tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21181534.post3285758601857715660..comments2023-06-25T08:12:09.361-04:00Comments on I will be a healer, and love all things that grow: Springtime WeaningEowyn's Heirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717363754137835260noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21181534.post-40668839421527026972011-04-01T00:38:43.340-04:002011-04-01T00:38:43.340-04:00@ Denise- thank you for your encouragement!! I'...@ Denise- thank you for your encouragement!! I'm so glad that this little blog is helpful to you! Praise the Lord!<br /><br />@Jin- You bring up a really good point about breast milk not all being the same. It sure isn't standard or uniform, not even in the same woman. I know in cattle, milk-fats, caloric factors etc., varies by breed (ask Steve O'Bryan at church and he'll tell you he can taste the difference between Jersey milk & Holstein milk). It's probably the same for women (haha, not that we're cows... =D). I agree with what's on the Weston A Price site regarding supplementing when needed and having no qualms about it!<br /><br />As far as the difference between a 5-year old & a 1-year old, I think there are significant differences in what they can & can't eat. For one thing, a lot of one-year olds still don't have the ability to grind & chew (they may not have any molars yet). Many experts don't even recommend introducing grains until children are closer to 2, and some foods are just harder on the digestive tracts of some kids (like being intolerant of eggs or peanuts or berries as a young toddler). That's usually all grown out of by 2 or 3. Of course I wouldn't condemn any mom who wanted to nurse their children longer, as long as it didn't harm their other children, their marriages or some other ill... I give them big kudos!! :)Eowyn's Heirhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14717363754137835260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21181534.post-59192285112627840792011-03-31T21:17:23.772-04:002011-03-31T21:17:23.772-04:00I like the idea of nursing through the winter and ...I like the idea of nursing through the winter and weaning at springtime. Your reasoning makes a lot of sense. (You're so smart!) <br /><br />Now some thoughts...<br /><br />I nursed E1 for 13 months, but it was tough. (nipple shield for months, thrush, teeth (ouch), mastitis, then having to nurse in all sorts of weird positions so that his teeth wouldn't scrape me & give me open cuts anymore). I wanted to quit, but stuck it through especially since he thrived on my BM. (Loved his chubby thighs, cheeks, ... well, chubby everything)<br /><br />On the other hand...<br /><br />I nursed E2 exclusively for 12 months, but don't feel like he's been thriving on it. My BM was noticeably fattier with E1, but E2 has had trouble gaining weight. I've heard that a mother's milk is fattier when she has a preemie so that the baby will catch up more quickly. (Isn't God's design awesome?) But E2 is very tiny (4-5th percentile). So, I have to say that not all BM is highly caloric. (Some moms produce lots of foremilk and others produce lots of hindmilk). Now that I have him mostly on whole cow's milk (I only nurse him 2x a day now), I've noticed that he's gaining weight. So, even though my BM is giving him immunities & all that, what if it's not giving him enough calories to gain weight properly? I don't know. I would hate it if my BM were depriving him of the nutrients/calories he needs to grow to his full potential (physically). <br /><br />Also, you said: "in my opinion, breast-feeding is for very young children, not for those able to get a full diet from other sources. You won't catch me breast-feeding Éowyn through kindergarten, no way. " But once a 1-year old can switch to cow's milk, isn't their full diet from other sources? Isn't that why pediatricians expect us to wean our babies at 1 yo because they can get all their nutrients from real food? What's the difference between the diet of a 2-year old versus a 5-year old? Just wondering...Jin Gillnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21181534.post-19595402076180242972011-03-31T21:15:36.566-04:002011-03-31T21:15:36.566-04:00can I just add that your blog is my favorite!? (an...can I just add that your blog is my favorite!? (and it would be even if I didn't know you personally!) I love all the encouraging mommy talk, health and food posts, and especially the way you think/write with everything filtered through a Biblical lens. Thanks for all the great practical ideas and encouragement to Godliness in all areas of womanhood!ddavishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10533531196301054342noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21181534.post-49232930787364935942011-03-31T20:58:31.913-04:002011-03-31T20:58:31.913-04:00great idea! I had planned to do this with Elliot -...great idea! I had planned to do this with Elliot - his birthday is in January and I thought I might as well go ahead and keep it up a few extra months until cold & flu season is over. I started having production problems though and wasn't able to make it as long as planned. :( Hope to try again with Cole since he has a winter birthday as well. It just makes sense with all the immunity benefits breast milk offersddavishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10533531196301054342noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21181534.post-12772948860076252372011-03-29T22:18:50.392-04:002011-03-29T22:18:50.392-04:00Like it. We were thinking of weaning JM off the bo...Like it. We were thinking of weaning JM off the bottle (homemade formula) but he seems to just need it longer. And he hasn't been sick even when the others have. (not breastmilk, I know, but healthy, warm, and comforting.) seems like a reasonable thought to get through a winter season!Lynnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21181534.post-70266881379454399782011-03-29T22:18:28.598-04:002011-03-29T22:18:28.598-04:00As for getting easier with weaning - Abbey was rea...As for getting easier with weaning - Abbey was ready to wean. She was perfectly fine without nursing anymore. However, she was also a GREAT sleeper. She has fallen out of bed a couple of times and we are just now... starting night-time potty training so I know that will be sleep-depriving :) However, I didn't really feel sleep-deprived with her even before I weaned her (she was sleeping through the night from the time she was about 6 wks old). We now know that part of the reason she didn't nurse as much/long and slept so much more was because she had a heart problem. Anyway, I'm getting off on a tangent. Hannah, on the other hand, is a TERRIBLE sleeper :) And, Josh doesn't hear her when she wakes up so if I want him to comfort her in the middle of the night, I have to ask him to get up and by that point, I'm already awake anyway so I might as well do it myself :) Anyway, so all that to say, you are probably right, weaning will not make that big of a difference w/Hannah. She will still wake up and need comforting and reassurance and that's okay because she will only be little for such a short time :)Kristennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21181534.post-59004805727366713142011-03-29T22:17:30.270-04:002011-03-29T22:17:30.270-04:00@ Kristen- I'm there with ya, but then I wond...@ Kristen- I'm there with ya, but then I wonder if it actually gets any easier once weaning happens. I guess husbands can help a bit more (Ryan already does comfort her if she wakes up at night since she doesn't need to nurse then). But they'll still be babies, and I hear toddlers can be just as sleep-depriving, between potty-training, falling out of bed, sleep walking and getting sick... You've got an older baby; did it get easier with weaning?<br />@ Patty- I know some moms nurse through pregnancy and on to tandem nurse, and I sure don't diss that! I was pretty sick and tender throughout the first 2 trimesters, and am pretty sure nursing thru that would be agony. One of the reasons I wanted to space our kids further apart was actually to ensure that I could nurse the first baby a good long time without the risk of my body weaning her early, etc. I want to make sure I am able to rebuild a good reserve stash of nutrients before baby #2 starts taking it all out of me (especially if I can't get much IN). If I'd gotten pregnant when she was younger though, I think I'd have toughed it out for her sake, if my body let me... :)Eowyn's Heirhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14717363754137835260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21181534.post-41212458179535691312011-03-29T22:13:20.685-04:002011-03-29T22:13:20.685-04:00I've been thinking about weaning alot lately a...I've been thinking about weaning alot lately as Hannah will be a year in 6 days :( At times it makes me sad to think about not having that time with her any more and at times I think, "Man, it sure would be nice if Josh could get up with her at 5:30 and get her a cup of milk..." Anyway, I don't know what I'll do yet...Kristennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21181534.post-47645785760423817472011-03-29T18:38:09.046-04:002011-03-29T18:38:09.046-04:00I haven't had a real weaning "plan" ...I haven't had a real weaning "plan" for either of my boys and it has been great! I stopped nursing Jameson when my morning sickness kicked in during Isaac's pregnancy... I just noticed that mornings I nursed were much harder than the non-nursing mornings... I have nursed Isaac (very often) up until just this past week or so, trying to space feedings so that I can actually attend some of the homeschooling conference, and I'm sorry to say that he has still been sick what seems like every other week. So far it has been merely colds, but they're colds that no one else in the family is catching so I scratch my head a bit about that. He even stays with me during church. I also think he has had more ear troubles than Jameson ever did... Anyways, I don't nurse him with the main goal being immunity from the common cold... I really enjoy nursing! Both of the boys went through what some cal the "monkey" stage, where they would try to be all over the place, barely sitting still for a full feeding, etc. But once we got through it, they were/are such sweet toddler nursers. Don't really know where I'm going with this, I guess just that I think no plan is the best plan for weaning, unless circumstances require otherwise! :)Lesliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17024115685377996989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21181534.post-86939738891592054452011-03-28T12:50:54.442-04:002011-03-28T12:50:54.442-04:00I definitely agree with you that 12 months should ...I definitely agree with you that 12 months should not be a magic weaning age. And I think there is definitely some validity to your "nurse through the winter" argument. My little one hasn't gotten nearly as sick (or sick as often) as most of the other babies I know around here over the winter months, and I think that is due in large part to our continued breastfeeding. We are still nursing 3-4 times a day at 14 months. My only other comment is that I wouldn't necessarily rule out the idea of nursing while pregnant. I am still nursing Anna Kate and I am 11 weeks pregnant. I do plan to wean her before the baby's born, but it is still possible to nurse while pregnant (and perfectly safe according to my OB/GYN)! Thanks for the post!Pattyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14760667523248216327noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21181534.post-56450921028763582062011-03-28T09:36:21.690-04:002011-03-28T09:36:21.690-04:00Good thoughts! I've been thinking about weanin...Good thoughts! I've been thinking about weaning since my man-child is close to a year, but I've thought I don't really want to-- because I like nursing, (and I like the idea of burning a serious amount of calories while sitting still and snuggling my baby...) and I've thought of you often, knowing you're still nursing Eowyn, and she's 18 months! I have no plans to stop anytime soon, even though his 1st birthday is just over a month away...Jennynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21181534.post-15020981629323143392011-03-28T09:20:12.524-04:002011-03-28T09:20:12.524-04:00Thanks, Ju! Let me just say how proud I was of yo...Thanks, Ju! Let me just say how proud I was of you-- and impressed-- at the effort you went to to nurse Alaise as long as you did! Some breast milk is always better than none, and formula + breast milk is better than having a hungry baby! You were obviously out for her good despite a lot of cost to yourself. Has it been any better with Kai?<br /><br />I originally had a whole paragraph in this post directed to moms who couldn't breast-feed or had difficulty with it, but I took it out because it wasn't really the point of the post... maybe I'll put it back in now, though! :)Eowyn's Heirhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14717363754137835260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21181534.post-79580700785381353772011-03-28T00:09:10.478-04:002011-03-28T00:09:10.478-04:00All I have to say is - I'm jealous! I'm f...All I have to say is - I'm jealous! I'm fiercely jealous of all women with any amount of breastmilk... In all seriousness though, I think everybody has a different "right"s. But the idea of nursing through the winter is something I've never heard of and it's a good one.ju.vanderwhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10341817948923757993noreply@blogger.com