The Breastfeeding Chronicles: World Breastfeeding Week 2016: Where We Are.
This week is ‘World Breastfeeding Week’, which is an annual celebration held by worldwide organisations such as WHO and UNICEF.
Celebrated every year during the first week in August, it’s aim is to promote the benefits in breastfeeding. This year marks the 25th year!
Our journey so far…
I’ve been breastfeeding T for almost 16 months, which doesn’t seem that long when I think about our first feed.
I thought he may have started to self wean himself a few weeks after turning one, but since he mastered how to sign for milk I’ve noticed an increase, although this may also have a link to how poorly he’s been recently.
Signing for milk has it’s positives and negatives. On one hand he can communicate a lot better and he can ask for milk before getting to that h’angry stage. Plus, it’s cute. On the other hand, because I give it to him if he asks (I’m still on a don’t offer, don’t refuse regime), he’s got into the habit of asking, getting, drinking for a few minutes and then he’s off – treating me like a water fountain.
I really don’t want to start refusing him, as that often ends in tears, but how can I keep up with that demand? He eats well and has cows milk at nursery so I’m baffled as to why he wants to drink so often when I’m around, especially as he finds as much comfort in a cuddle.
Night-time is getting better, with wakeups only happening every now and again; usually when T’s got himself wedged width ways and wakes himself up. S can usually comfort him and get him back off, but if he’s wetter than normal it’ll be a change and boob back to sleep. Again, if he’s been particularly poorly he may wake twice and require boobing back to sleep. On each occasion he doesn’t actually drink for that long before he’s fast asleep.
At this stage I don’t know when ‘the last feed’ will be, and to be honest I don’t think I’m looking for it.
A lovely post! I was unsuccessful in breastfeeding Jake after the first few days so lovely to see a mum still going strong. It seems as though boobing at night is his way of comforting himself; how lovely. It’ll be interesting to read how he begins to wean and when it will happen. He looks like such a little character! Hope he’s feeling better x
Thank you – he definitely is a character.
Boobing at night is definitely his comfort, although he gladly takes a dummy when he wakes in the middle of the night and is still in the sleepy zone. I think one day he’ll just stop asking, I just don’t think that day is anytime soon.
It’s great to see you’re still going strong at 16 months. My 2 year old is still feeding irregularly, but I think we’ve got to a point where we need to stop over the next few weeks, and I have to admit I’m going to miss it. Such a great bonding time with a toddler.
Nat.x