Weaning: When Illness Interrupts the Process

by KeeperAtHome | More from this Blogger

18 Feb 2007 01:23 PM

When my daughter was fourteen months old I reluctantly decided it was time to wean. It was a difficult choice for me because it was something that she still enjoyed and took comfort in, but I was becoming increasingly uncomfortable doing it. I won't go into all of the psychology behind my reasons for calling in quits, but one thing is for sure: It did not go as planned.

Up until she turned fourteen months old, she was nursing about 6 or 7 times during a 24-hour period. I decided to slowly back off of the day-time feedings and try to get down to once in the morning and once in the afternoon. The day-time feedings are the ones I enjoyed least and the ones from which my daughter could be most easily distracted.

On day four, everything was going swimmingly. We had no emotional breakdowns or tantrums on her part, she was happy and I was happy. It just so happens that no sooner had I basked in the glory of how the weaning process was going that she came down with the stomach flu. Thankfully, she was not vomiting, but she did have very bad diarrhea.

The choice was clear to me: I needed to go back to nursing. Breastmilk is such a wonderful Creation. There is no more easily-digested food that is so packed with nutrients. It was able to supply hydration, nutrition, and yes, comfort when she was feeling miserable. I really felt that during the time of her illness, breastfeeding and breast comfort were important and necessary for her. A few days later, when the diarrhea subsided and she was feeling better, the process began again.

Some people might be thinking, "You already made so much progress, why not just stick with the weaning?" I think they key to parent-lead weaning is to do it with love and sensitivity. Breastfeeding, even when done for many months or even years, is a short-lived relationship a mother gets to experience with her child. Since I had thoroughly enjoyed nursing my daughter as a newborn, infant and into the toddler stage, I was not willing to end it on bad terms. I am thankful that I nursed as long as I did so that I was able to offer her the one thing that could give her comfort and nutrition when she was ill.

If you are in the weaning process and need to make the decision about whether or not to reverse the process because your child is ill, consider these questions:

1. Can your child receive adequate nutrition through other foods?

2. Do you have ways of comforting your baby without the breast?

3. Is your child emotionally attached to breastfeeding (she usually initiates) or is she "take it or leave it" in her mentality?

Every child is different when it comes to weaning. Some let it go easily while others hold onto it possessively. Be sensitive to your child's feelings about nursing and make your choice based on what is best for both of you.

Please check out my other blogs!

Tips For Night Nursing Weaning

Tips For Weaning a Baby

Nightweaning: Ways to Get More Rest

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