Happy Breastfeeding Awareness Week 2013!

I have breastfed all of my babies. When my first born was a year old, I quit nursing her cold turkey. Being 21 and quick to accept advice, I listened when the pediatrician said that I didn’t need to nurse her past a year old, and that quitting right after her birthday was best. Truthfully, I snuck in a few extra nursing sessions- sobbing my eyes out thinking that each session was our last. I got terrible mastitis when she was 14 months old, and went through the worst pain. The nursing experience ended on a sad note, and I couldn’t wait to have another baby and begin the sweet journey all over again.

We then had Riley.
(You can read Riley’s story here and here.)

And another loss after that.

When my next love was born, I soaked it all in. By that time, I had done so much research on babies in general, that I knew long-term breastfeeding was our plan. My first son nursed until he was two and half years old. He weaned himself, and it was the smoothest transition I had ever experienced.

When our second son was born, I had done even more research, and decided to exclusively breastfeed and transition to baby lead weaning. This means no baby food, no purees, no bottles, etc. He has nursed on demand for a little over a year now, and he has eaten the same foods that we eat since he was five months old. He has shown no signs of wanting to stop breastfeeding, so we’re still going strong. I nurse anywhere and everywhere.