End of an era

Breastfeeding Deuce is officially done. He weaned himself, which is what I thought was best considering all the changes in his life right now. It was not traumatic at all and I'm so thankful for that.

I can't describe the mixed emotions I'm feeling now that his infancy is really and truly over. That first time he latched on and I felt him nursing, I felt so connected to him. And I watched him grow, knowing that I was such an integral part of every cell in his body.

Don't get me wrong, breastfeeding isn't a walk in the park - we had our ups and downs. Certainly more up than down. He got his nickname-on-nickname "Deuce the Goose." I did something really special for him. He was happy and well nourished. I would do it again.

So how will life change now that he's weened? I have a to do list, including but not limited to:

1. Wear non-nursing bras (long overdue considering he's only been nursing at night/in the morning for weeks now)
2. Put away nursing pajamas
   
3. Go back on real pill
4. Eat broccoli
5. Eat egg rolls
6. Eat reuben sandwiches
   
7. Drink hard liquor
   
8. Other stuff you don't want to know about, but it has to do w/ DeuceDad

As you can see, breastfeeding primarily impacted my diet, but anyone who has seen me lately knows I've been managing to keep the pounds on just fine.

I miss it a little bit. When I give him a bottle at night I kind of tuck it against my breast and hold him close. And I know that his father can give him a bottle just as well as I can and so I get to sleep through the next night waking. Bottle feeding has its benefits, too.

Before I leave the topic of nursing for good (until theoretical future baby), I want to share some of the products that made nursing more enjoyable (or even possible) for us.

1. There's no link for him, but DeuceDad was an amazing support system. I can't say enough about him. So were both of our mothers, his grandma, and my girlfriends who were all there with a supportive word, a laugh, a survival story or anything we needed any time.
2. Lactation consultant. Call one. Right now. Even if you think you don't need her.
3. Rocking chair and nursing stool. I got an heirloom rocker from my MIL. It was a gift to her from her in-laws when my husband was born. I needed something to get my feet up (and facilitate sleeping in the rocker), hence the stool. A lot of gliders, which are popular now, come with stools. I highly recommend it.
4. Bebe Au Lait nursing cover. I'm shy. This is cute. It even has a little terry cloth in the corner for wiping dribbles. Brilliant.
5. Bravado nursing bras. I have Supreme and Original and love them both. So supportive, easy to use and comfortable. And come is crazy-big sizes.
6. Gerber nursing pads - reusable and disposable. The reusable are more comfortable and environmentally friendly, but if you wear them to work, you may have to bring home soggy pads at the end of the day. They machine wash and dry beautifully. The disposable ones I like are actually the cheap paper ones because the breath a million times better than the plastic lined maxi-pad ones. Personal preference, but I didn't like the swamp-boob feeling.
   
7. Medela Pump in Style. Against all recommendations, I personally chose to use a hand-me-down from a very trusted friend. It was a great benefit to me and I trust the person I got it from 100%. If you have to buy one, it's worth the investment. I wouldn't have been able to pump at work without this puppy.
8. The soft fit shields and personal fit connectors are a must. Made the pump sooo much more comfortable. And get some extra valves, tubing and bottles too. Face it -some days the dishes just don't get done.
9. Avent Isis manual pump. This was quicker, easier and more comfortable for once-in-a-while pumping.

There were a few other things along the way, but these are the items that were in constant rotation.

So that's that I guess, nursing in a nutshell. I hope it was a good experience for Deuce, because it was for me.