An unexpected gift

I have been so grateful that for the past 11 months I have been able to pump enough milk for Aya.  I have to admit though, it has not been my favorite thing to do.  Holding baby Aya and seeing the joy she gets from nursing is worth every effort, but pumping isn't exactly enjoyable.  Despite my efforts to look at the positive aspects, I have grown tired of the routine.  Plus, it still makes me a little sore.  However, I had decided that I would continue to pump twice a day beyond her first year to make sure she continued to receive the best nutrition I could give her.  I kept telling myself it wasn't her decision that I work. 

And so I was okay with continuing my pumping regime.  Over winter break though, an unexpected gift came my way!  While away from work, I was able to nurse Aya as often as she wanted and sometimes she would go an entire daytime without nursing.  She was sleeping well at night and so often I might only be nursing 3-4 times in an entire 24 hour period.  When I returned to work a week and half later, it was very obvious my supply had naturally dropped because suddenly my standard 8 ounces a day had dropped to 6 or even less.  Rather than worry about not getting enough, I decided to just go with this new amount.  I told our sitter to let me know if it didn't seem to be enough for Aya, but after a few days she said Aya was doing great despite the smaller bottle.  This meant I really wasn't going to have to keep pumping as much after all ,and I can now get enough milk from just one pumping session a day.  This small little gift of time that I no longer have to pump has been a nice surprise and reminds me that in the big picture, the time we mothers pump for our babies is really very short and worth more than we can know.

Babies Want to Nurse

I read somewhere recently that babies really want to nurse.  Here are some experiences I have had while nursing Aya that lead me to believe this must be true.

In the beginning, when my milk supply far exceeded what Aya needed and my letdown was too fast for her small mouth, Aya continued to try nursing, even while sputtering and choking.  She cried in protest to tell me something was wrong, but she never stopped trying to make it work.

When Aya was sick last week, and too stuffed up to drink and breathe at the same time, she still found a way to nurse.  It looked uncomfortable and it looked like hard work, but Aya kept coming back for more. 

Aya lets us know when she doesn't want something and just about everything at one time or another has fallen into this category.  Sometimes she wants up, sometimes down.  Sometimes she loves applesauce and peas and other times she won't touch them.  Sometimes she likes to explore on her own and sometimes she wants to be close.  Yet Aya never turns down nursing.  It seems to be something she always wants to do. 

It must be true.  Babies must know their mother's milk is good for them, body and spirit. 

Still breastfeeding

Aya is 10 1/2 months now and at one time I had thought I would stop nursing her when she turned one.  However, as her first birthday approaches, I don't feel as though I'm ready to stop.  She still really enjoys nursing and I can't imagine that she will suddenly feel different on her birthday.  So, for now, I don't really have a plan for how long I will continue to nurse Aya.  I like knowing that she will benefit from my milk for as long as I give it to her, in ways that science can't duplicate.  She will continue to benefit from extra immunity and other nutrients that researchers are still discovering.  And perhaps too she'll benefit from the closeness and security breastfeeding provides. 

Nursing Beyond a Year

Breastfeeding Past Infancy

Breastfeed a Toddler--Why on Earth?