WEANING

Church and our family plans were cancelled for today because of the nice spring snow and ice we got :(. I'm not very happy about the weather but sure glad to have a 'free' day especially after our long week/weekend from weaning the baby from breastfeeding to whole milk. She'll be 14 months this week, I finally felt ready and she was also down to only 3 feedings in 24 hrs. I wanted to breastfed her longer, especially being a nutritionist, because I know it is the most perfect food for her in the world. Worldwide the average mother breastfeds until the child is 4 years old (that includes 3rd world countries and such so of course that average is high). The World Health Organization says that children should be breastfed until at least 2 years of age. Most pediatricians say around 18 months but the official Peds Assc. says until at least a year. I really believe that naturally women are meant to breastfed longer than a year and even 2 years old but in modern days in developed countries it isn't as necessary because we have access to such good nutrition in all seasons of the year. Anyway, needless to say, taking my educational background and my strong feelings for the importance of breastfeeding, I wasn't sure when I was okay with weaning her. Honestly this weekend, I just kind of felt like it though so I did it. For four reasons....

1. She just got 4 really big top teeth and they scare me.
2. She has a very strong personality and the closer she gets to 18 mos or 2 years, the harder it will be to break. Babies are still open to change at her age and Brooke as a 2 year old just scares me to death also.
3. I really want to have my body to myself for a few months before we get pregnant again. The process of trying to get pregnant, then being pregnant, then recovering, and then breastfeeding...that leaves me sharing my body for 2 years now (yikes).
4. Lastly and most importantly, I rigorously tally in my head every food, calorie, and nutritional substance that enters my child's mouth. Thanks to my degree, just by observing what she eats, I can tell how many calories she's eaten, what vitamins and minerals she's gotten, her % ratios for protein/fat/carbs, etc. Brooke has surprisingly turned into a good eater despite her resistance to food at the start and has a good start in variety of each food group. Plus, come on, she has her own personal nutritionist to do her shopping!

So that's all. It ended up not being that bad. I offered her only whole milk to drink after the last breastfeeding and for 24 hrs she acted like the milk was poison and wouldn't drink a drop (looking in every glass before she would sip for the dreaded white substance). Chocolate syrup didn't work, different cups didn't help, nothing. She gave in once she was thirsty enough and is now half-heartedly drinking milk. I think the timing for weaning is different for every child but Brooke was ready and she accepted it even though she had already created her own sign language for it (we taught her some basic signs so she doesn't whine so much and breastfeeding was NOT included). I have found that I actually was ready and am not even sad about it. I do really miss her sweet milk breath though!