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7/20/2010

The third year of breastfeeding...

Alicia just turned two two weeks ago and I thought I'd just pen down my thoughts about breastfeeding her so far.

Time truly flies as it feels like not too long ago that I had problems breastfeeding in the first couple of months after delivery. And now, the little baby has become a happy, contented, cheerful toddler - still little though. :P

Breastfeeding a toddler is really different from breastfeeding an infant.

In the first few months (after Alicia learnt to latch), she was not very proficient and always needed help with finding the nipple and latching. Not to mention all the gagging whenever the letdown came as I had overactive letdown reflex. She only managed to overcome that after she turned 5 mths or so... and ever since then, I think she's been looking forward to those gushes of milk!

After 5 months, it became harder to nurse her in public as she was so easily distracted and unless I wanted to risk exposing myself, I thought it wise to nurse her somewhere private - even if that meant the toilet cubicle at times. She didn't mind and I thought it was a far better option compared to flashing my boobies at someone. :)

Before I knew it, she turned one and I blogged about my breastfeeding journey and here I am again, moving on to the third year of nursing.

I can only say, nursing has gotten more fulfilling, not just for her, but for me.

Can you just imagine your toddler telling you 'thanks' after a milk feed and that your milk's 'nice nice!'? It's something that I've been so looking forward to - after all, it is a little boring to feed an infant who hardly knows how to appreciate your milk, except to show you that contented look after she finishes nursing... not that I didn't enjoy those moments with her... it's just... well, different, now that she's older and growing more appreciative. :)

Well, I do feel truly blessed to be able to breastfeed for these two years and how God has blessed me a bountiful supply of milk all along to meet Alicia's demands, and how He gave me the strength to overcome my breastfeeding problems in the beginning. Only after surviving the ordeals have I come to treasure breastfeeding so much - something probably most people would never understand.

So here comes the question, which I get asked ever so often: when am I gonna ever stop breastfeeding?

My answer is simple.

When she wants to stop.

And when will that be? Who knows?

One thing you can be sure though, I'll be happily nursing her till then.

7 comments:

  1. I just want to say "Thanks"!! I'm going to be into my third year of breastfeeding and I feel alone at times (most of my friends have ended their bf journey).

    It's so encouraging to see that I'm not alone at all.

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  2. That's great to hear! Bfding is truly wonderful and I'm sure I'd be sad when she wants to wean! :P

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  3. Hi Angie,

    Just came across your blog.. read up ur bf journey.. same as you it was hard for me at 1st.. same.. i cried and felt guilty towards my boy for not able to give him the best milk in the world.. esp when i have to give him FM then.. (I was alternating between BF & FM).

    Then i told myself i must do it and there i am still bf my 7 mth old boy..

    Agreed that bfding is truly a wonderful thing.. a moment where only bfding mummies can feel and understand.. I will be very sad too if my boy want to wean one day...

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  4. I am still bfdg my 21 month old and he tells me "milk milk"! No proclamations of how nice it is yet :p

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  5. Yes! Finally get to see that we are not alone. Am still breastfeeding my 33 month old girl (coming to 3 years only in Nov 2011) despite friends and parents/relatives saying that I should stop now since she is already 3! u know... Chinese parents. Frankly speaking, my girl needs to be nursed in order to fall asleep but whenever we are out, she could just fall asleep in our arms, sigh. I gather it is for comfort / habit. She still wakes up in the middle of the night to nurse.. I hope she will wean on her soon.. Anyone is in the same situation as me - toddler nurse to sleep?

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  6. Hi Manta,
    I think your girl will grow out of it soon... my girl is now 37 mths and she still nurses before nap n sleep at night but she no longer relies on latching on to fall asleep. After the feed, she will just fall asleep on her own so I think just let nature take its course! :)

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  7. Hi Skinnybeanie,

    You'll hear proclamations of how nice your milk is soon! :) My girl still does so even though I'm pregnant and I think it should be colostrum that she's drinking now since I'm almost 31 wks pregnant.

    ReplyDelete

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