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| Breastfed No More |
When S celebrated her first birthday, I made the conscious decision to graduate myself from breastfeeding. It was a bittersweet choice. Mixed emotions I must say. I know for a fact that this is a point of no return. If I weaned her now, the milk would stop coming and that's about it. But I also know in my heart that this is it. I prayed for this moment, this momentous day of liberation. After a year, I'm free from bondage. Goodbye to carrying mammoth bags for my breastpump paraphernalia and accessories. Goodbye to 30-minute momentum-buster breaks to collect milk. Hello to longer time outside the house without the pressure to look for 'pumping stations.'
I've reached my saturation point. And my decision couldn't be clouded and swayed by third-party opinions. This is all about me. And my point of view about this is, I am my own compass. When you've reached the end of the road, you'll feel it. Breastfeeding gave me such a memorable and fulfilling experience. I couldn't possibly let this air of positivity be washed by guilt, stress and what ifs. I want to move on with happy thoughts and good memories.
I thank the Lord for the breastfeeding experience. It saved us a few thousands. It also made me appreciate the womom's body more. It has an amazing way of responding to S's every need. Purposeful as I call it.
I know for a fact that I would never have the kind of intimacy I had with her when she was still breastfeeding. I also know that I would never be able to go back to this particular stage in our lives. Yet I feel liberated. I feel I've done what I need to do, I'm ready to move on and I'm happy to be able to start a new stage in my life as a mother sans the lugging-around-of-the-breastpump-wherever-I-go scenario.
Today, S is Nido-fed (and gorges on anything that appeals to her fancy). She's getting along fine and so am I.
Congrats! I felt the same way from my first 2 sons. But for Jared (youngest and last), I can't make myself breastfeed him. I don't know why, but I guess I did reach the point (and age) that doing it will not do me or him any good. I can't explain it, but that feeling was there.
ReplyDeleteBe free! :)
Thanks Rache! :-) It was a huge sigh of relief. :-)
ReplyDeleteMay I know how old is your youngest daughter? I love to travel and I felt that when I got pregnant with my son (He's 10 months old now), my travel life would stop. I envy you that you get to travel with your kids. I would like to do the same with my son. I'm a single working mom. May I ask your opinion and when would be the best age for my son for out-of-town travels? I'm bringing him out during weekends whenever I can, but not to the malls. I don't want him mall-cultured. As I'm still adjusting to the life of a mother (he was not planned but I welcome him nevertheless, and I'm grateful for his presence in my life now), I've only brought him out twice - to Manila Bay and Quirino Grandstand, and La Mesa Ecopark.
ReplyDeleteHi Jasrey,
DeleteThanks for stopping by. My daughter S will be turning 3 this May. I also felt the same way when my kids were little. But with careful planning, I realized that it was possible. We started traveling with my eldest at age 1 (in the beginning, just outside Metro Manila - e.g. Subic and Tagaytay). By age 2, we flew her to Palawan. The same pattern was repeated with my youngest. But my youngest got her first plane ride at age 1. We went to Bacolod. By far, the boldest we've ever done was go on a road trip to Baguio, with our two kids, 7 and 2. We survived the 6 hour bus ride. I think kids become more responsible when they get to travel earlier in life. Honestly, traveling with kids is not easy. Especially if the kids are not yet toilet trained. And they're bottle feeding. Because you need to bring everything. It gets easier when they get older. As for the best age, I don't think there's a universal answer. Iba iba naman kasi ang mga bata. I can say we're quite fortunate to have well-adjusted kids who're quite comfortable with the hassles of traveling. I think what you're doing is ok. Bringing them out to somewhere near would gauge if they're capable of a longer traveling period. Good luck with your adventures!