Bittersweet Moments

Everyone has their own opinion on the subject (and some have shared theirs) but I never let that sway me! I nursed Ella until 25 months old! If you do the math...she's not actually 25 months old for another day or two. In other words we are still not officially weaned. However, we have started the process and are well on our way! 

My hopes were that weaning would be self-led and just as easy as everything else has been so far, but Ella loves her some Momma milk and was/is not really interested in giving up that magic! It was the cure all, her safe place, her everything - when she needed something a little more.

For the last six months or more we typically "only" nursed to sleep (nap time and bed time), in the morning when I needed to buy myself some more shut eye, at night if she had trouble sleeping (which wasn't very often until her recent sleeping struggles), and then any time she was hurt, super upset, or just needed a boost (sometimes decided by her, sometimes decided by momma if she just couldn't seem to get it together...usually for my own sanity's sake). So still sort of a lot...yet most times were for five minutes or less and mostly just used for comfort and not so much for active nursing. But this is coming from a little girl who has always nursed on demand and demanded it a lot so it didn't seem like so much to me :) I still very much enjoyed providing a very natural source of comfort and nutrition (be it a little or a lot) for my sweet baby girl! 

That was until a few days ago, when I decided (I'm guessing mostly due to changes taking place from being 15-16 weeks pregnant) that it was time...whether she was ready or not. With a lot of talking, extra snuggles and patience, and a little taste or two of vinegar we have convinced her that we will no longer be nursing to sleep but will go to sleep with the help of snuggles and lots back rubs. So far we are three successful nights in, one no-nurse nap in public (resulting from pure exhaustion...still have yet to try a no-nurse nap at home), which brings us to somewhere around the 36 hour mark of being completely nurse free. My body is kind of wondering what's up?!

 Ella is not loving it but it's going MUCH better than I thought it would, after trying for only a few moments and then giving up, four nights ago! We are actually "finally" doing this...(ahh bittersweet moments)...we have come so far in a few short days but still have a ways to go and a lot to adjust to. But she's really the best!! I couldn't have asked for an easier child to welcome me into motherhood!! I feel so lucky to get to be her momma!!