Breastfeeding come down...

I've tried to record all my breastfeeding stories so that if I ever do it again I can remember both the ups and downs.

Turns out, in all the NCT classes and midwife visits, no one mentioned the come down.
We have been trying for the past few weeks to wean Mabel onto a bottle for when I return to work.
There was a period when I thought she was fed up of it anyway and it would therefore be a natural process. But it turns out she was just fed up of milk in general and when there was a food option she was happy just to take a quick milk snackette. From a boob ideally.


So it hasn't been the easiest. We have had a couple of occasions of mild mastitis, a fair amount of late night expressing and a fed up baby when the milk bar closed signs come down and she is offered a drink from a vending machine instead
 It feels awful when she is getting all angry and just tries to launch herself at my chest. It must be really confusing for her.
(picture source)

And that's not to mention that I am feeling sad about finishing (G Kisby has discovered me doing a 'secret' feed - "but she was still hungry," came my response) and I think my hormones are a bit up and down again too.

Don't get me wrong, there are certain things I won't miss. No longer having my boob swung around in public (she doesn't sit still anymore so feeding discretely is no longer an option), not having to express if I am away from her (in a hotel toilet was a particular highlight or in a moving car with the family on Saturday, that was a joy). And I definitely won't be missing those teeth which are well and truly through now and very sharp (I have found it difficult to hold back the obscenities the odd time she has decided to clamp down).


I'll keep doing my first and last thing feeds for now so I've not hung up the old maternity bras yet but things are a changing and we are both going to have some adjustments to make!