Warning to anyone of the male persuasion: TMI included. Massive discussion of breastfeeding & weaning to follow.

For the record, #1 Son is the only one who weaned easily. He was about 7 months old & had taken a bottle happily since 5 months. I was afraid to nurse him through the winter. I nursed BabyGirl through her first winter & we both got sick with the flu. In the end I weighed 88 lbs. I was terrified to have that happen again, so I weaned him much earlier than I planned. BUT, it turned out I was already pregnant with B.B. so it wasn't a bad thing after all.

BabyGirl was weaned cold turkey at 15 months because I discovered I was preggers with #1 Son. B.B. was weaned cold turkey at 17 months because he flat refused to give up nursing...much like his younger sister. So here I am again. Four kids who didn't sleep through the night before they were a year old. Three who had to be weaned in a rather unpleasant manner. Two surprise pregnancies while nursing (see, when they tell you nursing isn't a true form of birth control, they're right!).

But would I have changed anything? No. I've loved nursing my babies. I'm thrilled & blessed that I could do so with no problems. I know many women who struggled with nursing or had to give up for the sake of their own well being.

As for waiting until the 13th to wean her, I'm already 36 hours in. There's no going back now. Besides, allowing her to nurse now would be even more painful than the engorgement I'm currently experiencing. If I'd have thought about it, I'd have waited until then to start, but I didn't.

Bitsy occasionally tugs at my shirt & whimpers, "Mama, Mama," and tries her best to convince me that I want to nurse her. I look into her big blue eyes & say, "Sorry, baby. Mama bites are all gone." (The kids have always called nursing 'Mama bites.') She looks at me & I can see her thoughts. "You stupid woman. They're still under your shirt!" I have to be careful to keep her out of the room when I shower or change clothes or she'll revolt.