got milk? aka “I am not a chew toy”
Well I might have it, but Lucy doesn’t want it anymore, so I’m feeling a little sad. She’s been down to one nurse a day for ages now (first thing in the am) and it’s sort of our cuddle time and my time to sit for five whole minutes, but for the last week all she does is nurse for a few moments and then bite me. If I try again she bites me again. If I switch sides she bites me again. I love her and I enjoy nursing her but I am not willing to be bitten all morning long.
This morning I didn’t even try and she seemed fine with it. Since this is almost certainly our last baby this means I will never breastfeed again, ever. And that makes me sad, even if I sometimes found being a milk bar frustrating.
The upside? I may lose (some of) my blubby tummy that my body holds onto no matter what I do while I’m nursing (or at least that’s how it worked with Madeleine). Another plus? My “boo boos” (as M so charmingly calls them) may shrink, ’cause I don’t think I can live with an “F” cup for much longer!
April 18th, 2007 at 8:16 pm
Ah yes – I remember when I went through this with Coram. Although he didn’t bite, he would nurse for all of 3 seconds and then want to leave. I was able to nurse him at night for about another week, then he started refusing that, too. I know it’s a sad thing, although I suppose it’s good that we allow them to wean when they are ready…the whole ‘natural weaning’ deal and such.
April 19th, 2007 at 8:56 pm
Hard to give up the nursing, cuz it seems a definitive ‘end of an era’ in a more concrete way than other developmental milestones might (esp. if it’s not a conscious decision on your part). With my first, when someone asked me how long I intended to breastfeed I remember (only half jokingly) answering, “At least until he’s in college”! It’s hard to let them go, but on the other hand it was nice to ‘get back my body’ for a bit!