Yep, I'm a first-time mom
Don't try weaning and getting rid of a pacifier the same week your child is teething.
Ask me how I know.
I know, I know, it screams of first-time overachieving mom. Tell me about it.
For the record, I waited a few more days to start weaning until she was actually pretty much over teething, but I realized quickly that I had still jumped the gun. And, for the record, we hadn't planned to take the paci away yet, but one night when she was at her worst teething point, Kathrynne bit off the end of her pacifier - how come no one told us a child could do this? Talk about a choking hazard. It was partially our fault, though, because we hadn't moved up to the next stage of pacifiers. We bought her new toddler pacifiers and she has gone on a pacifier strike. So, I guess that's the end of those. We'd planned to get rid of them soon anyway, just not at the same time she was weaning and teething.
You live and learn. I'm certainly glad to have the last 10 days behind me.
Oh, and for all you first-time mothers or mothers-to-be, the books and websites that say weaning will be easy when you are only nursing a child 1-2 times per day are wrong. Dead wrong. Or at least that certainly wasn't my definition of easy!
Ask me how I know.
I know, I know, it screams of first-time overachieving mom. Tell me about it.
For the record, I waited a few more days to start weaning until she was actually pretty much over teething, but I realized quickly that I had still jumped the gun. And, for the record, we hadn't planned to take the paci away yet, but one night when she was at her worst teething point, Kathrynne bit off the end of her pacifier - how come no one told us a child could do this? Talk about a choking hazard. It was partially our fault, though, because we hadn't moved up to the next stage of pacifiers. We bought her new toddler pacifiers and she has gone on a pacifier strike. So, I guess that's the end of those. We'd planned to get rid of them soon anyway, just not at the same time she was weaning and teething.
You live and learn. I'm certainly glad to have the last 10 days behind me.
Oh, and for all you first-time mothers or mothers-to-be, the books and websites that say weaning will be easy when you are only nursing a child 1-2 times per day are wrong. Dead wrong. Or at least that certainly wasn't my definition of easy!
posted by Crystal Paine at 11:19 AM
11 Comments:
Weaning my first wasn't too hard (that was over 7 years ago--I may not remember how hard it actually was). I weaned her at 15 months in preparation for a trip to Hawaii for my dad's birthday. We spent almost 24 hours (with time changes) on our trip home. I knew that I would be tired and not produce enough milk and have a screaming child so the decision to wean was made.
The whole process took about two weeks. I do remember sitting on the floor the entire time. I always nursed her in the glider or on the couch. When I sat on the furniture she thought it was time to nurse. I think being sore from sitting on the floor so much was the worst part of the two weeks.
I remember about two weeks after I stopped nursing she really wanted to nurse. I decided to let her try it. It was really funny because she had forgotten how to nurse! She put her mouth there but didn't know what to do next (and I wasn't about to remind her!). After that she had no interest in nursing (and I could sit on the furniture again).
My parents decided to stop getting me pacifiers when I threw my pacifier into the toilet one day when I was having a temper tantrum. They apparently told me that I had decided to get rid of it so I would have to live with the consequences of my actions!
Amy Jones
George bit off the end of his binky. He did this twice and I told him that the binkys were broken. When I told him that he refused all of them. That was easy. No more pacifiers.
WThe difficulty of weaning really depends on the child.
We definitely had a difficult few weeks here when I weaned my daughter. I think it was harder for me than for her in some ways, but I did feel the Lord was showing me it was the right time. I hope things will get easier for Kathrynne soon.
I had no idea they could bite through pacifiers! We're going through the beginning stages of teething (Hannah is working on her third and fourth teeth) and I can't imagine also trying to wean and de-pacifier too. On the other hand, maybe it's good to get all of the unpleasantness out of the way in one fell swoop!
Are you referring to your own discomfort? I agree with you! It HURTS to wean even if you only nurse once a day. Try cabbage leaves- they really DO work!!
Yes, Sherri, no one seems to tell first-time moms that it can be quite a painful process. I survived, though, and I'm ready to do the whole baby thing all over again! :) In God's time!
Well, I'm feeling like I had it easy after reading this!
Both of my children dropped ME with regards to breastfeeding - both of them at around 14 months of age! I felt a little rejected actually! And I was most fortunate that I had no problems with soreness at all - maybe my milk supply was very low and both children just decided it wasn't worth the effort???
Neither of my children liked dummy's (pacifiers) so I didn't have that to go through either. But I know from friends, that it can be very difficult.
Glad that you are over that Crystal!
We all live and learn don't we!
Wilm
My boys 2 of them threw a fit at 8 months and threw their pacifier across the room. They were upset because I would not nurse all night long. They never took it again. The 3rd never used one and the 4th quit about 8 months on his own, he was nursing all the time and never needed one I guess! I did such a gradual weaning that it was not so painful. I still nurse once or twice a day, but skip a day or 2 in there. I think the biggest thing in not making it painful is to draw it out.
Don't think you have figured it out yet, each one is very different. One daughter who was being a little pain while nursing one day I asked if she was done nursing for good she shook her head yes and never asked again. I don't think she was much over a year. My next daughter was approaching 2 and still nursing more than 5 times a day. For a couple month we told her when she was 2 she was done nursing and we also moved her out of the nursery and into a "big" girl bed with no problem except for me for a few days. I was expecting again the next month and now happily nursing my 4th boy. All the boys so far have weened pretty easy, they just stopped when they were ready and none of them nursed 2 years!
Every child and each situation can be a different story. I nursed my 3 thus: 5 1/2 months, 2 1/2 years and 3 1/2 years. I never intended to nurse the last 2 so long, nor quit so soon with the first, but it all had to do with our situations. The girls would have nursed on forever I think. The last one was an ill child for especially the first 10 years of her life and sometimes my milk was all she could keep down. But by age 3 1/2 I was more than ready to quit nursing and needed a hysterectomy. I prepared her ahead of time and told her once I had to go to the hospital, that no more milk would be there. So she never troubled me about it once I got home. I personally feel that if there are allergies in the family it is best to nurse at least 2 years if the child will cooperate. My 3 grandchildren each weaned themselves much earlier than that...and that may have been because the milk supply was way dropped off by then too. You must eat well and drink plenty to fluids to have enough milk. Taking some B complex vitamins also helps keep one's supply up.
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