Night Weaning... Ouch!

So the weaning from night nursing is going really well. Thank goodness!

Other breastfeeding mamas warned me that it would hurt to skip feedings and I never really paid much attention to what they said. I figured, just like everything else, I would experience it and learn.

After that first night of skipping night nursings, I woke up leaking everywhere... I haven't experienced that since Blake was first born. I was so full that I even thought about pumping again and just donating the milk like I've done before.

There were hard lumps around my milk-milks, all the way up to my underarms. It felt like I was bruised all over my chest area. Like someone just beat me.

As soon as Blake woke up that morning, I was next to him and ready to feed. I needed the milk out but knew that if I pumped it out, I would just continue telling my body that it needed to make more. And that's the total opposite of what I wanted. I mean, I want to donate milk again and loved being able to provide so much, but I know my upcoming schedule won't allow me to take so much time to pump.

Of course, he didn't drink much once he woke up so I was still super full. I ended up putting cabbage leaves in my bra that morning because I read that it can reduce milk production and the cold leaves honestly just felt good. Like an ice pack. ;)

That first day after skipping night feedings was terrible. I could hardly carry Blake...

But each night has gotten better. Almost two weeks later and I have no soreness and it doesn't bother me at all.

I still nurse him during the day time so we get plenty of quality time, comfort, and milk to fill him up. And I'm a much happier mommy now that I don't have to worry about rushing to our bed every time he wakes up in the middle of the night to feed him.

He Gon' Learn Tonight

For a few weeks now, I've been having a bit of trouble breastfeeding Blake so much during the night. He hasn't changed his "routine"... I think it my just my mentality. Or my exhaustion?

This picture has nothing to do with this post but I thought it was cute... and recent. ;)

Since he was about 6 months or so, he would wake up every 2-3 hours at night to nurse. He'd scream and wail until he got mommy's milk-milks. He'd nurse for 5 minutes and then go back to sleep. But sometimes, he'd stay latched on and suckle like I was his pacifier... for up to 45 minutes.

I've been feeling upset, frustrated, and just tired every time I think about it. We co-sleep, so it's really no problem just turning to my side to nurse him real quick. It's become second-nature. But... I don't know. Something inside of me was just feeling fed-up.

I finally voiced my concern about the night nursing and my own mental health to Blake's dad. It can't be healthy to feel this way. I love breastfeeding. I really do. I am so proud of Blake and I working together to make it this far in our nursing relationship. I just... I don't know... I guess you could say I started to feel a little resentment because I was jealous that "everyone else" gets to sleep through the night.

I'm not sure who "everyone else" is... but I just felt bad for myself and I KNEW that couldn't be healthy for Blake.

I even reached out to my out-of-town cousins to help me wean him. I know they all have more experience than I do, but really... I just wanted support. I can't let Blake just cry-it-out. That's my not parenting style. I feel like letting him cry it out just causes resentment on his end and I break the trust we've established.

Blake's dad was out of town when I expressed how I felt. And then after I told him I felt terrible for saying that aloud. I couldn't believe it. Who was this person that just took over and made me say such sad words?!

So that night I decided to change my mentality and I would just try to soothe him another way instead of night nursing. It doesn't have to be a hard transition. Blake and I started this past Saturday night. When he wakes up in the middle of the night, I sing to him and pat his back and give him snuggles. And believe it or not, in about 3 minutes, he went back to sleep!!

That was easy. I guess he was just ready for it, too. It was a matter of time and letting him figure things out on his own.

Two hours later, he woke up again and we did the same thing. A couple rounds of "Rockabye Baby" and a few pats on the back and he was back to sleep. It worked?! Just like that?! He doesn't need milk-milk?!

Yup!

It's been 6 nights and he still wakes up in the middle of the night but he doesn't scream and cry for milk anymore. His dad is trying to be more involved during his nightly wake-ups so now he sings or hums in my place. And it works. Thank the moon and the stars, it works!

This is the just the beginning but I feel like we're on the right track to sleeping through the night. I'm still trying to get him on the sippy cup but he prefers an open cup instead. He doesn't drink as much but at least he's testing the waters and not totally refusing it anymore.

Step 1: Complete. Onto step 2... Getting on that sippy cup!