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.
Kayla @ Exquisite Banana says
oh my, this post made me cry. you are such an amazing mama. I hope to be able to do the same with my future child(ren).
kalibrooke says
wow. I can relate to just about every single part of this story! my babe is almost six months, and I hope that we make it as long as you and bean did…
thanks for the genuine and awesome story, sherry–it’s nice to take just a little break from the house every once in a while!
Stacie M. says
My story is very familiar. Easy pregnancy, scary/traumatic delivery, easy latch, zero breast pain from day one, a child who refused the bottle and pacifier and a great 14 months of nursing. But I would have happily fed my kiddo every 2 hours for the rest of her life if she had just slept well or at all. I’m jealous that Clara was such a good sleeper from the beginning. That’s something I didn’t get until mine was 3 years old.
But just for the record, my second delivery was easy as pie and my wishes for a child as easy as a pet rock came true. :) My second was a dream sleeper and a great nurser. She made up for her sister.
Kate S. says
I read your blog every day, but I’ve never commented. I wanted to come out of the woodwork to thank you for sharing this sweet post! We were in the “why don’t more people breastfeed?” category until we discovered that our baby had a milk and soy allergy. It was traumatic to know that by feeding her, I was making her sick. I’m so happy for you and Clara, but a tad jealous, of course :) After 11 months of a special amino-acid formula, we’ll switch to rice milk next month. Hopefully breastfeeding will work with our next one! 14 months would be fabulous
Julie says
Congrats for making it to 14 months! And thank you for sharing this. I’m all for breastfeeding (but totally understand/accept that not everyone can or wants to), and I think that sharing this type of personal story about a wonderful breastfeeding experience will hopfeully encourage those on the fence about it to give it a try.
Melissa says
So glad you posted this. :) I breastfed my daughter for almost 17 months and it was the most amazing and sometimes trying thing I have ever done. Congrats!!!!
Pam the Goatherd says
I can remember many gatherings of my extended family where there were a whole group of us nursing our babies at the same time, right out there in the living/family room with everybody else and no one batted an eyelash about it. One time stands out in my mind when one of my sisters-in-law was nursing her baby at the dinner table. Great Grandma reached over to take the baby from her, not realizing that she was nursing. That’s how unobtrusive bf can be, and also how unobservant most people are about it.
And then there was the time my family was sitting in the Sunday morning church service and my 18 month old son kept rubbing up against my chest in a way that was irritating the heck out of me. I finally whispered to him to stop and he blurted out in full voice into the silence of the church service, “I WANNA HUGGA YOU BREAST!”
Breastfeeding definitely creates a bonding like nothing else can.
Skye says
OMG i laughed at this – hilarious! I WANNA HUGGA YOU BREAST! What a bond :)
YoungHouseLove says
Yeah, that had me giggling too. Haha.
xo,
s
Sarah says
Oh my word, my son was just like this! We’d be sitting in church and he’d call out “booby! couch! now!” He’d always tell me not only that he wanted to nurse, but where I should nurse him…couch! bed! rocking chair! Fortunately not many people understood his toddler-speak.
Also, may I add that before having children I never wanted to ever experience breast-feeding. And I was the young lady who always said “when they are old enough to ask for it, it’s time to quit.” Yep. That’s me. I should really learn to just keep my mouth shut because basically I have turned into the person I said I would never be. Oh well.
Congrats on all the hard work and the sacrifice for Clara!
Johanna says
My daughter did the exact same schedule and now that she’s turning 2 in a week, she is still very attached to her momma like, she wants to be picked up a lot, hugs and kisses freely and plays on top of me.
However, my son, now 4 months old does not care to nurse and I pump for him, it makes me a little sad. I’m sure that I did not connect with him the same way because of my almost 2 year old, since she is so demanding. But kids are totally different and I’m glad you had such a positive nursing experience with Clara
Tiffini S. says
My son, now 3.5, was an on demand feeder for 18 months and was the same – every two hours. At 18 months, I had a back trauma that involved not nurse-friendly drugs and had to stop suddenly, or I think he’d STILL be nursing. And he did not do bottles very well or pacifier at all. Except, that we were not blessed with the whole ‘sleeping through the night’ thing, so it was every 2 hours/24 hours. In fact, we are STILL not blessed with that. So we just have night parties: three am popsicle? Why not! As you said, whatever works.
But, just had twins. And so now, in order to not, um, kill myself, we’ll be on a solid schedule. Sorry, ladies. Mom has to be halfway healthy, too!
Paige says
Wow…that is awesome! Congratulations on a fantastic thing you did for Clara. I am on the other side, breastfeeding did not work as well for me :( so I am so envious of you. Go girl!
Tracy says
Thanks for sharing this. I tried to breastfeed so badly, but a combination of things kept it from happening for my first. I loved reading your perspective of doing it though, because it just encourages me to not give up and try again for our next baby (which is due in January). Maybe the cards will be right for the second go around. Fantastic job as a momma to spend all that time with your little bean!
Megan says
This might be a silly question, but did you ever worry about Clara’s little teeth? I stopped breastfeeding about 4 months due to low supply, and my son popped out his first teeth extremely early at 5 months. At about 10 months he had almost a full set of teeth and looking back, breastfeeding might have been rather dangerous in the boob area. Nipples+sharp objects=no good. Anyone else have trouble with that?
YoungHouseLove says
Clara got two bottom teeth at around seven months old and had five (three on top, two on bottom) when she stopped nursing at 14 months, but she didn’t bite or anything- just latched. I think by the time Clara’s teeth came in she knew what to do when it came to nursing (and it didn’t involve any chewing or biting thank goodness). Anyone have teething troubles? Or tips for Megan?
xo,
s
Cara says
My son liked to bite when he was first teething, but he learned quickly…no nummies if you bite! After that, we rarely had a problem.
Bridgett says
Some babies can be biters, some not so much. With my daughter, I never noticed her teeth, and I nursed her for two years. With my son…OMG! the first month he had barracuda mouth (his latch was so strong I was in tears but I persevered), and he occasionally enjoys nipping me just to see my reaction (he bites = boob goes away), and he once bit me so hard there was blood for two days (the biting was not intentional or mean-spirited). BUT…it was all manageable and I wasn’t ready to give up bf because of teeth.
Amy says
My son started teething even earlier – 3 1/2 months. He started biting only if he was done, so that was a good indicator that session was over!
He’s 19 months now and I’m pretty sure he’s getting a least one two-year molar. He’s had everything but those last four molars for ages.
ann says
congrats to you for being able to provide for so long! I totally understand the tears!! There are times I still miss that connection with my boys, and the “baby” hasn’t nursed in almost a year!
Christina says
Congrats to you for being able to BF for so long, thats amazing! My daughter Kailyn is days apart from Clara’s age (with a similiar birth story i might add) and I was only about to go about 7.5 months after a long struggle with supply,etc. Everything you said is so right on, funny how even though it is so time consuming & frustrating at times, the bond and happiness it brings is beyond worth it :)
Bethley says
Good for you Sherry! After my c-section I found breastfeeding to be tremendously difficult the first week, but powered through and lasted for eight months. It was great eventually, but I found those early days very isolating. I, too, spent soooo many family gatherings/vacations breastfeeding out of view. I never judge any mom who formula feeds and I love your attitude about that. I think its the same as delivering with drugs v. no drugs. You can’t always control the universe. Congrats!
Stefanie says
4 years ago when I had my daughter I found breastfeeding extremely difficult for a number of reasons. I wasn’t producing enough to fill her up and as much as I didn’t want to suppliment with formula (for fear of “failing”) I had to. To my surprise my daughter took VERY well to switching between bottle and breast and I was able to breastfeed her (with the help of the formula) until she was 11 months old. At that point we switched to almond milk and she currently still prefers almond milk to any other milk.
I was also able to see that is WASN’T a failure on my part and that there was absolutely nothing wrong with formula feeding my baby. I had never judged anyone else for doing it so I wasn’t sure why I was so hard on myself.
Congratulations to you for lasting so long and congratulations to Clara for doing so well with the switch, though I know it’s a milestone that is bittersweet. =)
Erica says
Hi-
Thanks for sharing your experience!! My little one will be 8 weeks on Thursday and I am exclusive breastfeeding. Ahhh…it has been a tough journey (I too had to have an emergency c-section)but glad to hear words of encouragement! Some days are better than others and I just tell myself that it will be so worth it in the end!
PS-Do you have a favorite nursing bra? I have been searching but haven’t found a good one as of yet.
YoungHouseLove says
I never found a nursing bra I liked so I got a good no-underwire molded cup one with some support (by Playtex I think? from Target) and just pulled it up or down to nurse. The whole thing was stretchy like a sports bra because there wasn’t an underwire but it gave me some shape/support since it had a molded cup. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Jessica M. says
I liked the ones from Motherhood that didn’t have underwire or check out Bravado on Amazon-loved both!
danielle says
bravado bodysilk. it’s $49 but totally worth it. comfortable, supportive, and durable. (unlike the cheaper ones that didn’t fulfill any of the things i just listed.) and coming from a pre-pregnancy 34C to a 34DD, i wanted support. =)
TracyJ says
Congratulations, Sherry! Breastfeeding for that amount of time is a huge accomplishment. Totally worth the sacrifices that we make as mothers (and fathers!). You’re not alone when you say you miss it. I was either pregnant or nursing for almost the entire first five years of our marriage. (We have three children.) I still miss that bonding time. :)
charlotte says
I am so glad you had such a great experience. It’s like you were paid back for having such a scary and difficult birth experience. One thing I want to add is that not all babies are this good, as Clara obviously was. My second one would not nurse well at all and at 7 weeks we had to put her on formula as my supply was dwindling due to her not nursing enough. It was a sad thing for me since my first had been so easy and such a good experience. Then my third(and last) was a dream once again. I loved it all! Clara is very lucky to have such wonderful parents. And you should post whatever you want here. If some don’t want to read a certain post, that’s their choice.
Deputy's Wife says
Beautiful post! I breastfed my first son (who is 11 today and 1 inch shy of being taller than me!) for 12 months. Reading your story brought me back to that first year of being a mother and nursing. His feedings were almost identical to your daughter’s feedings. I am always still proud to say his lips never touched a bottle and he did transition well to whole milk. I remember sobbing my eyes out when he stopped nursing. (The crying didn’t last long, I was pregnant again within a few months, ha!)
My second son did not do well with breastfeeding. Within two weeks, he was losing weight and vomiting frequently. His only option was soy milk to keep his tummy calm. That was difficult for me. By my third son (yes, three boys. AGH!) I had returned to work. I nursed and gave him formula. I saw women from different cultures had combined this effortlessly with healthy happy babies. I only nursed him in the morning and before bed. It worked well for him and me!
So, I have three boys and three VERY different breastfeeding experiences. I am glad I got the full spectrum to appreciate what all mothers do to encourage healthy choices for their children. Thanks again for sharing your story. Twelve years ago, not a lot of women liked to discuss it and I was totally in the dark. (By the way, I was a public nurser. Much to the dismay of my VERY shy husband. I thought that was one way to get people more accepting of it. The stories I could tell!)
Lizzie says
I think sometimes it is just suggested that the baby feeds immediately to give the new mother confidence in feeding. My son was extremely premature, and was 9 weeks old the first time I ever attempted to breast feed him as he was tube fed previous to that. I stuck with it and breast fed successfully until 3 months before his second birthday.
Whitney says
Way to go, Sherry!
samantha says
I breast fed my first daughter for about five months until her teeth came in and she started using them on me! With my second daughter it was so painful i think I only did three months.
I could never breast feed in public because I had such a flow of milk that I would drown any one standing near me in breast milk, seriously it was like I had a fire hose attached to my breast! I would be soaked around my middle by the end!
Well done for going 14 months!
JESSICA says
Yay for you!!! I breastfed my first for 15 months, no issues whatsoever… The second daughter… Well I ended up in the hospital a week after she was born with an antibiotic resistant double mastitis infection… >< I was so delirious I do not remember even being admitted to the hospital. Just kind of remember waking up in the pediatric ward with my 1 week old baby next to me!! Needless to say bf-ing my second daughter was a mess. We lasted 9 months (the last 2 of which was me exclusively pumping.) Our pediatrician convinced me it was not the end of the world for her to formula feed for the last 3 months… So that was my journey into the world of bf-ing. I LOVED every minute of it… Except for the mastitis. Yeah, the gods can keep that one. Ugh. (And I agree, there is nothing lovelier than that first breastfeed of the day in bed… Sooo relaxing and quiet mommy and me time… How I miss it!)
Barb says
Such a sweet post. Thanks for sharing!
Stacey says
Thanks so much for sharing Sherry – I read your blog daily as I pump at work:) I have a 9 month who I still supply all of her milk. I went back to work after 3 months and was worried about my supply going down – but we are still going strong! It is nice to hear how Clara weened herself naturally, I am hoping my little girl does the same!
Emma says
Cheers to you and the girls $herdog! :) Clara is very lucky to have you.
Liz says
Sherry, this is the best thing you’ve ever written. Even though I don’t know you, I am ridiculously proud of you, & not in a patronising way, in a ‘bloody marvelous’ way x
Laura Isabel says
shout out to Sherry for nursing for 14 months. Way to give Clara the best start in life and mad props for going public with your nursing story. Hope others are inspired. Breast is best.
Mama to a 23 month old who is “still” nursing (I’m guessing she’ll give it up by college. No worries).
Cala-Dece says
As someone who is breastfeeding on-demand every 2 hours around the clock, I can definitely relate! Ironically, your blog is one of my “bf-ing” reading materials. :)
Congrats on making it to 14 months! I hope we can also! (baby is currently 2 months old)
diana says
Hats off, Sherry and John! And I say that because, obviously, he supported you. I remember when my first son was brand new, my husband, an all boy boy, so sensitively commented that my boobs should have had gradations, like the bottles, for us to know how much milk the baby has got. When you are a new mother and only two or three weeks after delivery, that doesn’t sound encouraging. But there were compensating moments, too.
Megan says
That’s awesome that you lasted so long! Congrats!!! Between my busy schedule working and going to grad school, I couldn’t go pass 6 months with her. Luckily, my girl loves her organic milk and still enjoys a bottle to help her calm down for sleep. There a ton of new emotions that will start to take over though, so enjoy what is going to come instead of what has passed.
Lauren says
I’m currently on month 9 and my daughter sleeps 10-11 hours straight but still nurses every 1.5-2 hours during the day. On top of that my left side is dry so I only have one good side which is probably why she nurses so often. It’s exhausting…and..my nipple is currently cracked/bleeding. It’s horrible! It’s nice to hear other women tell their stories with breastfeeding….sometimes I feel very alone with it. I hope to make it past a year and I completely agree with you about feeding on our side. I also had a c-section so I learned the skill. Every morning my daughter comes into bed with us and I nurse her while laying down… it’s awesome!
Leslie says
Way to go! That is awesome. One question, how on Earth did you manage to go 12 hours at night without your breasts becoming engorged? My son wakes every 3-4 hours to nurse (he’s 8.5 months old), and the few rare nights that he has slept more than 6 hours I was in pain! I had to pump to relieve myself. Also, you are very lucky to have had no issues with Clara and biting! I’ve been bit a few times, and the latest time there was blood! It almost makes me want to stop nursing him completely and switch to exclusively pumping (I pump every 4 hours while at work anyhow, so I am becoming a pro at it). Great job again, I am so happy you had a great experience with breastfeeding.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh they did. Hard as rocks. So annoying! Let’s just say we needed a waterproof mattress cover and I slept in a bra with two cotton nursing pads in each side. Yeah- sometimes I thought “I should just go pump” but it was more pain than being engorged so I just dealt with it for a few weeks and amazingly I think my body adapted to the supply and demand thing (making more milk during the day and cutting back at night). It was kind of amazing and miraculous when I stopped waking up with Pam Anderson boobs. Such a relief. Haha.
xo,
s
lara says
congrats! 14 months is how long i went with my 1st. we’re at 9 1/2 with the second so far, but i think she may give it up earlier. props to you to be able to do it without pumping. luckilly i was able to pump lots of extra during the first few months, because now i’m coming up short each day. but i am counting the days until i don’t need to pump at work anymore! last time around i stopped pumping at work once she hit 1 year, just BF morning and night. hope to do the same this time around.
Kim says
Megan:
I remember my daughter (now almost 12!) getting teeth and yes, she did bite a time or 2 when nursing. I had read to gently push their heads in towards you, and that makes them let go because it is uncomfortable.
Motley Mama says
Love this post, Sherry. As a new mom, it’s encouraging to hear that you did it, survived, and miss it! I’m also feeding every 2 hours and I admit sometimes it feels like a drag–I’m missing out on conversations, fun, and my old life! But it’s also precious.
Thanks for posting!
angie says
I’m so happy for you and insanely jealous! I didn’t want to read your post because I had the WORST experience with bf my two children. Basically, due to certain limitations and health issues, I was unable to feed either of them for longer than 5 months…of which, were painful and terrible (long story). Still, how wonderful for you! And I always remind myself, saying goodbye to one experience simply means saying hello to many more.
Stephanie says
You deserve a huge pat on the back! When Clara gets into Princeton (and several other great institutions), you can gently remind her that it was due to your dedication to breastfeeding her for over a year! ;-)
P.S. I’m with you on the nursing sessions in bed. My 1-year-old (today!) still nurses 3-4 times/day and that’s where we do it. It is so relaxing and what a sweet time for mom and baby.
stephanie says
Totally agree with the emotional journey of breastfeeding you experienced! It’s wonderful, painful, frustrating, and best of all…free!
I am weaning my 12 mo. old daughter now. We’re down to morning and night feedings because she doesn’t want the whole milk.
I am proud of all us women that have babies and breastfeed for however long – we have superhero powers and can grow a person!
Claire says
Thanks for sharing that journey with us, Sherry!
Christine says
Congrats Sherry!
I have a 15 month old son, and I think you just narrated our nursing story exactly!! I was sad to have this chapter of our life together come to an end (which was a much, much different reaction than after I finished nursing my twins for a year). But I know that there are so many other great life experiences to come. Can’t wait!!
Patrice says
Congrats Sherry! I think it’s awesome that you did a post on breastfeeding. It’s such an awesome gift that is so rarely discussed! You really are so blessed to have had such a great experience. I’ve had 2 bad bouts of mastitis, one resulting in surgery, but am still going strong at 6+ months!
Stefanie says
Love it, love it, love it! I breastfed by son for 14 months and I am blessed again to be breastfeeding my daughter today. In fact, I was pumping in my office while I read this! Ha.
I am very lucky that both of my children have been adaptable to breast/bottle, but as a working mother it couldn’t have worked any other way. It’s great that I can provide for my daughter even while I’m away but I still get special awesomeness time with the two of us connected when we are home.
And yay, post-baby bodies! I was a bigger girl to begin with but with the thanks of breastfeeding and good eating/exercising habits I’ve been able to lose an extra 65 pounds. It’s the best diet ever! As someone who tends to “overproduce” anyway I plan to donate my extra milk to a local milkbank.
YoungHouseLove says
Wow that’s amazing! Congrats on the weight loss and it’s fantastic that you’re planning to donate your extra milk! I really wanted to do that if pumping had worked for me!
xo,
s
Rachei says
Thank you for this article…it is funny how much I needed to read this. It put a “tear in my beer (old country song)” well my water (the only thing it seems I can drink. I am proud of you and happy that you were able to do this. I am at 6 months with my baby. Going through a lot of what you went through. Glade us moms can be here to support each other.
Kelly says
Thank you soooo much for sharing your story! As a soon-to-be first time mom, I have been petrified by the horrible breast-feeding scenarios that I read about in books, and have been overwhelmed by the thought of spending so much time feeding during the first few months. It was so encouraging to hear about your experience and how much you enjoyed it!
Thanks again for your positive perspective and for keeping it real on the blog – hooray for breastfeeding!
Megan D says
I *love* this post. My two-month-old has finally perfected her technique. We were seeing a lactation consultant every week (sometimes twice) for the first six weeks because while everything was okay on her end and she was getting *lots* to eat, her latch hurt like a crazy-thing on my end. A toe-curling, cringing when she cries kind of hurt, which made me feel so guilty, but I am glad my determination got us to this point. It seems she has outgrown her old ways and now its pretty magical! I am so glad to hear you went for so long. I know I’m going to miss this time with her when she’s too big for my boobs!
Megan says
Congratulations Sherry, you did an AWESOME job!!! As for hormones, they go a bit crazy again when you stop feeding as they settle back to non feeding levels.
Feeding laying down is my favorite!!! I’m feeding my 8 month old twins, without that position I’d never get any sleep! And it’s so nice, right now one twin is snuggled into my back asleep after his feed while the other is snuggled into my front feeding <3
emily @ thirtyeight20 says
Thanks for this post! I am actually about to leave for a breastfeeding class at my local hospital, where I’ll be delivering my baby girl in the next 3-7ish weeks! My personal goal is to breastfeed for one year — we’ll see how far we get. I am nervous mostly because I work full time and will be returning to the office after 8 weeks of leave. (Probably starting part time for the first month back just to get us both adjusted more easily.) While working I will probably be able to feed her myself in the mornings, during my lunch break (I live close to work) and after work, but I will have to pump during the day so my MIL-slash-babysitter can bottle feed her the rest of the day. This process of feeding, pumping, storing, etc. sounds so intimidating! But I am desperate to do my best and give our girl the best start I can, nutritionally. It’s been nice reading all of the different breastfeeding experiences in the comments. No matter how long we can keep it up, I know it will be worth it.
Cara says
Thanks for sharing your story! I was so worried about being able to BF my son…I had a really hard time getting pregnant (PCOS), his birth was nothing like I expected or planned, and I thought I might not be able to produce enough milk (again b/c of the PCOS). But everything worked beautifully, and I breastfed for much, much longer than I ever thought I would or could.
Just a word of caution (though I’m sure you’ll be much more on top of this than I was!)…I found I gained weight really easily after I stopped breastfeeding. BF’ing had helped me lose all my baby weight plus extra, but after I stopped, the scale seems to creep up if I just *look* at a cupcake. Maybe it’s because I rarely stop at looking, though. :-p