Yup, that’s what I did. Well, technically 14 months and three days if you’re really counting. And yup, this really is a post about breastfeeding, so feel free to skip it (you know, if you’re my brother for example). I never thought I’d be writing about it. But I actually get a lot of questions on the subject. And since I blather on about other random things (like cloth diapering) and this blog is really just a way for us to remember things that we might otherwise forget (like paint colors and vacation happenings), I figure that something I did for so long (around 425 days straight) deserved a post about the range of emotions that it elicited. So here we go.
My first emotion: grateful. I was just so thankful it worked. I was acutely aware that some moms try extremely hard but it’s just not possible. I was also pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t as painful as I expected. I’d heard a lot about cracked and bleeding nipples (yes I just typed that) but thanks to genetics or a good latch (or some other random happening) I didn’t really have much pain at all (in the interest of TMI, I also never had sore boobs while prego, so maybe those things go hand in hand?). And I know the whole lack of pain thing might make you want to punch me (it annoys the heck out of my BFF) but I had a pretty frightening birth experience so I guess it’s always something (and not always the same thing) that throws you for a loop as a new mom.
Speaking of the whole birth thing, I was initially really stressed about Clara “taking” to breastfeeding because, due to our complications, I couldn’t nurse her until eight whole hours after she came into this world. I heard trying as soon as possible was the way to go, and I guess the whole scary birth experience had me fearing the worst (there was no baby-on-my-chest-to-snuggle-and-nurse-right-away occurrance, which is definitely what I pictured). But the sweet nurses pretty much just said to give it a try and it was miraculous. Clara got it right away. Such a relief.
As far as emotions go, after “grateful” and “pleasantly surprised” I moved into “exhausted and overwhelmed” territory. Clara was blissfully sleeping for 12 hours each night pretty much from the beginning, waking up for just one or two feedings most of the time (after we got the ok from the doc to let her sleep instead of waking her up to feed every 3 hours since she was steadily gaining weight).
But that meant that during the day she was feeding every two hours like clockwork (I fed her on demand, and at almost exact two hour intervals she screamed and wasn’t happy til she was nursing). So I really couldn’t get much done without having to stop and feed her. Which I actually loved for the bonding and the sweetness and the self-imposed break that it gave me from housework, blogging, and all that other stuff – but it was definitely exhausting and sort of all-encompassing in those bleary I-have-a-newborn months. I always joke that she let me rest at night, but during the day she made me work for it.
And when we went on a week-long family vacation when Clara was just six weeks old I remember sitting upstairs alone with Clara feeding her in a bedroom while everyone else was downstairs having fun together and thinking “I’m going to have to excuse myself and do this about eight times a day while everyone else hangs out – which adds up to 56 feedings that I’ll be doing over the next seven days.” That’s an overwhelming thought. At least it was to me. It was times like this that I actually wished feeding in public (or at least in front of your extended family) was more widely accepted. I tried to use a nursing cover but Clara wouldn’t have it. So up in my room I sat (with occasional visits from John who sweetly recognized that I’d rather be with the group and dropped in to keep us company). Back in these days feedings were pretty slow going (around 15-20 minutes per side for a total of 30-40 minutes spent sequestered). But we still managed to fit in some fun in the sun (or shade since she was so tiny).
I should mention that 1) pumping didn’t agree with me and 2) Clara never took to bottles (or pacifiers for that matter). You win some and you lose some. So every time she fed for the past 14 months it was directly from the source. Which was ok with me since pumping just didn’t work out and thankfully I have a job that allows me to be home with her. But it’s definitely sort of crazy as a concept because for over a year I was never away from my daughter for more than an hour or two. Ever.
But with a face like this, I was ok with that:
Around three months in I really got into the groove though. That’s where I’d characterize my feelings as “content and accepting.” I was happy to still be able to breastfeed and glad that it seemed to suit Clara. She seemed to enjoy it and I knew how to do it effectively and easily enough (in a parked car? check. in a dressing room? check). I even managed to sneak in a taping for the Nate Berkus show, nursing Clara in the green room right before we went on and right after (thankfully it was only a two hour process – or we might have heard her screaming for another feeding from on stage).
I guess I had adapted more to it, and it didn’t feel like as big of a job after I got into the swing of things. And by about 6-8 months old Clara had become a lot more efficient, so feedings were only about 15 minutes total (and sometimes even ten). Interestingly enough, the introduction of solid food at six months old (which Clara loved from day one) didn’t have any bearing on her nursing. She still wanted just as much, just as often. And I was secretly kind of relieved because I worried a bit about my production slowing or even stopping if she suddenly dropped a ton of feedings. But that was not the case.
Up until Clara turned ten months old I was still feeding her every two hours during the day at her insistence (screaming until I nursed her = her insistence). That’s right, for ten months (that’s 300 days) I nursed Clara every two hours (except during the night). I was ok with it, and my doc was ok with it, but I heard from friends that only going two hours between feedings at that age was reallllly often (as in all of my friends were only feeding every 4-5 hours or so at that age). My doc explained that it made sense since Clara was such an unusually solid night sleeper (she segued from waking up for 1-2 feedings in her 12 hour span of night sleep to not waking up at all around 2.5 months in – I know, we’re insanely blessed to have gotten such uninterrupted sleep for such a long block of time). But it did mean not-as-long daytime naps and a whole lot of frequent feedings to “tank up” during her waking hours in exchange for such an awesome night’s sleep. Heck, I’ll take it.
Blissfully, after turning ten months old Clara started stretching her feedings to every three hours, which felt amazing. It’s funny how an extra hour feels like all the freedom in the world. It’s all relative I guess. At this point I was coming into the whole “I love breastfeeding” phenomenon. I still felt grateful to be able to do it, Clara was a thriving happy girl, it was saving us money, it gave me a moment to step away from the computer/paint brush/hammer and connect with the bean, and it helped me get back into my old clothes (even though I don’t think I’ll ever have my pre-baby body again, it’s fine with me because Clara’s so worth it). I should add that I’m a breastfeeding enthusiast when it comes to me and Clara, but I don’t judge anyone else when it comes to what they choose for their family. Whatever works for you & your ducklings = my mantra as a parent in general.
The next speed bump that we encountered was when Clara turned a year old we introduced organic whole milk. The problem? Clara wouldn’t drink it. She still wouldn’t really take a bottle so our doc recommended trying a sippy cup. It worked for water, but she refused to drink milk (and we tried about ten million different sippy cup varieties, tried slightly heating the milk, tried watering it down or mixing it with breast milk, etc). This is when I started fearing that she’d be 21 years old and still addicted to breastfeeding.
Next we tried almond milk at our doc’s advice, and she went for it (we think the thinner consistency seemed closer to breast milk so she was down). And slowly we mixed almond milk with whole organic milk and she made the transition to 100% whole organic milk at around 13 months. Yup, it took nearly a whole month to get her on board with it. She’s stubborn like her momma. Haha. Shockingly, that’s when her feedings dropped waaay down. From around five times a day to just two – once before bed and once in the morning. Which made me feel excited and free but sort of oddly sad at the same time. “My baby’s growing up, and she needs me less” was sort of how I felt. I know that’s not really true, but it’s the best way I can describe the feeling.
By 13 months and three weeks she just wanted a feeding in the morning when she woke up. Clara has always been the boss of this whole breastfeeding thing (since we opted to just do the “on demand” thing from day one), so who am I to argue with the girl? Just one morning feeding opened up a whole new world of evening fun for me and John thanks to his parents offering to babysit (we could see a movie or go out to dinner without Clara after over a year of not partaking in those activities – amazing!). Of course I thought about her the whole time we were out, but I guess that’s to be expected (picture me saying “I wonder what Clara’s doing right now” every ten minutes during our first movie together in over a year).
Two weeks later Clara wasn’t even interested in her morning feeding. Which was sad because that’s the one where we lie down next to each other and relax together. I know I sound crazy, but it was such a sweet way to start the day. To anyone who has yet to try it, nursing on your side while laying down = awesometown (they taught me that move at the hospital thanks to the whole c-section thing). And now it’s over. So my current feelings are sad (because I’ll miss it) but proud (because I can’t believe I breastfed for over 14 months) and grateful (because I know being able to nurse that long or even at all definitely isn’t a given).
So that’s my breastfeeding journey. Off to cry now (and I can’t even blame breastfeeding hormones for the tears). I know, I know, someone with a nickname that won’t stick like $herdog shouldn’t be such a wuss. But it was an awesome/exhausting/amazing/tiring/surprising journey that I’m grateful to have experienced. Love you baby girl. Even if you’re over me my boobs.
Kristin H. says
Loved this :) Not yet a mom, but this made me smile.
Just a question.. and I hate to ask because there’s so many comments on this post you’ve had to read through, but I’ve been thinking about it since yesterday…. Did you ever get flack for nursing for such a “long” time? I mean just reading through the over 800 comments proves that 14mo is clearly not abnormally long at all, but when a fam member of mine nursed for about 13mo I heard SO many people, even those close to us/our family, that couldn’t believe she was nursing when “the baby has teeth!” and “the baby can walk!” and “nursing that long is more for the mother than it is for the baby”… yada yada.. I remember it all so well that it had become engrained in me that 4-5mos was the “norm”.
So basically, this post and these comments = my mind blown!
YoungHouseLove says
No one said anything to my face! Not sure about behind my back though. Haha. Just kidding. But in our family it’s pretty normal I think (my sister in law nursed for 13 months and my own mom did 12 for me and my bro). Maybe it depends on if other relatives do the same thing?
xo,
s
angelica says
The American Association of Pediatrics recommends at least one year and the World Health Organization recommends at least 2 years. Teeth, walking, asking for it, etc have nothing to do with it. The nutrition never goes away and every continued month of breastfeeding reduces risks of ovarian cancer, breast cancer, diabetes, obesity, and more.
Brittany says
I’m currently 28 wks pregnant and have not completely decided on breastfeeding. I told the Dr that I’d like to take a class so that I can be more informed on the subject and I can always try it in the hospital and if I don’t like it or some other issue arises, I can quit. Your post eased a lot of my fears! I’ve heard nothing but horror stories, however your story makes breastfeeding sound enjoyable and something I could do. Thank you so much for sharing your story and possibly changing my mind!
Sara@BakingandWine says
What an awesome story! I’m about to have a baby (around 4 more weeks!) and I definitely try to let the horror stories slide by but, man, there are so many of them! It’s awesome to hear good stories about breast feeding as well! And I actually have quite a few friends who had absolutely no problems with it so I feel confident that it can be done. :)
Married in Chicago says
What a beautiful post! Thank you so much for sharing :)
Ali says
Sherry, you are a bad ass!
Amanda says
You guys rock my socks as it is: you seem to be genuinely good people with some rockin’ remodel skills, you’re dog lovers, and you have a super cute munchkin. But this totally propels you to like top ten face chicks ever status. I’m breastfeeding my six month old (and I’m another one ladies love to hate.. Zero pain or problems for us!) and plan to hit at least a year with him. I’ve learned so much about it and my child and I could just talk for hours about the benefits. It really is underpromoted.. Thank you for sharing your experience and I hope it helps spread a little more awareness.
brittany says
Thank you so much for being so candid!
Usha says
As many many commenters above have said, thank you for posting this! I’m continuing to breastfeed my 20 month old. He had to be in the special care nursery for a week after he was born and he was so tired after the birth that he just didnt have the energy to breastfeed…..so it was a long journey for us to get started. But he & I both learnt and after the first 2 tough months we havent looked back …..though admittedly now at 20 months, when he absolutely insists on nursing sometimes I’m like “really kiddo, cant you just eat or drink something else right now”. But overall it’s been such a blessing!
And oh, as far as cow’s milk goes – I found that my baby (& actually me & my husband too) really preferred the NON-HOMOGENIZED organic whole milk. Non-homogenized milk means it’s much closer to how milk is supposed to be naturally, with the cream on top and the rest of the milk separate. So the consistency is lighter but it’s still good whole milk. And I also heard that non-homogenized milk is better absorbed (because homogenization distributes fat molecules more evenly and then it’s harder to digest & assimilate). We buy ours at Whole foods or the co-op. Sorry for the long comment, but just thought I’d share!
YoungHouseLove says
Interesting!
xo,
s
Shay says
Thank you so much for sharing this! I’m currently nursing my almost 4 month-old and its very inspiring to hear the successes of others. You gave your baby the best gift you could possibly give her by nursing her on demand and allowing her to self-wean. :)
Kate says
I read your blog all the time but have never posted – until this. Thank you for posting such a great success story about breastfeeding on what I’ve always mentally filed as a decor blog. It is exactly this kind of story that normalizes breastfeeding for the general public, and I”m so glad you shared it. Congrats for 14 months of hard work and dedication, and may you have many happy snuggles with Clara – and nice evening dates with your husband!
Emily says
You are truely an inspiration for momma’s everywhere!! Good for you, and Clara!!
Kathryn says
Sherry! Good for you, I hope to nurse my daughter as long as you did (she’s 9 months now).
But seriously, you have to invest in some good nursing shirts for baby #2! I did not think I would be comfortable nursing in front of family, but with the right shirt it is so discreet! I nursed in front of my Dad, step-Dad, Grandpa, everyone. My favourite are MOMZELLE shirts. They even have dresses. And they go on sale all the time.
http://www.momzelle.com
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the link! I’ll have to check them out! My issue in those first 8 weeks or so was more with squirting across the room or wetting the whole front of my shirt at first- haha. But maybe with the next one I’ll have it under control sooner!
xo,
s
Becky says
What a great post. Hopefully you can inspire more moms to breastfeed. I have three kiddos, I started nursing in January 2004 and just finished BF my youngest at three years old that’s seven years straight. I co-BF my two youngest for almost two years. Parenting is a full time job and I feel so lucky to have the best job in the world!
Sarah says
Thank you for writing so candidly about your breastfeeding adventures! I am pregnant with my first baby (due Thanksgiving) and I am hoping to breast feed as long as the baby is agreeable to it. It was an enjoyable post momma!
katherine says
thanks for the inspiration! i am 9 days in to breastfeeding my sweet little newborn girl and i adore it! she latched right away and i am oh-so grateful!
Lauren Dunaway says
Thanks for your transparency and highlighting the pros of breastfeeding. As a public health professional I wish more people would be open and honest about it, so thank you!
Anna Joy says
I understand the freedom and sadness when it comes to the ending of breastfeeding. I had a very hard time at the beginning of nursing but things got a lot better afterwards and I was able to do it until my son was a year old. I’ll always remember his last feeding…laying next to each other. Sigh…it’s been almost 2 years since then but I miss it!
Paige says
AMAZING! I just had a baby 3 months ago and breastfeeding is really wonderful. My son and I also have a laying down in the morning routine. I love it and will be so sad when it’s over. Congrats on your awesome dedication!
Lacey says
Hi Sherry,
Thank you so much for this post! I started reading your blog for decorating ideas, but have found I really love your posts about being a mom just as much! You inspired me to cloth diaper (which we are LOVING and have actually encouraged others to try- which amazes me) and many of your product reviews, etc. I’ve valued so much!
Question for you- we’ve heard many people start the transition to solid foods with rice cereal, and that you mix it into breastmilk and give to the baby via bottle. If Clara wouldn’t take a bottle, did you skip rice cereal? What did you start with to transition to solid foods? How did she do? Just curious!
Thanks!
Lacey
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah, we never did the rice cereal thing, we just waited until 6 months and did Baby Led Weaning (got a great book by that name from amazon.com and it worked out so well for us). Clara is an awesome little eater and was pretty much from day one. It was great to see her feed herself and she loves all sorts of crazy foods (kale! fish! pickles!) so that method definitely worked for us. Good luck with everything!
xo,
s
Alice H says
Sorry to chime in. But I never gave my baby any cereal in their bottles. Ever. I have always heard it can cause choking? and also obesity? and reflux problems? I am not 100% sure of those claims but my family (mom, mama, etc) never did cereal in a bottle so neither did I. I just bought little bowls and spoons and would mix a tiny bit of cereal with my breastmilk (or formula, whatever you use) and try feeding them very small bites with a spoon. Then I started slowly introducing other foods like avacoda, sweet potatos, banana, apple, etc.
Jess @ Bringing Up Baby says
Sherry, I can’t tell you how grateful I am that you wrote this post. I love reading this blog for obvious reasons (to keep from painting my entire house taupe out of sheer frustration and helplessness) but seeing this post was a great surprise. My son is nearly 13 months and I’m still breastfeeding him. Like Clara, he never took a bottle, but unlike her, he took a long time to take to solids as well. He never ate any of the purees I made him and is only recently starting to eat table food regularly.
I’ve been feeling like crazy, overbearing mommy dearest for still nursing him and it’s just incredibly embarrassing to have to explain to people that I still nurse him. But as embarrassing as it can be, and as overwhelming as it can be, I’m still so, so, so grateful that I’ve been able to breastfeed him at all — let alone this long — and I know I’m going to miss it when he’s done so I’m just trying to shrug off the judgmental comments and enjoy what little time we have left.
I’m gradually trying to start the weaning process but it’s just so…I dunno…reassuring (?) to read about someone who went through exactly what I’m going through and isn’t a crazy La Leche League hippie nudist or something ;-)
This was a rambly comment. But basically, congrats on being able to breastfeed Clara for so long and thank you so much for sharing your story.
Alicia says
Good for you! Breastfeeding is such an amazing thing! I nursed my first baby for 13 months and my second baby recently weaned at almost 18 months. Like you, I felt so blessed to have been able to nurse my babies!
kristina says
You’ve given Clara the greatest gift, and the most healthy start to her life by nursing her. As a mom who breastfed both her children over a year, I’m so happy to read your story!
megan says
congrats! Im sure this is posted somewhere in these comments, but keep an eye on yourself for that weaning hormonal thing to hit. I breastfed for 2 years (!!!!) and the last year was really just the morning snuggle nurse, so I didnt think I’d get hit, but WHOO BOY. I got socked in the guts about 2 or 3 weeks after weaning and was completely surprised.
ANYWAY, congrats on an awesome 14 month run!!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man- thanks for the warning! I’ve been a little weepy and nostalgic for that closeness, but so far nothing crazy. Oh and I had some weird hot flashes but it’s been really hot here so that might not have been related at all. Haha.
xo,
s
Meaghan says
Sherry, that is wonderful!!! I’m am just such a huge breastfeeding lover. Congrats to you 100 times! You are a wonderful mother. :)
I have two girls, the first (who is almost 4 now) nursed and weaned herself right at 10 months. My second daughter (one year this Friday!) was born 9 weeks early- about 3-4 weeks before the “suck-swallow-breath” reflex is present. She spent the first 4 weeks of her life being tube fed in the NICU every 3 hours. I wanted to nurse her so badly (especially since she was a preemie and would need all of my immunology!), so I pumped every 3 hours 24/7 for the first 4 weeks, which is how often she was fed in the NICU, so I could keep my supply up and give her the best chance at nursing successfully. Even after she came home, it burned too many calories for her to nurse an entire meal, so she would “nurse” for a few minutes (so she could be familiar with the feeling of nursing), then take a bottle of pumped milk, then I’d pump for real after that. Ugh. That made for very long feedings and not much time between! When she was a few days shy of “term” (8.5 weeks old), we switched cold turkey to exclusive nursing. It took a lot of very often sessions to get the amount needed to continue gaining weight, but I am proud to say that, 2 days shy of her 1st birthday, we are STILL nursing now. I feel so thankful that it worked out that way.
Soooo….I guess I, a complete stranger, just told you a reaaaaaly long story…but I feel like I know you….so I just blab and blab and blab…. haha. :)
Oh, and John, you are amazingly supportive, which totally rocks. So, props to you. :)
Mary says
Breastfeeding is an amazing and rewarding journey. Thank you for sharing your story! Loved it! Congrats on 14 months!
Jen says
Thanks for posting this. I breastfed both my boys and I can’t explain how much joy and comfort came from it. It’s not for everyone, but if it works out, it’s great. I nursed my second and last for 20+ months (!) because he just didn’t want to stop and I knew that once it was over, it was truly over, so I just kept going. I’ll never regret it. Right now, my two boys (9 and 12)are piled up on their dad, and I know that all the close contact they had early on is part of why they are such “cuddlers”.
Suzanne says
I just wanted to take the time to commend you on sharing your story. I am a lactation consultant who sees the struggles of so many moms in those first early weeks. So many women have only heard the negative stories of breastfeeding and it is so wonderful that you would share your journey, truthfully. That even though it was difficult at times, you still found reward and benefit of continuing. Peer support has been found to be a great encouragement for women to continue and/or start nursing. Thank you for offering that support to so many who read your blog. I would love to refer women to read this post who are struggling with those first few weeks. Great job!
Angela B. says
Thank you for sharing! It’s awesome that you had such a wonderful experience. Hearing that is an encouragement to me. I don’t have any kiddos yet, but when I do I will do all I can to breast feed. :)
Whitney H Jones says
Great post! Love how non-judgmental you are about the whole thing, while also bringing a ton of BF awareness to your readers!! Motherhood bring home a whole new meaning to “to each his own”…what works for one mama may not work for another mama…ain’t no crime in that! :)
Claire says
I couldn’t be more jealous that you guys have been sleeping through the night for so long. My kids are not good sleepers. My first was 2 before he slept all the way through. The youngest is 13 months and just started sleeping 9-10 hrs in a row since his birthday (which I think is awesome!). We fed every 1.5-3 hours, 24 hours a day, from day one. Exhausting doesn’t begin to describe it.
I know you guys have to wait awhile before you have another little one, but you might want to try venturing out while nursing next time. I know it’s such a personal thing, so obviously it has to be something you’re comfortable with, but honestly most people NEVER notice when I’m nursing. No covers, no blankets, just nurse. I do like to wear a nursing tank top under whatever shirt I’m wearing, at least in the beginning, so that no one has to catch the slightest glimpse of post-baby belly. If you can work your way up to it, you might find that you can build your comfort level up so that you can nurse in public without feeling weird about it. But obviously up to you!
Alice H says
Nursing usually isn’t very noticeable if you try to experiment with it like you say.
I have a funny story, my baby (who is now 17 months) was about 6 months when my oldest son started football practice and one night I was sitting in one of those camping chairs with my nursing cover on and a few of the dads came over (not having any clue as to what I was doing) and were like “awe, can we see the baby?”, one of them even started to reach towards the cover thinking it was a blanket maybe and I was like “whoa, you might want to wait to see him when I am done nursing”…haha! They got a little embarrassed.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- that’s so funny! I wish Clara would have taken to a nursing cover! That girl loved to stare at me the whole time. Haha.
xo,
s
Alice H says
my nursing cover had a hole at the top and Colton could still see me. He was obsessed with sticking one arm out of the top so he could rub my face. Haha!
YoungHouseLove says
Smart!
xo,
s
Alison says
Its an incredible experience. My daughter (who will be 3 next month) was down to 1-2 feedings a day at 19 months and I was heart broken when I stopped. After she was born we discovered that we wouldn’t be able to have any more kids so I savored every time. It was heart to let go of that part but it’s inevitable. I’m so glad you loved it. I’m sorry you had to stop, but happy for you and your new freedom.
Sarah says
Bet you never thought you’d get 800+ comments for a post about breastfeeding. :) Thanks for the update. I was actually wondering when you showed how you were storing Clara’s clothes that no longer fit, and you put the Boppi away, but I didn’t think it would be very appropriate to ask.
What a wonderful thing you have done for Clara. Way to go!
You are definitely not alone in the breastfeeding every 2 hrs gig. My daughter was like clockwork. It was kind of nice in a way, because it broke up the day, but it was hard to get anything accomplished. If we needed to leave the home I would feed her, then rush out to do some errands, then scamper home to feed again (or else feed in the car, which got much harder as she got bigger, since we don’t have a very big car). She didn’t sleep quite as good as your little one, but she went for long stretches at night, so that got me through it, plus it’s just so sweet being with them and knowing that you’re giving them the best nutrition you can. It was hard at family functions, like you said. I would go into the other room, but thankfully my hubby would come along to keep me company. Got to love those sweet guys who think of how you’re feeling when you’re missing out on the action. She’s slowed down now that she’s on solids, but so far we haven’t weaned yet. I’m sure it will be a bittersweet day when it comes.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah- Clara was getting so big and long (and I think my arms were getting a lot stronger from carrying her around a lot) so I retired the Boppy pretty early on. I just held her up to nurse or grabbed a pillow if I was feeling lazy. Haha.
xo,
s
sofie says
Hey Sherry,
I was just wondering if you mind sharing how much you think you guys think you’ve saved by breastfeeding and not having to buy formula? I’m not a mommy yet, but I sure do want to try breastfeeding!
YoungHouseLove says
We’ve never figured it out, but some commenters said they calculated it to be between $1000 and $2000! Hope it helps.
xo,
s
Catherine says
Way to go! How wonderful. I stopped nursing my daughter this past spring after 21 months. She is actually my third baby — I have twin boys and had very limited success nursing them. But my daughter nursed exclusively — no bottles or pacis (her preference!). I nursed anywhere and everywhere as I live in Toronto and there’s a real movement here to accept nursing openly. That made life much easier. Congratulations to you and your sweet daughter!
Alice H says
I am so glad you were able to nurse for so long. I nursed for 26 months total (11 months with my first, 7 months with my 2nd, and 8 months with my 3rd). I was young when I had my daughter (19 days shy of 17) but was so grateful that she loved nursing and so did I. She was able to go to school with me so it made it easy! I also nursed on demand. I find it much easier to do it that way. Luckiily for me, all of my kids did fine with taking expressed milk at 6-8 weeks old from a bottle (I had to work and go to school so I didn’t have the option to strictly breastfeed). They all got breastmilk only until I weaned them or they weaned themselves. I also nursed in public using a cover and I think the stares from people are so funny. If it wasn’t natural to breastfeed then we wouldn’t have the ability to make milk!! Good job momma!
Alice H says
My daughter nursed every 2 hours and about 30-40 minutes total like your daughter. But she was a horrible sleeper. She had colic too. But I kept it up! My sons only nursed about every 3 hours at first and my oldest son was my best sleeper out of all 3 of my kids. I wish my kids would have slept like yours!!
Megs says
Thank you for sharing your story! At 9 months, my son is still nursing like a champ. I work full time, and am so grateful to have an employer that supports me taking time twice during each work day to pump. I really hate pumping, and feel like half of my life has been spent either pumping or washing bottles/parts since going back to work. He also has a cows milk protein intolerance, so I’ve been dairy-free for what seems like forever. With that said, I wouldn’t change it for the world. I love that I am able to provide for him, and the bonding/cuddle time with him is the best part of my day. Especially since he is so active, this is the only time I can get him to be still (and even some nursing sessions are like a full on gymnastics event). I know I’m going to miss it when he weans.
Kudos to all of those moms out there who tried breastfeeding but ended up having to switch to formula for whatever reason. Because in the end, all that really matters is that your baby is fed. I have several friends who tried in vain to breastfeed and were devastated by the switch to formula. Having strangers give them the side-eye in Target while buying formula does not help.
p.s. yea for almond milk! I was afraid that being dairy-free meant no cereal, but almond milk came to the rescue!
Kate Paolucci says
Good for you and Clara. This is one of the most wonderful things you can do for your child.
Heather says
Congrats! I can understand the feelings of sadness and wishing that you could still breastfeed. At about 3 months I had to give up on breastfeeding. My son was what the lactation consultant called an “extremely aggressive feeder”. When we could get him latched (and I wasn’t crying out in pain), he would eat until you had to remove him (he’d nurse for hours if you’d let him stay there). Some of us just can’t, as much as we want to or try. I’m so happy to hear that you were able to for so long! Maybe with our next kiddo, I’ll have better luck (my son is 17 months now and still eats solid food like we’re starving him, lol). Thanks for the inspiring read this morning. :)
Stacy says
I’m so glad you shared this. Having felt all of those emotions at some point or another, I can deeply relate. I’ve had three little one’s and three completely different experiences. Baby one would not latch on properly and after 3 appointments with (and many phone calls to) my breastfeeding consultant, using a syringe to avoid nipple confusion, and pumping every two hours for a month, we desisted. Baby two came along when baby one was still not walking and the fear of repeating the whole baby one shenanigans with baby two kept me from even trying to breastfeed. Finally, with baby three I was able to feed successfully and it was just the sweetest experience. When baby three was four months, my hubby fractured his leg/had surgery and was hospitalized for a long while. I had to stay by his side and my milk supply was so drastically reduced (tried pumping but was not successful) that my little guzzler would just cry of hunger at my breast. I cried too. In the end, I just feel blessed to have been able to enjoy this beautiful experience. Reading about your journey brought back very special memories. And that concludes the longest comment ever! =)
xanthe says
Well done on breastfeeding for so long. I only managed 3 1/2 months with my daughter. It wasn’t lack of milk or anything that made me stop (i was like a cow, i could express 6 oz in one sitting on one side!) but a bad experence feeding in public. Do you still wear Clara? I have a bjorn carrier with Emily but i keep hurting my back, maybe she is just too heavy now!
x
Lola says
Not being a hater– just wondering why you couldn’t breastfeed in front of your family? I can’t imagine being stuffed in a room for half the day. Were they not supportive? Until I got the hang of it, it was awkward with family, but from then on, baby got fed whereever, whenever. I was surprised at how discrete it truly can be! Plus, I knew I was successful the day my dad actually talked to me while looking me!:)
YoungHouseLove says
In those early weeks I just shot milk everywhere and dripped all down my shirt and Clara wouldn’t work with a nursing cover and I was nervous I’d flash my father in law or something. Haha. I got a handle on it a bit later and could nurse everywhere from a car to a plane though- it just took some practice and my supply had to calm down a little bit. Haha.
xo,
s
RebeccaA says
Thank you so much for this post. I’m an avid reader with a three week old infant and your journey with Clara has provided me with endless inspiration and guidance (crib choice, cloth diapering info etc). My baby Lillian and I are still getting into our breastfeeding rythum. Though we’re doing well and Lily is thriving it can be exhausting and frustrating during back to back marathon feeding sessions. Hearing such a positive story is really hopeful and encouraging. Thank you and bravo to you and Clara. She’s a lucky girl to gave such an amazing Momma.
PS your post baby body looks amazing :)
Kate C. says
What a great post – I feel like we don’t discuss all the great things about breastfeeding enough! It’s such a wonderful experience – and I totally relate to the laying-on-the-side position. Definitely some of my fondest memories of nursing my son. He cut me off after 10 months, but I was so grateful for that time!
hazel says
Thank you for this post…I’m still breastfeeding my 10 month old and really hope it lasts over a year. It is such an amazing experience.
One thing you wrote really surprised me: “It was times like this that I actually wished feeding in public (or at least in front of your extended family) was more widely accepted.”
Did you feel uncomfortable breastfeeding in front of others because of their reactions? Just curious. Its unfortunate such a natural, important, healthy action can be felt to be unacceptable.
YoungHouseLove says
In those early weeks I just shot milk everywhere and dripped all down my shirt and Clara wouldn’t work with a nursing cover and I was nervous I’d flash my father in law or something. Haha. I got a handle on it a bit later and could nurse everywhere from a car to a plane though- it just took some practice and my supply had to calm down a little bit. Haha.
xo,
s
JessM says
Hi Sherry, I love that you shared this with everyone. I bet there are so many moms that can relate to all of your feelings. I wanted to share a little experience of my own in the breastfeeding part of my life. I just copied part of a post from my blog… Here it is…
-Here is the situation. I am in the dressing room trying on bras.
Enters the poor unsuspecting sales woman.
She asks if she may enter the dressing room to take a look at the fit.
I agree. With her she has brought a different bra for me to try on.
I start to remove the one bra I have on, and before you know it I am spraying the woman from across the dressing room! She quickly jumps to the corner of the room and while tossing a nursing pad at me she says, “I’ll just stand over here while you get that thing under control!” I am not kidding you. Not only did I squirt the poor soul, but with force and from across the room.
I wish I could say that was the end of it, but it’s not. I have squirted myself, my baby, my friend, my dog, the dashboard in my car and the mirror in my bathroom.
I have been told that this will start to regulate itself, but I am not so sure. This has been going on for six weeks now. Thankfully, I have worked out a system to “keep that thing under control”, but I look forward to the day when I am not squirting anyone or anything anymore!-
Now about 4 months later I have regulated and the squirting has almost ceased to exisit!!! (I still nail my little guy in the eye occasionally) And one more thing, I LOVE breastfeeding too :)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man, I totally feel for you! I hope someday it’s just a hilarious story to look back on!
xo,
s
Mrs D says
I just loved this Sherry! I’m expecting my first this fall. You had me smiling and crying the whole way through! I can’t wait…..
Alissa says
I just had to share my favorite nursing in public story: we were in Minnesota visiting my inlaws, and went to the State Fair. My little girl needed to eat, and there was NO WHERE to go, I couldn’t even find a bench to sit. So, I found a tree across from a deer hunting exhibit (!), sat down so I could lean against the tree, and nursed my daughter while I looked at the passing crowd and a stuffed, mounted deer head. Priceless.
Also, for older babies nursing, what worked great for us (especially in public, we weren’t cover-users) was for her to nurse sitting up, with her legs around my waist tummy-to-tummy. She could look around while she ate (which helped with her popping off and getting distracted), and there’s nothing to hide!
Lizcupcakes says
If you thought that finishing up this time was emotional, wait until you finish breastfeeding your ‘last’ baby.. :)
Shay says
I was just thinking the other day about sending you a message asking if you were still breastfeeding.
My son is currently 8 months and I only breastfeed mostly at night and on the weekends. He was born 4 weeks early other than being born early and having to deal with jaundice he was fine it took all of the 3 days I was in the hospital with him to finally get him to latch on. And we still mostly feed him some formula mixed with breast milk through a suringe. Because he was preemie they wanted me to feed him every 2 hours and since it sometimes took me about 5 or more mins to get him latched on sometimes. Then he would eat for at least an hour 25-30 mins on each side. This lasted for about 3 months. I was able to pump in the begining and had enough for others (MIL and husband) to feed him so I could rest but then we closed on a house 2 weeks after he was born and I had to spend some of my time away from him to work on the house. I pumped while at the house but it wasn’t the same. I had to go back to work when he was 6 weeks old and I pumped at work but I just couldn’t keep up with his demand so I would pump as much as I could and then my MIL(who watched him) would give him some bottles formula and some breast milk. I’ve slowly tappered off to just one or two feedings in the eveing after work during the week and all day on the weekends. So when he’s not with me he gets formula. He never had a problem going from bottle to boob or from formula to breast milk. I think he just likes to eat. Thankfully he now only takes about 20 MAYBE 30 mins total nursing time. I’m hoping to keep what I’m doing up at least until his first birthday. I’m so glad you mentioned that even though you exclusivly breastfeed Clara that you didn’t have much luck pumping. Makes me feel better about not being able to pump as much when I’m away from him.
Sorry this was so long!
Caitlyn says
This was amazing, Sherry! I just had my firstborn in March and she was two weeks early. I think mostly because of her early birth she was never great at latching on and almost instantly went to the bottle I spent three weeks struggling to get her to latch on and it never ended up working for us. I switched to exclusively pumping for three months, which coupled with my stress of returning to a 60-hour-a-week law enforcement job killed my supply. I felt so inadequate, like I couldn’t provide for my daughter. I am entirely envious of the fact that you were able to do so (and for so long!) and commend you for your commitment to it. It must have been tough, but it was so worth it!