Hasta La Vista Boobie
I think we'll survive!
I am no longer breastfeeding Saioa. I never had an end-date in mind but at 15 months old I felt like it was time. Being able to be at home with her and nurse her for this long has been an absolute dream.
She never did take a bottle and fortunately it was never really necessary. Once she started eating solids there was no need for me to push the bottle on her and by then our nursing sessions were reserved for naps and bedtime. Now she drinks whole milk out of a sippy cup and it’s nice that I won’t have to wean her off of a bottle.
There have, however, been some unexpected changes.
1) I thought that I would be emotional about not nursing her anymore but I wasn’t. She’s a happy, healthy baby and there’s nothing for me to be sad about just because we’re not breastfeeding anymore. She’s hitting too many other milestones and that makes saying bye to the boobie a non-event.
2) My menstrual cycles are not monstrous anymore. Some women are lucky enough to not even have a period while they’re breastfeeding, but my Aunt Flo came back to town when Saioa was only two months old. And boy was she a monster! A week before I’d get my period it was like a dark cloud would come over me, physically and emotionally and it wouldn’t lift until I got my period. And oh, the cramps! Now they’re back to normal, which for me, is light, short and fairly unobtrusive.
3) Some say you gain weight when you stop breastfeeding, some say you lose weight…. I honestly think it just depends on you and your body. With both my babies I felt like my body burned mega calories while I was nursing them and the pregnancy weight practically melted away. Now that I’m not nursing anymore, I feel like the weight is trying to creep back. I feel bloated and my pants are starting to feel tight. I think I have to hit the gym more often to make up for the calories I’m not burning by breastfeeding!
4) The best change of all, although not unexpected, is that someone other than me can put her down now!
What changes did you experience when you stopped breastfeeding? How did it make you feel?
