298 Days…

I took my pump to work today, but I didn’t pump.  I’ve diligently pumped for the last for the last 298 days and breastfed Capone for the last 12 months.  He’s still nursing in the morning, at night, and sometimes during the night, but we’re done during the day for the most part.

It was his choice.  I didn’t push it.  He stopped/cut back  taking his bottles of expressed breastmilk at daycare by his own choice.  I’ve done whatever it took to provide what he wanted. Some days that meant pumping at work and in the evening after he went to bed, some days that meant pumping 1 or 2 times.  Some days that meant pumping extra sessions on weekends and days off to meet his demands, but whatever he wanted I pumped.

Then about 2 weeks ago, he cut back on nursing a lot.  He nursed in the morning and evening, but during the day was more interested in table food.  At daycare he came home with reports that he was stealing the other kids lunch and attempting to eat the crumbs off the floor when he was fed later.  So we followed his lead and let him eat lunch with the big kids.

I know he’s doing what he wants and honestly I’ve been counting down the days until the end of pumping, but it’s still a big transition.  It’s an even bigger transition because he can’t have cow’s milk.  He does fine with small amounts of hard cheese and yogurt, but milk puts him over the edge.

That means we’re faced with a challenge.  Soy is dangerous for babies/toddlers.  Almond milk is out because I have almond sensitivities.  Rice milk isn’t super nutritious.  Formula is dangerous and not really needed.  So we’re counting fat grams and protein grams and making sure that he gets a balanced diet.

I’ve searched the internet to find out about dairy sensetive, 2-3x day breastfeeding toddlers, who are in daycare and have working/pumping moms.  So far, I haven’t found someone in the same situation.  I’ve gotten advice ranging from focus on nutrition and am/pm breastfeeding is plenty to “I would just pump until he’s 2 to be safe.” (I’m guessing that the later has never used a breastpump full time.)

I know that I could send breastmilk to daycare for a little longer, but honestly it’s the end of the semester and there are child care changes looming and pumping has become really stressful, so we are at a good stopping point.

I never questioned that I would breastfeed.  It wasn’t an option for me.  Even with an emergency c-section, I was determined that Capone would be breastfed.  I initially set a goal of 3 months when I went back to work.  When we were still going strong we set our eyes on 6 months.  We made it and started to eye 12 months.  We hit some obstacles with nursing strikes and a horrible freezer stash accident, but we’ve made it.  There is enough in the freezer to make it to 12 months of pumping.

Capone will continue to breastfeed at night and in the morning until he chooses to stop, but we’ve made it.  A really long labor, followed by a c-section, and going back to work and we’ve made it to 12 months.

I’m excited to retire the bottles and the pump and I’m sad that Capone is moving on, but I am so proud that we made it to 12 months.