the end of breastfeeding.

I mentioned last post that I stopped breastfeeding. I did... or we did... and it is wonderful. I loved breast feeding, and I felt incredibly guilty for a while that I stopped, but ya know what?! We needed it to be done. I stopped when cora turned four months. I tried to research on google the right way to wean off breastfeeding. But it only made me feel worse about choosing to stop. Guilt trips galore. Oh my. Sure four months may seem young...and she seemed so tiny, and wanted a boob more than anything. And I loved our connection, how she nestled perfectly into my body...a tiny little spoon. But she was starting to bite, fuss, and not sleep so well. She always fell asleep while eating but didn't sleep too soundly.  I work 3 night shifts in a row- so by the end of my last 12 hour shift I was almost drained. My pumping would be near to nothing then I would ramp up again the next 4 days I was off. Talk about not natural.

I have to tell you stopping wasn't easy. My hormones were all over the place, snapping at Matt for really the silliest things ever (sorry matt).  Each time I would pick up cora she'd try and suck on me.... my arm... shoulder... anything and everything. She was getting smart. Mom=boob. Poor little person. I was shaking up her world, so we just did it cold turkey style. I would breast feed about once a day for a week... 5 min session then down to 1 minute. That way it would relieve the intense pain/pressure. And it worked.

It also made things easier that we have had cora on formula and bottles since the beginning. I had to supplement due to her latch issue for the first month while we were going to lactation meetings and working with her short tongue / tongue tied. It was hard work to get her to breastfeed, which is also why I felt like we had to keep going. All of that work we went through together....to just stop?!

After the engorgement ended, cora figuring out that I could also give her a bottle just like dad, and my own guilt subsiding... it was really okay. I was lacking energy from keeping up with breast feeding, so now I feel like I can do so much more with my day- which is good for all of us.

I also haven't lost a pound since having cora- wtf. I mean I lost about 25 pounds in the first week post partum. But that was all water/cora weight. But the last 25 lbs. Nope, nothing. I have it all still. Breast feeding didn't shed the pounds for me. Sucky. So either my metabolism is slowing down- and I have to work harder at losing weight now or my hormones have been holding onto this weight. I am bummed... but now with my new found energy I can do something about it. Ha... maybe I have to work out or eat less crap-food like every other human being to lose weight?! Weird.

So, Cora now takes a pure formula bottle... and rice cereal... and... peaches, pears, and applesauce. It's a hoot. We love having her try these baby foods...and she is probably just fine without the breast milk. I just won't ask google's opinion on the matter.