I’m feeling all of the emotions today… lots of tears and feeling emotions of sadness. Our breastfeeding journey has come to an end.
It was a goal of mine to breastfeed for a whole year, and I DID IT!
I’m so grateful that I made this far. I’m honestly proud of myself for sticking it out and not giving up. I will say that breastfeeding is one of the hardest things you can do as a mom. Yet it is so rewarding! I mean do you see those rolls on Amelia!? She is such a chunk!
The main reason for ending our breastfeeding journey is because I’m ready to have my body back. I know Mia doesn’t need my breast milk anymore, she is getting plenty of calories and nutrients from the food she eats. I’m proud of my body for producing milk and sustaining a good milk supply throughout these last 13 months.
From the very beginning when Amelia first latched in the hospital, she was a great eater. I think it helped that I knew what I was doing and had the experience of breastfeeding Sophia.
I honestly think my mindset was totally different this time. I knew that the benefits were worth it and I wasn’t going to quit unless I absolutely needed to. My husband was supportive and always helped me, especially those first few weeks.
Our breastfeeding journey was pretty easy. As long as Amelia was fed every few hours she was a happy camper! And she gained weight so fast!
I will say that it was a lifesaver that I was nursing during the formula shortage because I can’t even imagine what I’d do if I couldn’t find formula for my baby. Such a scary time for parents!
Mia has been doing great with the weaning process. She loves drinking bottles and loves holding it herself. She gets one bottle in the morning and one at night before bed. She has a dairy intolerance so she is drinking plant-based milk and loves it! We tried oat milk and pea milk, and decided to go with the pea milk (Ripple Kids). There are lots of healthy nutrients in it and it has pea protein in it as well.
I’ve bonded so closely with Amelia and have grown to enjoy breastfeeding so much more this time around. I’m currently typing this blog post out with engorged boobs. It’s been 3 full days of no breastfeeding and they hurt!
Although I’m sad that its officially over, I’m excited to have my body back! I wont have to worry about how much caffeine or alcohol I’m allowed to drink. Or not worry about drinking enough water so that I can sustain my milk supply. It’s bittersweet knowing that my baby doesn’t need my milk anymore and that mama can have a little bit of herself back again!
I felt like sharing something more personal that has been weighing on me lately. Thanks for reading!
