To wean or not to wean….that is the question. I’ve been debating what to do for a couple of weeks now. I’ve always been (and still am) an advocate of nursing your baby for as long as possible. I am also part of the “demand nursing” club so I’ve found that it makes weaning harder on everyone involved because it’s such a comfort thing. And to be honest, it’s so convenient, there’s not a whole lot of effort involved and it works every time. So I think that’s the part that’s holding me back. I don’t want to give up the reliability of it.
This time around, it seems that I’m just tired - not physically tired....more emotionally tired I guess. Maybe it’s because I’ve either been pregnant or nursing at some point every year for the last 6 years. Or maybe it’s because nursing has never been easy for me due to a supply issue and I have to take mega doses of Fenugreek to even be able to nurse. I figured it out the other day and I was kind of shocked – I’ve taken over 4300 Fenugreek capsules in the last year just so I can nurse….yes, that really does say 4300 :)
Fenugreek has definitely been a lifesaver for me in terms of being able to breastfeed instead of formula feed. And I am eager to tell anyone who will listen that it really does work! I take 12 capsules a day and 1 bottle will usually last me 8 days. At a cost of between $7.49-$10.00 a bottle, that’s definitely much more easy on the wallet (and on the baby!) than formula!
I also haven’t slept through the night in a couple of years and part of me says that if I wean and get rid of probably the only reason she’s getting up, I’ll be able to not have to get up twice every night. Don't get me wrong - I have never been one to mind getting up to nurse my sweet babies but when it gets to a point that they're waking not because they're hungry but just waking to nurse out of comfort, then that's where I start getting wore out. Then another part of me says that nursing is such an easy way to comfort when she’s teething and I’m at a loss to know what to do with a teething baby in the middle of the night who’s mouth hurts and just wants something to make it feel better.
And then the one final part of me says “this is it…it’s the last time you’ll probably ever nurse”….not sure if I’m ready for that to come to an end.
Ah, decisions, decisions…..
