From the moment I found out I was pregnant, my biggest concern was the well being, and health of the tiny miracle growing inside of me. It wasn’t until I held my son for the very first time that I realized that breastfeeding would become my most important mission as a mother, and would help us to grow a bond that I feel may not be the same today had we chosen to formula feed.
January 3rd 2016, marks the end of our breastfeeding journey. Sixteen months to the day!
That day, we woke up and the day felt the same as every other before it, but this morning in particular, my little guy didn’t try to snuggle up and get his morning feeding in. As the day progressed, he played and laughed and drove me nuts as usual, but never once tried to nestle in for a drink. When bedtime rolled around, he snuggled with me in our rocking chair, we read our bedtime books, but he refused to feed one last time. It wasn’t until the next day when the same thing happened that I realized he was truly done.
He had fully weened himself!
I hid in the bathroom and cried! I was crying for those moments that we will miss now, because feeding time was our snuggle time. It was our singing time, our ‘look at each other and smile’ time, our peekaboo time, and just simply put- our mommy and baby time. Nothing mattered more to me in those few minutes throughout each day and each night than providing my son with the nourishment he needed and being close to him.
I am not sure I would have ever really been ready, but he was, and that’s okay. It’s sippy cups and big boy food from now on, and of course I will have to be more persistent than ever that what he eats is giving him all the nutrients his little body needs.
While it saddens my heart that we have now closed that chapter in our story, we have many more chapters to go. There will be new milestones and adventures to come. I am so glad that I decided to be a breastfeeding moma, and that I had this amazing opportunity to bond with my son, and to give him something no baby formula can. The experience is something I would never trade or change for any reason. Not only did it change my perspective, it also changed my heart.
Before Bubby, I might have suggested bottle feedings, but now, I would tell any expectant mother to try breastfeeding first. There are so many amazing benefits for both mom and baby. And I would also tell them, even if you aren’t successful at first, keep trying! Ask for help, do some research, or talk to someone you know that has been there before you. I promise you, it will be the biggest blessing for you and your little one.
Here are some great breastfeeding resources that helped me along the way:
WomensHealth.gov – Breastfeeding
BabyCenter.com – Breastfeeding Basics
KellyMom.com – Everything Breastfeeding
Mommies Gone Mad – Breastfeeding 101 *The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly*
La Leche League International – Breastfeeding Answers from LLL
You can usually find a local branch of moms with LLL Intl. to talk to as well if the website isn’t enough for you!!
Dora Clemons
I love being able to share my experiences, give advice, and help others to be as successful as possible!
I grew up in the country. Born and raised in NC, but am now in the sunny state of FL (and LOVE it here). Since I hate the cold, this is a great place to be!
So... enough about me! I'm so glad you stopped by and I can't wait to hear your feedback. Feel free to drop us a line in the comments section and let me know what you think, would like to see, or if you have an idea for a post!!
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Thank you for sharing your story! Breastfeeding can either be a hit or miss but if you’re one of the lucky ones to be able to breastfeed it is definitely a bond that will be remembered forever. There is a lot of controversy over breastfeeding and breastfeeding in public but after all it’s truly just a way to nourish your child. When I see a mother breastfeeding I smile, I don’t look down on her or think she should be covering up, it’s natural. Plus, there is a lot of reasons to breastfeed, the nutrients tops anything that you can get from formula. When I become a mother I hope I am privileged enough to have the honor to breastfeed. I know there is a lot of things that could go wrong as to why I may not be able too, but I hope faith is on my side. I will bookmark this for the resources as they will come in handy.