Dylan took this photo of us last week.
My fifteen month old, the budding photographer. I sort of love this photo--even if my face is still swollen and black and blue from my wisdom teeth extraction--because my little Muggy took it.
He's gaining his independence so quickly these days: starting to talk, running like a champ, fetching shoes for me, and yet he still wants to nurse constantly.
It's my fault. Instead of cuddling a stuffed animal or a pacifier or a bottle, Dylan finds comfort in nursing. And I often allow him to hop in my lap and nurse for long periods of time as he watches Sesame Street. He nurses one side and holds onto the other boob as if he were Linus and I was his blanket.
When I blogged about wanting to wean him a few weeks back, we were quite successful. We weaned down to two or three times a day--morning and night--never throughout the night, and maybe once before an afternoon nap. But then I had surgery and couldn't move much. So we went back to our old habits of nursing around the clock.
I'm struggling with it all. We want to have another baby soon and this excessive nursing means that I still haven't gotten my period. He won't drink much from sippy cups. I'd like my body back, I feel guilty for wanting my body back, and yet I love the bond we have.
Friends who are mothers, and also my own mother, have told me stories about how their children just stopped wanting to nurse. I see that happening with Dylan as much as I see him winning a Nobel prize at age seven. He loves it too much.
I don't think going cold turkey is right for Dylan, but maybe getting him more on a schedule would help. Any tips, stories, or experiences you'd like to share about weaning your little ones would be much appreciated by this mama. Any takers?