nurse at night before bed (we're not quite ready for the trauma of giving that one up and it's the one I mind least because she usually falls asleep). I'm looking forward to having a full half hour to eat my lunch which also means I can once again bring hot food as I'll have time to warm it up. And I'm looking forward to running. :-)

I'll leave you with this picture of the peanut playing under her exersaucer instead of in it.
~Melody :-)