….has been easy-peasy.
I actually thought it would be hell as she did use me as human pacifier for a period of time. As my helper is leaving us for good in June this year, I will not have the luxury of having to nurse Haye Li in the mornings where she could latched on for a long time. This is why I decided to wean her off after our Hong Kong holidays last week.
Besides, my supply is really pathetic and this was confirmed when I had to go to Singapore for work 3 weeks back and I had to use the pump (after over 5 months of not using one) just to ensure that my supply keeps going. In the 2 nights, 3 days trip I was there, the accumulated expressed milk I got was a pathetic 7oz and yes, I did threw them away as I felt it’s not worth the hassle to bring it back (and also I don’t think the girl would have drank it since she has not drank any expressed milk for 4 months now).
During our HK trip, I had to use my boobs to pacify the girl when she woke several times during the nights at our hotel which worked to put her back to sleep. I only used my boobs once in the plane and that was when we were flying there and I had to since we arrived at night during her bedtime at 9-30pm. On our returning flight, I didn’t have to since it was daytime.
So when we returned to KL last Wednesday night, I didn’t give her my boobs at all when it was her bedtime but gave her formula instead. She didn’t make any fuss at all. When morning came, it was more than 24 hours since I last nursed her and my boobs was kind of engorged and in desperate need to ease the discomfort, I willingly gave her my boobs in the morning. And that was the last time I nursed her and interestingly, my boobs never faced any further engorgements.
It has been more than a week now since I last nursed her and she didn’t ask for it either. She still wakes up through the nights in which I would ignore her cries and she would eventually go back to sleep. It is only when it is after 5-30am, I would get up to make milk for her.
I suspect earlier she was crying for my boobs except that she didn’t say “nen-nen” but said “mummy” instead. I just ignored her till she went back to sleep.
Just now when she was getting ready for bed, I purposely asked her if she wants nen-nen and she went “no”. So I showed her one side of my boob and she laughed and went “nen-nen”. She came forward and as if she was going to latch on but she didn’t and just laughed as if she found the whole thing hilarious. I tried again just a little later and she still didn’t want it.
Seriously, I didn’t expect her to forget about my boobs so suddenly and I thought the weaning process would take longer which is why I wanted to wean her months earlier before June. I’m glad that it was easier than I expected but at the same time, I really do miss the closeness and bonding. As much as I dislike being her human pacifier and that I went through numerous hell of a time breastfeeding the girl (two times mastitis and numerous times cracked and sore nipples), I will definitely miss breastfeeding her.
But I am trying to look at the other positive side about it which is that I managed to breastfed her for 1 year and 5 months which is nearly 5 months more than Rye Li. This is also thanks to my determination and also a lot of sacrifices I had to make (including my time at work where I had to sacrifice my lunch time, etc). Now it is time to be selfish again and that I can wear any bras I like and also, I can start wearing dresses over the weekends now. Yippie!
I actually thought it would be hell as she did use me as human pacifier for a period of time. As my helper is leaving us for good in June this year, I will not have the luxury of having to nurse Haye Li in the mornings where she could latched on for a long time. This is why I decided to wean her off after our Hong Kong holidays last week.
Besides, my supply is really pathetic and this was confirmed when I had to go to Singapore for work 3 weeks back and I had to use the pump (after over 5 months of not using one) just to ensure that my supply keeps going. In the 2 nights, 3 days trip I was there, the accumulated expressed milk I got was a pathetic 7oz and yes, I did threw them away as I felt it’s not worth the hassle to bring it back (and also I don’t think the girl would have drank it since she has not drank any expressed milk for 4 months now).
During our HK trip, I had to use my boobs to pacify the girl when she woke several times during the nights at our hotel which worked to put her back to sleep. I only used my boobs once in the plane and that was when we were flying there and I had to since we arrived at night during her bedtime at 9-30pm. On our returning flight, I didn’t have to since it was daytime.
So when we returned to KL last Wednesday night, I didn’t give her my boobs at all when it was her bedtime but gave her formula instead. She didn’t make any fuss at all. When morning came, it was more than 24 hours since I last nursed her and my boobs was kind of engorged and in desperate need to ease the discomfort, I willingly gave her my boobs in the morning. And that was the last time I nursed her and interestingly, my boobs never faced any further engorgements.
It has been more than a week now since I last nursed her and she didn’t ask for it either. She still wakes up through the nights in which I would ignore her cries and she would eventually go back to sleep. It is only when it is after 5-30am, I would get up to make milk for her.
I suspect earlier she was crying for my boobs except that she didn’t say “nen-nen” but said “mummy” instead. I just ignored her till she went back to sleep.
Just now when she was getting ready for bed, I purposely asked her if she wants nen-nen and she went “no”. So I showed her one side of my boob and she laughed and went “nen-nen”. She came forward and as if she was going to latch on but she didn’t and just laughed as if she found the whole thing hilarious. I tried again just a little later and she still didn’t want it.
Seriously, I didn’t expect her to forget about my boobs so suddenly and I thought the weaning process would take longer which is why I wanted to wean her months earlier before June. I’m glad that it was easier than I expected but at the same time, I really do miss the closeness and bonding. As much as I dislike being her human pacifier and that I went through numerous hell of a time breastfeeding the girl (two times mastitis and numerous times cracked and sore nipples), I will definitely miss breastfeeding her.
But I am trying to look at the other positive side about it which is that I managed to breastfed her for 1 year and 5 months which is nearly 5 months more than Rye Li. This is also thanks to my determination and also a lot of sacrifices I had to make (including my time at work where I had to sacrifice my lunch time, etc). Now it is time to be selfish again and that I can wear any bras I like and also, I can start wearing dresses over the weekends now. Yippie!
4 comments:
Gosh, you make it sound soooo easy!!! I am planning to wean off by 13-month old in 6 months. He can fall sleep without nursing, yet still fusses several times during nap and night to suckle. Very tough nut to crack!
If I ignore his fusses at night, he would probably scream the house down and not get back to sleep.
so fast and easy :) good for u. Mine was also like this.. one day he just gaveme the "Are You Kidding" look and that's the last day.
Whoa! That was easy. Good for you.
HFM - guess coz u're always there for her 24/7 which is why it is harder for you to wean her. in my case, haye li only got me at nights and weekends and then i slowly reduced the direct intake from there. it was easier with rye li as she never used me as a pacifier.
MieVee - thanks for dropping by. the thing is, i went through hell too with haye li. i really suffered months of letting her cry-it-out to cut down the times of feeds at nights. the water method didn't even work for me as in the end, she also settled for water! only at 16 months, she finally is sleeping through the nights!
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