I'd like to write for you a glorious post about how much fun I am having (and I am having oodles of it) but I didn't finish weaning my daughter before this weekend. Not completely. So every other thought I have is, "Wow, my right breast hurts. Maybe I have a few blocked ducts."
I'll be the first one to jump up and say how amazing the female body is - bringing forth life and nourishing it, but there are a few things I'd like to complain to God about. Maybe He didn't think it through all the way. But, by Jango, there are quite a few things I'd like to FIX. For example:
Menstrual Periods. In general, I hate it. First, you get jerky without really understanding why. Then your face breaks out. You feel bloated and repugnant and eat junk food. Then, the whole blood. I mean why? Really! WHY? How was that ever a good idea, evolutionarily? I mean, couldn't the dinosaurs smell out and devour cave women? Birds don't have it? Why couldn't I lay my eggs? I guess it could be worse, with the swollen baboon behind. That would suck.
So, yeah, first thing I would do is fix that.
OK. Then next, breastfeeding. It hurts so crazy much when you start that you don't think you can possibly do it for a whole year. Like every time your baby squalls for food, you cringe, you pop that stiff, overinflated thing out, you grit your teeth, and do what must be done. SURE after that first couple of weeks you get used to it. Or quit. But why not make it nice and easy and painless, for crying out loud?
Then, when it's time to stop, which is where I am, more pain. You know, so far, I have spent 3 full years, one tenth of my life, breast feeding my children. Mr. Righty is hard as a rock and just ... it's not fair. I've done my part. I nourished every cell in those kids body. Not fair.
Ow. Mr. Righty hurts.
6 Brilliant Bits of Inspiration:
I empathize...AND I recently heard that the pain you experience with nursing happens each and every time.....i.e., you have to 'harden' your nipples EACH time! Part of the reason I only have one child is that the pain of nursing was worse to me than the pain of childbirth (okay, I had an epidural, but I did wait until I was 6 cm along and they were warning me that the anesthesiologist was leaving for the night and I didn't want to be stuck without one).
SO.....is that true???? Any other readers, fell free to weigh in on this one, please.
As for weaning....I didn't have any of the engorgement symptoms BUT I nursed little one for 27 of the longest months of my life because I felt obligated every time she would cry for ne-ne and because she would never ever take a bottle (BTW, I really need to A-stop moaning about it and B-stop telling people about it so much). But I do truly, truly understand the need to reclaim your life and your body.
Anyway, I heard that if you put a cabbage leaf in your bra it helps, but pumping does not because it just refills the ducts.
So my empathetic thoughts are with you...
Smiles,
Catherine
I had to stop pumping really early on cause I got sick right before I was leaving to go out of state for my daughter's surgery and my husband didn't want me to give my baby any of my milk that had any of the medicine in it - yes it was "homeopathic" but that doesn' necesarily mean it was safe. Anyway. I stopped cold turkey and ow ow ow. I pumped 1 TIME when I could not stand it any more and then voila, no more ouchies and it just stopped. Because the FREQUENCY of pumping/nursing is what tells your body how often to "refill" itself, the longer you space it out then the less it hurts because your body isn't gonna refill itself. I never tried the cabbage leaf, but the pumping one time when I couldn't stand it anymore did.
Yep, hurt with child number 2 also.
I think it IS a relatively painless, wonderful, happy, smiley, perfect experience for some people. I am not one of them.
Nursing is NOT for everyone and I have serious issues with major promoters of it because they don't seem to recognize that it just doesn't work for everyone.
Ever try nursing a premie? It sucks. (Not literally. If the premie sucked, nursing the premie wouldn't suck-- clear as mud?)
Ever tried nursing a baby with a dairy allergy? MAJORLY SUCKS.
I've not made it past 2-3 months either time. *shrug* But you know what? My kids are fine. They're not scarred, they're not unhealthy, they're not scrawny... etc. etc.
And I totally ditto the idea of pumping once or twice just for a little relief. Totally worth it.
:D
Nursing with my first was horrifying, but my second was actually really quite painless. I wish I could say why.
You really should hand express some of the milk out so you don't block your ducts. Just do it when you are in the shower with warm water, and the cabbage leaf does work as well. Good luck.
Ouch! Blocked ducts can really hurt.
Ahhh, the crazy things us mamas go through to raise our kidlets. While I (mostly) enjoyed nursing my four kids, weaning was always painful, if not physically for me, emotionally. It was a cutting of ties and a growing-up period that my kids were often more ready for than I was.
Best to you during this weaning process. ((hugs))
Brandy, perhaps a slower weaning would help Mr. Righty out. Our kids all tapered off gradually until neither one of us was interested in nursing any longer. Perhaps just nursing before bed and first thing in the morning could help you get through this with a little less pain. Also, cabbage leaves work really well to lessen inflammation. Cut a hole for your nipple (I'm not sure why, that's just what everyone says to do) and then lay the leaf over the inflamed area. Leaving the cabbage on too long can inhibit milk production too, so... maybe a head of cabbage will ease everything.
Baby Olivia, Nursing hurt me each and every time I had to do it (three kids worth). It got to the point it was bearable, but never enjoyable. Now whenever people ask if we're having more kids I have nightmares about nursing them. I totally understand where you're coming from on the one child issue. I'm assuming my kids have stronger immune systems because of nursing (they only had a few colds when they were nursing, never anything more)... but I don't think I can live through nursing another baby.
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