I've given a lot of thought to the big decision of when to wean lately. When I first got pregnant with Maxwell, and even before that, I knew I was going to breastfeed. I knew that there were women that had problems with breastfeeding, but I really didn't know anything about those problems and it honestly didn't occur to me that we may experience some of them. I just knew in my head that I was going to nurse and I just really didn't consider any other option. I obviously now know that I really didn't know much about what I was going to be up against and that there are a whole slew of things that can go wrong and put a wrench in your plans.
Fast forward to Maxwell's birth and hospital stay and to all the challenges we faced in the first few months (separated for 2 hours after birth, nipple confusion due to pumping, thrush that lasted for over a month, mastitis that sent me to urgent care, latch issues due to a lip tie). We really had almost every problem in the book, aside from supply issues. My boobs were in constant pain for pretty much the first 4 months or so and breastfeeding was not totally comfortable until about 8 months...and then he started biting!
My plan was to nurse him for a year, that's just what I had always heard when people referred to an "ideal" length of time. I didn't even know that there were women who nursed longer than that. Even around the 8 month mark, I was planning to start weaning after his first birthday. He had started biting me and he was just nursing SO much. I wanted my body back and I was sooooooooo done with pumping. But something in me said that we were not ready to be done, especially Maxwell. When Maxwell first became very clingy, and separation aversion really kicked in, nursing really saved my sanity. I can't imagine how I would have calmed him down some days if we hadn't had nursing. And I think about all the moments cuddling with him I would have missed out on, because that kid will not cuddle for anything except the promise of boobs. I don't know how long we'll continue, but I don't have plans to stop anytime soon. If he decides to wean on his own at this point, even though I would be a little sad, I obviously wouldn't fight it. But on the other hand, I really can't see myself nursing a 3 year old....then again, I didn't really see myself nursing past 1.
