An entire pregnancy now! Wow! Breastfeeding for that long is like, well, having a baby! Yeah, not quite, but you all know which planet I am from don’t you? By the way, that was a rhetorical question, you don’t have to answer unless you really have to.
For me, making 6 months was a huge deal. I had never made it that far with any of my previous babies, but our little Puggle is just so easy to feed.
From the instant she was born, she has been a booby monster, and I do mean a monster. She has turned out to be quite the contortionist while feeding, to the point I get comments like ‘Doesn’t that hurt?’ or ‘Is she actually getting anything?’ Yes and yes to both, though my boobs are so numb now, I don’t even notice when Les tries to sneak a handful (and he’s loving that!)
No signs of Puggle slowing down either. While a full solids regime is in place, the booby monster still wants her mummy juice (milk comes from a cow, according to our oldest 2). Breakfast is cereal, then a quick mummy juice top up. Morning tea is the other side. Lunch is either a small sandwich or some baby food, followed by a full feed. Afternoon tea is whatever the girls are having (providing it is appropriate) and more mummy juice. Dinner is a quick mummy juice feed to sate the immediate hunger followed by a healthy serve of solids, then after a bath, the rest of the mummy juice (occasionally, it is both sides again!). Then most nights, it is several quick feeds before I crawl into bed (around 1am), where I get about 2hours sleep before the Puggle wants to snuggle and snack again.
There are teeth on the way, though they are pretty tricky things and staying just below the gum line still. Doesn’t matter, Puggle is still a food fiend and a biter! I’m sure they will come through with time. Have a theory about why she is taking longer to get teeth, but that’s a blog for another day.
Feed sessions have practically become circus shows with my boobs being twisted this way and that and Puggle acting the clown. Thankfully, I’m desensitised to pain, though it is increasing the effects of gravity! If I could gets pics, I’d show you her antics, but Les is never around or in the middle of something at feed times – typical male!
Yes, now the aim is to reach 12 months, which is not all that far away. I am not ready to give up breastfeeding yet, and probably won’t be until she goes to school…ok, so maybe not, maybe when she is 2 we will start weaning, but that is a looooong way off yet.
Note: Breastfeeding is something I have struggled with in the past. I do understand the frustrations some women feel, and I support their efforts, no matter how short and also support their forced decision to resort to formula.
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