Adventures In Weaning From A Dad's Perspective
Photo By David Page
My solo trip is upon us all. Tonight, I leave on the red-eye to journey 3,000 miles from my children for the first time ever. I’ve managed to cut Fuzz down to two nursings a day in the last few, but he still asks for it more often at night. Plus, poor dude has a cold. Good timing, right?
Normally I’d be giving him extra “ma mook” with a runny nose. Makes me a little sad, but with the trip coming up, it doesn’t make sense to go back to five times a day right now.
Some people would call this a “weaning” trip. So now, it’s up to my husband to distract the little dude for three days so that he forgets all about “ma mook” and has fun adventures with his brother and Daddy. I know they’re going to an air show on Sunday, but not sure what they have planned for the rest of the weekend. When we get back, the big question will be if we start nursing again. Personally, I would be fine to continue once or twice a day until he’s two, but I wonder if that’s possible.
There are many ways to wean. Some people do it cold turkey, others cut down for months and months. What works for some may not work for others.
My good friend David Page wrote an excellent piece on his experience with the cold turkey weaning method as he took his 13 month-old son on a 3 day journey into the desert, sans breastmilk, air-conditioning, and you know, a whole bunch of other stuff that no mother would ever forget.
For me, it was nice to read about this from a Dad’s perspective, clearly because I’m worried about leaving my child in a similar situation. As is typical of this subject and the internets, there were a lot of flair-up comments on this post. Arguments about weaning are just as heated as those connected to breastfeeding/formula feeding, sleep-training/co-sleeping, and every other parenting subject where people feel they are “experts.”
While we didn’t wean our first like David and Allison did, it’s nice to read that it worked for them, and their kids came out fine. In fact, they’re more than fine. They’re amazing, brilliant, funny, loving, talented, and heart-breakingly handsome boys. It makes me realize that it’s all gonna be okay.
More about David Page
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Why I’m Ready For My Toddler To Be A Kid
Weaning Update: We’re Down To The Wire
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It totally is going to be OK. I hope you have a fabulous time, and that you sleep uninterrupted for all three nights.
I weaned somewhat unexpectedly at 13 months. I had cut Hailey down to 2X per day (I work out of the home, and stopped pumping at 11 months, plus she had been a part-time formula baby since around 8 months). Anway, at 12 months I started weaning from the middle of the night, because my supply had gone down (she slept through sporadically), and those feedings were just painful for me as I didn’t have milk. But, I still was considering continuing with morning and night feedings until 18 months. However, at 13 months she got really sick, and was so congested that she couldn’t breathe through her nose at all. Therefore, she couldn’t suck. In frustration, she bit me, harder than she ever had before, and at that point, I just knew that we were done.
If she had been younger, I would not have stopped for that above reason, but being that she was 13 months, drinking whole milk during the day, and eating 5 meals/snacks, too, I just realized that it was the end of our nursing relationship.
I was very sad, and of course it was really hard – made harder by her being sick. But, we got through that first night, and within a week, she forgot all about it. We developed a whole new bedtime routine, and I can tell you, she is just fine. I actually think the weaning was harder on my boobs than it was on her. And this was a girl who LOVED to nurse. My nipples = her pacifier.
Good luck to you and your hubby! Whatever the outcome, I hope it all goes smoothly for you!
Thanks! Joanna and Danielle!
Great article and Oh, how cute was J. Thanks for the all the praise. There is no easy way but it’s amazing how easily they move on.
Oh Allison, so so cute!
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