Weaned

My goal over the summer was to slowly wean Jaxon by his second birthday in August. I was hoping to have him weaned before our trip to Key West. I succeeded. In June, when school ended, Jaxon was still at 3-4 nursing sessions a day. One first thing in the morning, one after work, one for bedtime, and one around 12 or 1 in the morning occasionally. On weekends he also still nursed for naps. To start off, the first week of summer I eliminated the afternoon/after work session and did not offer nap time any longer. The afternoon was easy as he was distracted by whatever we were doing. Nap time took about 2 or 3 days for him to stop crying about it even though he didn't get nap time nursing most days when I was at work. I think because I was there he thought he should get it. I introduced "the cuddle" at that time which is what helped me wean him completely in the end. I told him I would cuddle him until he fell asleep. It worked. :)

Around the middle of July I started to say no to the middle of the night nurse session. That went pretty smoothly most nights. Occasionally he would cry but he got over it quickly. At the end of July I eliminated the morning session or rather Jaxon did. He just stopped waking up for it. Easy.

The hardest one to eliminate was the bedtime nurse session. It was the one he asked for most and was most attached to. Around the first week of August I started to say no and offered "the cuddle" in its place. There were some tears. Overall though he adapted pretty quickly to the transition. For about a week he asked for it when I said it was bedtime but I held to my position even though it was hard for me. Jaxon was officially weaned about 4 days before his second birthday. His last nursing session was on August 7th at his bedtime. He woke up the next day to his birthday party.

The two weeks that followed were harder for me than for him. When you wean, even slowly apparently, your hormones take a dive. I had a few tears and some sad days. I wondered if making him wean, even at two, was the right choice if it wasn't his choice. In the end I had to just allow myself to say it was ok and that he had had two years of the best nutrition and bonding time with Mommy. He was getting a really good start. It was hard but also liberating.

Now that I have had my body back to myself for the first time in almost three years it is nice. My shirts are fitting again as my body adjusts back to its normal size and I am getting to sleep through the night. Those are the things I am loving most. Jaxon has finally accepted a milk substitute in the form of coconut milk and almond milk. Now that Mommy's Milk Shop is closed he loves the stuff. I am happy he is finally drinking it so I don't feel bad that he isn't getting milk to drink.

It is crazy to me to think that I nursed him for two years. It was never my plan or intent going into it. It just happened. I planned on 6 months tops but it worked for Jaxon. It was what he needed and I loved it. As a working mom, it was one of the many ways that I was able to stay connected to him. I am sad that it is over but excited to see where we go from here. I miss my baby but I love my toddler. He is learning so much at such an amazing rate that I can't help but be happy that we had that time together as we move into uncharted territory.

At two years...we are weaned.