Friday Five: Top Five Times I Regret Weaning

While I nursed my youngest until she was a few months past her third birthday, and I admittedly was ready for her to wean, there have been several times in the months since when I wished she were still nursing. Here are the top five situations when I have regretted her weaning:

1. Illness. When she got the stomach flu, I wished she were getting antibodies and all-important fluids from breast milk to keep her from getting dehydrated.

2. Physical comfort. When my daughter started patting my cheeks and rubbing my arms and climbing all over me until I started to get secretly annoyed at the intrusion on my personal space, I realized that she simply needed more physical contact with me to make up for the time we used to spend nursing. When she patted my cheeks, she essentially was asking me to pat her cheeks. “Give me some physical attention, Mama!” was her unspoken plea.

3. Thirst. If I were a better planner, I would always keep a full Sigg water bottle in the car to satisfy the thirst that inevitably develops in the course of running errands in the hot, dry California sunshine. Maybe I had just gotten used to having liquid satisfaction ready at the breast, because there have been several times out and about where I’ve wished we didn’t have to search out a drinking fountain or another source of water.

4. Nap time. For a long time, the only way to get my daughter to nap was to nurse her or take her for a drive in the car. Now most days she skips a nap entirely, even though she might really need it. I do not usually force the issue unless we are all miserable (at which point she gets offered the choice of going for a drive or resting on the bed or the couch.) Those are the times I really miss nursing.

5. Meltdowns. I try my best to anticipate my child’s needs and keep her from getting too thirsty, hungry, or tired. Sometimes I miss the early warning signs though, and my daughter has a meltdown. It was lovely when breastfeeding was the cure-all that could end even the worst of tantrums. Now I’ve got to be even more vigilant and creative in my parenting!