Norah News: I'm done!

As you may know, around the 7 month mark I decided it was time to wean Norah. Breastfeeding has been wonderful, but it is also very demanding. Well yesterday was the first day I didn't feed my daughter in the 231 or so days since she was born. *sniff* Not only was it the first day I didn't nurse her, even for a few minutes, but it was also the first time I didn't feed her at all.

We didn't plan it that way. Matt has obviously been able to take a bigger role in looking after Norah's nutritional needs since the change, and the way things worked out yesterday morning, she woke for her morning feeding just as it was time for him to get up for work - so he gave her the first bottle of the day. Then, I had an appointment for a haircut at 6:00, so it just made sense for me to head there directly from the office... so again Matt was in charge of her evening meal and bottle. Of course Digna and Stephanie looked after her during the day as usual, though by this time I pack her bottles from a can and not from my hard work with the pump the day before.

I don't feel elation at my new found freedom, but I don't feel unbearably sad either. Norah didn't seem to miss a beat, and has not resisted taking a bottle from me. I am happy to pack up the pump, though I will miss my increased cup size once my body fully adjusts. In some small ways I will miss the close and quiet times she and I shared, but she is getting bigger and ever more curious, so our nursing sessions were changing anyway. Those times won't go away, they'll just become cherished memories. I still spend plenty of time cuddling her, but now I actually spend time with her in the mornings - playing, practicing and chatting instead of trying to fit in one last session before we run out the door.

I know some Moms and doctors feel that nursing for a year or more is the only way to go, but while that may be true in the strictest sense of the word, what's best overall for a particular family is not so clear. Kudos to those Moms who can keep it up that long! For our family, I felt that I would know when it was time, and as we proceed through this transition, I am quite confident it was the right time for us. Given the opportunity, I'd do it exactly the same way.