Breastfeeding

Brooke enjoyed nursing so much as a baby (so much so that she wasn't fully weaned until about 23 months) and anytime she was tired or upset, nursing her would "fix" her. Nursing was so helpful in caring for her that I used to stay awake at night wondering how I would mother her when she finally stopped breastfeeding. The good news is that she weaned so naturally that is was never a big deal.

When Adrienne popped out I just naturally assumed that she would be the same way and that she would nurse until she was older. However, as we approach her first birthday, she is just not interested in breastfeeding:-( She has never been a comfort nurser by any means and now that's she's eating more foods she has very little use for it. Today she nursed only three times (when I practically forced it on her!) and it's just sad to me that she's so uninterested. What got me REALLY sad is that she doesn't even want to nurse before bed anymore. If I try to feed her she'll spend the time laughing or grabbing at my nose or talking to me. Those moments are precious but it just reminds me that she's not really a baby anymore!

I'm hoping that Adrienne continues to nurse for at least a while longer but if not, I'm thankful that we were able to nurse for all of those months that we did! My philosophy on weaning Brooke was to let her self wean, meaning that I didn't ask if she wanted to nurse but I didn't refuse her either. My fear is that if I practice this same method with Adrienne that she won't ever ask. In that case, I think I'll continue asking for a while. Breastfeeding is such a beautiful, healthy, special thing and I would like to see her nurse longer than a year. We'll see...

Man, raising babies is bittersweet, isn't it? It's fun to see them grow but with each new step you miss what they've left behind. I think I'm just feeling sappy because Adrienne's birthday is less than 2 weeks away. How could that even be possible????