Got Milk!

Although I was unable to deliver my son the "conventional way" (I had a scheduled c-section), I was still able to develop one of the most natural bonds with my son by breastfeeding. I nursed my son for 13 months; he was weaned about a month ago. I would have nursed him longer but my son has 6 teeth. Ponder that - six teeth, nursing and the occasional bite. I know he bite me inadvertently but that knowledge did not help dull the pain in the multiple nerve endings of my breasts. Not nice, not nice at all. Hence, the weaning commenced.

I thought the process was going to be stressful but it wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. Most likely because he attends daycare and is accustomed to drinking expressed milk. Prior to weaning I would nurse him anytime he wanted from 3pm until the next morning. I cut back our nursing sessions to just once at night and once in the morning. My son would ask to nurse (I'd taught him some sign language) at other times but as long as I offered him milk in his sippy cup he was pretty good. Initially he whined a little but when it was clear that the boobie wasn't going to be offered the cup sufficed.

Nursing my son was a beautiful experience. We formed a wonderful bond and more importantly we saved hella money because my milk was free. Now we give him soymilk. It is nowhere near as expensive as formula but I am wondering - do I have a baby with a bottomless pit for a stomach?

My son can drink a gallon of soymilk in 4 days time. This amazes me because when he was drinking my milk (expressed) he only drank about 12 ounces from his bottle and I can only assume he drank about another 12 with me during night.

Now that I think about it, perhaps the numbers do add up. Which means, I was a moo-cow, literally!




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Comments

I also breastfed (for the first few months) all 3 of my kids, and my 2nd son had to drink soy formula once weened. All the others disagreed with his stomach.
Anonymous said…
What a picture. I nursed both of my children. My first, was 15 months when I stopped. Everyone thought I was crazy for going that long. It was work but I loved every minute of it. My second was not so lucky, he got 7 months. There was a great deal going on in life at that time and I just stopped. Not by choice.

This brought back memories.

That is a lot of milk. Woman....we are amazing aren't we?
Weith Kick said…
I have no frame of reference since I cannot breast feed. But I do like the idea of free milk.
Private said…
Love these "Diaper Cakes". You are SO creative!! I hope your business does very well. I am a WAHM also and I try to blog in my "Spare Time" hope you can check it out.http://gardenoflife5.blogspot.com/
Anonymous said…
wow, 13 months is quite long, i only did it for four month because there wasn't much milk.
Anonymous said…
Isn't it amazing what our bodies can do? And to know that the content of the milk changes with the baby's age... We really were fearfully & wonderfully made.
Anonymous said…
My son is ten months old and I am still breastfeeding, hopefully for only two more months. I am definitely starting to feel pretty cow-like.

Thanks for stopping by my blog! Sorry it has taken me so long to come by, I will be back though.

P.S. LOVE the diaper cakes! Do you deliver?
Anonymous said…
I am glad you had such a good experience with breast feeding I know so many woman that struggle with it.
Anonymous said…
Breastfeeding is the best! I loved the fact that by nursing, I lost 36lbs of the 50lbs I gained during pregnancy by my 6 week check-up!
Anonymous said…
I exclusively pumped for my daughter for a year. I was a moo cow in the true sense as I had a pump almost permanently attached to my nipples at all times. And I worked full time and went to grad school. I look back now and don't know how I did it but I know that my daughter (who was a month early) could not have had a better start.
Maternal Mirth said…
I can't stop looking at your diaper cakes :)

I had a C-section with my 1st but was able to have a VBAC with my 2nd ... and let me tell you ... it was a cake-walk compared to the C-section. Good luck next time, Cutie!
Rachel said…
Love the picture; it's amazing what our bodies were made to do!
Paula said…
Oops, sorry I forgot to use my Blogger identity before...
MaricrisG said…
I did too and it was worth it. It brought me and my daughter closer. It is such a bond that can never be replicated by anything. I'll breastfeed again if I do get blessed with another baby :)
San Diego Momma said…
Same experience as you. My daughter is now two and a half and is still drinking soy. LOTS of it.
Erin said…
Wonderful! It is such an amazing bond. I once read the amount of milk that a woman produces in a year of nursing, and I wish I remembered the amount, but it was a lot more than I ever imagined.
gigi said…
that's exactly what i am fearing as my almost 4 month old looks like he's teething right now! i'm scared of the bites! it was hard enough in the beginning when he "bit" me with his gummy little mouth!
great job on nursing for so long. i hope to go as long as I can too!
Lula! said…
Right there with ya...I nursed both my girls for 12 months apiece. I was literally the Breastaurant. Loved every minute of it!
Unknown said…
That picture is adorable!!

I too breastfed for as long as I could, I think about 6 months. And pumped for 2 more. I would have gone longer, but she wanted to sit for hours after I came home from work. I am glad I lasted as long as I did.
I just saw your blog listed on blogging around the world. I loved nursing. I nursed one for 26 months and one for 29 months. Those bites are awful!

Michele
Kris said…
Congratulations for making it to 13 months!

We're at 10 months here w/ 8 teeth already lol. It was rough when she first was teethng, but thankfully has learned not to bite already. I'm hoping to make it to 2 years (but if she weans herself before is ok just not before a year... I won't allow that lol... no buying formula here either) I seriously will miss it when she is weaned though... You're right about how close it brngs you, is a special time.

BTW - I like the diaper cakes too... but we don't use sposies (switched to cloth at 6 mo's and won't go back). Have you thought of making them w/ cloth ever? I saw a diaper sushi online w/ cloth that was clever looking lol... but very expensve too (they had all kinds of extras added)
geekymummy said…
Congrats on 13 months. I nursed my first for that long also, and my second is now 6 months old (with two sharp teeth already). I feel like a moo cow too (pumping 18oz a day, and no doubt making plenty more for those night feeds)

Love your site and your cakes. I'm new to the blog world and found my way here from a comment you left for my friend followthatdog.

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