The move to fully weaned

When Mark left Alby was still enjoying several feeds a la mama each day in addition to during the night. 

As I’ve no doubt mentioned before I never thought I would still be breastfeeding one year in.  In my ignorant head I thought that at six months in comes food, out goes milk and that would be that. I also didn’t know how much I would enjoy feeding Alby, how easy it would be nor how much of a sucker I was going to be for the anti-formula propaganda. (I’m so easily influenced it’s a real worry). 

For all it’s ease and all the benefits however, I’m not looking to be one of the serious breastfeeding advocates who are still feeding their five year old children.  On Alby’s birthday I stopped expressing once and for all and replaced Alby’s nursery bottle with cow’s milk.  Four weeks ago, alongside sleeping in, Alby dropped his mid-morning feed and for the past two weeks he has also forgone his mid-afternoon feed – meaning that from 9am until 6pm he is milk free. 

I’m personally really pleased that we have managed to get to this point without intervention, instead it is driven completely and utterly by Alby.  And it works for me.  You often hear stories of mother’s who continue feeding their child (or co-sleeping) etc based on their own needs and wants rather than that of the child.  Personally I’m so wrapped up in watching him grow up and acquire new skills and cheeky ways that I don’t have the time nor the inclination to want to keep him as a baby.  As such, since Alby hit the nine month mark I’ve been mentally preparing myself for the end of feeding.  I know we’ve still got a bit of a way to go, but Alby seems to have a knack of putting the both of us on a sensible pace and with that in mind I’m happy to follow his lead.