"I'm a big kid now!"

Well it's the end of an era. Teo has officially been weaned for over 4 days now, and it's bittersweet. After a very rocky start of establishing breastfeeding, we eventually made a really good run of it lasting 2 years and 8 months!

Teo had a rocky delivery because of the vacumn assistance, so his head was bruised and he found it painful to open his mouth to nurse. We had one successful nurse and then he got frustrated in subsequent attempts. After spending only 15hrs in the hospital we had such a frustrating time at home trying to feed him. He got so hungry and cried all of the time, poor guy, but everytime I tried he would latch and then get impatient for milk to come, and give up and scream with hunger. I was also injured badly through delivery so I had to try and nurse standing up with someone holding him, or lying down. Finally my midwife told me to call Tom in the middle of the day and have him go out immediately and buy a pump for me. She weighed him and he had gone from 8lbs 15oz to 7lbs 15 oz in one week. I got acquainted with the pump which was a whole nother story in itself, and then we tried bottle feeding it to him but it came out too fast for him and he didn't like it.
I then received some amazing advice from another of our midwife's who visited (they wouldn't give up on us!) She brought a syringe and a tube and some surgical tape. We rigged up a contraption so that the the tube was taped to me. We filled up the syringe with my milk and pushed it through the tube so he thought he was getting it from me directly. They also had me go on herbs to get my milk back up since my demand had gone down from him not nursing. During this time I was also seeing a lactation consultant, where we vented our frustration and got so much encouragement and guidance. At the 2 week mark she said "don't give up, just give it one more week, I think he's almost there" I remember my Mom going to the local pharmacy to get some more syringes and the Pharmacist just looked at her funny.
It took 3 full weeks of tube feeding which was an art in itself , and then one morning I had simply just had enough, and I said to him "Teo just take it already" and I latched him on and it worked!! What a miracle and such a relief! I didn't have to sterilize syringes and tubes anymore. I didn't have to tape myself up anymore either. I was free to nurse him anywhere and everywhere and it gave us the freedom to go out to restaurants and enjoy our lives again.

After-Much happier, and look at those cheeks:)

But what a journey it has been. A few days ago I knew it was time, so I started just saying no and substituting with a nuk or a bottle and at first he complained, but then he started asking less and less for it.
It's bittersweet because I miss the closesness and our bonding times, and being able to give him something that no one else could. But it is nice to have my body back, and to not feel like a milk machine anymore! Tom and I are not sure whether or not God has another little one instore for us someday, so Teo may be the only child I nurse. I wouldn't have changed any single part of it. The challenges, the intense frustration, the "ah ha" moments, and the joy of success. It was worth every moment of this journey with my son.