We are weaned, its official... age 3.5 : )
and
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First of all, thank you ALL for all of your support and the loving positive community here.
I remember a few years ago when I first found this board. I was reading all the weaning stories and thought I would never see the end. And now, here I am.
And here's my story.
25 years old, a brand new RN, working night shift in the NICU, and i thought I had the flu. Nope, I was pregnant. I survived working 3 twelve hour shifts a week.. barely lol. Not easy to do pregnant : )
Fastforward, healthy pregnancy..
Water broke at 39 weeks on the dot at 11pm. Came up to my hospital/work and got admitted. I got here around midnight and he was born at 10:53am after fifteen minutes of quiet pushing. I was surrounded by helpful family members and my dear sweet coworkers. Benjamin was HERE!!!!
I had befriended the IBCLC, here at the hospital, Kris. She WAS AMAZING.
I learned so much from her before he was born. She became a second mom to me.
I called her immediately following delivery and boom, she dropped what she was doing and came. She helped me put him to breast at 30 minutes after delivery.
He did GREAT. (I was so nervous) (I have a picture of him at breat with her standing at my side hehe. Ugh. I look fat in that picture. SO FAT err... swollen..)
I left the hospital 24 hours later. He was exclusively breastfeeding FABULOUSLY and was peeing and pooping like a 3 day old.
I was psyched. Those first days flew by. I barely remember them.
My milk came in like 2 days later. BOOM. ENGORGEMENT.
I called the Oklahoma Breastfeeding hotline... She said I could pump a bit to take the edge off (I was so full.. I was a 36 I when I went to get a bigger nursing bra that next day.. i'm normally a D.)
I got 25 oz in less than 8 minutes of pumping. Ummmm.....
CRAZY.
Yes, I had been nursing him frequent and often.
This was the beginning of my oversupply. Sigh.
I began stashing my plentiful supply in our deep freezer. When I went back to work at 5 weeks, I had a solid three week supply frozen. Lol.
(I was only pumping once a day, after his first morning nursing session, and fully emptying myself. I was so full and uncomfortable even after he ate in the mornings so I felt it was a good way to develop my stash. So I did this, and usually was fine for the rest of the day to JUST nurse.) (LOVE my Medela Pump In Style!!!)
Ben never lost weight. At a week postpartum, we weighed a lb and a half MORE than his birth weight. I was my IBCLC's dream lol.
I went back to work at 5 weeks postpartum. And I cried. Oh how I missed him! Even though he was safe and loved and only getting breastmilk at Grandmas!
He never had (or needed) a drop of formula! So proud!!!!
Pumping at work took a LOT of dedication. I work in critical care!
I have a lot of funny stories. (Like the time I pumped behind a patient curtain while giving report to another nurse because I didn't have time to go actually pump downstairs due to my crazy critical assignment... lol)
I pumped in my car, at work, in airports, while going down the road... you get it. I've pumped everyyyyywhere.
I didn't start solids until 11 months, and he got breastmilk while I was at work for 2 solid years.
When he was like 14 months, I worked really hard and got all of my stuff done to apply for the IBCLC exam. I took the test in July that year and PASSSSSED!!!!!!!
I feel like I've breastfed through everything and during everything Lol.
I also donated milk to several other moms for various reasons.
Lots of milk lol.
And my baby weaned slow slow slow.
Just the way I wanted.
He weaned over Christmas, and slightly into January and Feb. It got down to every other day.... then a week... then... we were done.
No tears. No sad sad moment.
Except for now. writing this.
So Bittersweet.
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