Weaner

I think we're finished nursing. Since Joshua's first birthday we've only been nursing four times per day: when he wakes up, before each nap, and before bed. Somewhere around the first of the year we stopped nursing before bed since Jay took charge of bedtime duty. Two weekends ago we decided to try stopping before each nap and it was Jay to the rescue once again. He put Joshua to bed for his naps so Joshua wouldn't think he was going to get to nurse before he went to sleep. And on Monday when Jay went back to work Joshua let me put him to sleep without asking to nurse.

This past Monday we had a houseful of company and Joshua just seemed to forget about nursing in the morning. (Jay usually brings him to me while I'm still in bed to nurse). Jay and I decided to go with that and Jay stopped bringing him in the bedroom. It's been five days and, although he occasionally asks, he easily distracted by other activities.

I'm a little sad although I felt it was time. I wanted to wean him far enough in advance of the next baby that he didn't feel like he got kicked off so someone else could partake. But now I'm paranoid about him not getting the extra immune system boost that has kept him essentially illness-free for the first 15 months of his life. I miss the bond, but not the excruciating pain that had accompanied nursing since I've been pregnant again.

But for someone who was on the phone with her Lactation Consultant, in tears, only four days home from the hospital, I'm pretty glad we made it this far. And the girls can get a rest for the next six months before they're called into duty again.