Yep. I did it.
I have officially stopped breastfeeding my daughter entirely at 7 months old.
Now, before I get any back lash and criticism from those moms who say you have to breastfeed your baby for years and formula is horrible, let me walk you through the process with me as to why I’ve made this decision.
About two months ago, I posted a video on YouTube about my struggle with postpartum anxiety this time around. Since then, it’s been something I struggle with and work on each day. A battle I was facing pretty much daily. I didn’t feel like myself a lot- lack of sleep, my daughter refused a breastmilk bottle so feedings were all on me, multiple sicknesses running their course with her, and just this constant feeling of worry that was extremely challenging to shake.
Worrying about her not developing as she should. Worrying about her well-being. Comparing my daughter to other babies or my son at her age. I felt like I went from 0 to 100 so quickly because my daughter went from sleeping through the night at 2.5 months old to waking up as many as 8 times in a night and all she wanted was to nurse and be consoled by me. So, I was extremely impatient and tired throughout the day, not being the best mom I could be to my son. I felt constantly on edge and like I had no break.
My days were feeling extremely hard. I felt like I was in this constant state of worry. AND I HATED IT. I wanted to feel like myself again. I wanted my body back after over 2 full years of either being pregnant or breastfeeding straight with zero time off (I breastfed my son for 2 months while pregnant with my daughter).
And I knew that stopping breastfeeding was the key to that. Not a full-on fix, but it would help me be able to be more hands-free, allowing others to do the feedings. My husband could wake up with my daughter in the night and so it wouldn’t all be on me. I could go out and about without my daughter and not have to worry about pumping and staring at a clock for when I needed to be back home.
So, at my daughter’s 6 month appointment, I told our pediatrician my desire to stop and she told me how to go about it. It was much more of a process since she had refused all bottles up until this point, but I knew for my mental health that it needed to happen. And anytime I would talk to my husband about it, he was fully on board with my decision to introduce formula and wean my daughter.
I’ll do an entire post about the process of *how* we weaned her, so be on the lookout in the near future for that if you’re interested.
But before I end today’s post, I want to give you permission to do what is best for you. Please don’t judge other people for their decision to do something that you may disagree with. Each parent is doing their very best. And if that means formula over breastmilk so you can be a happier mom- then do it! Let go of all expectations the world or yourself may have on you as a mom and do what is best for you & your child. 🙂
Tia Marie
tia marie 