Lil Chick and I ended a special relationship a week ago.
She was down to one nursing session a day, the 'going to bed' feeding. The last month had been more my encouraging than her asking as I was too stubborn to have to start her on formula after making it 11 months. So I finally stopped encouraging. And that was that.
And now, Mama's going CRAZY.
I just need to know this...did anyone else feel like they were riding the hormone roller coaster after weaning? Ya know, the hormone roller coaster that doesn't feature an END to the ride? The All Access Unlimited Ride Pass that doesn't let you get OFF?
Not only do I have an All Access Unlimited Ride Pass for the hormone roller coaster (and the crazy train too, but whatever), but that pass happens to be triple laminated and hangs from a nerdy lanyard around my neck. Which means that the conductor of the hormone roller coaster won't LET ME OFF THE RIDE.
(Not that I am in general referred to as a stable person, but whatever.)
Dear readers, I need your help, your advice, your commiseration, your sympathy and some hope. Especially those of you who have never left a comment...I'd LOVE to hear from you!
Seriously. Because this Mama needs some sort of pamphlet or brochure from the World Wide Mama "We've all been there, honey" support group...
A
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Are you sure it's not just the 3 pots of coffee?!:) JK. Is it more of a "my BABY isn't nursing anymore" kind of hormone? I didn't really experience that for myself but both of my kids weaned themselves and I think I was about as done with nursing as they were:) But I'm curious what this next one will be like for me since it's (probably) my last:) Good luck, hope you have lots of chocolate on hand:)
ReplyDeleteI thought that was you! You must be the one towards the front of the ride, with the sassified-ruffly shirt. I've been meaning to tell you, you have some chocolate on your chin...
ReplyDeleteI'm right there with you. We have been nursing once, in the middle of the night, and we are at the end. The hormones are enough to make my hubby avoid me at all costs. I do remember that the first visit of Auntie Flow after the end of nursing was super-tough every time. Like, PMS for a month.
The good news is, I think this legally qualifies for temporary insanity, so if your hubby is anything like mine and decides to make a comment like, "Is this hormones? It had better be hormones. Are you PMS'ing? You are being INSANE right now! I'm not going to talk to you about this till you are more normal," you can actually kill him and get away with it. I'm just sayin'...
;)
I remember that feeling mostly the first time around. But then, she was 6 months and weaned herself. I was huge ball of emotional turmoil guilt, regret, sadness the whole lot. Pretty intense. Totally different experience for me the second two times, but still a lot of emotions. Olivia just stopped recently and I feel like I've been majorly PMSing ever since. It takes a couple of cycles for the hormones to even out I think. I even notice a change in my skin when I stop nursing. I'm sure the holiday's aren't helping us much either! Put a little Bailey's in one of your many cups of coffee. Cause, hey, you're not nursing!!
ReplyDeleteI think I'm still on the crazy hormone train...and Nells (also 11 months) weaned in JULY! Seriously though - it was INTENSE for AT LEAST two months there after. I would just look at husband and run through 5 different emotions in the span of 11.431 seconds. THEN I would be upset that it happened and another round of 7 emotions in 24.289 seconds would commences...and you see the cycle. I have vivid memory of crying when my husband set a dish down on the counter. That's all he did. Let the little dish rest in it's place - and the crazy train passenger in the caboose with the window seat emerged. You are sooooooooooo not alone on this one! I found that sending baby with Yia Yia (aka grandma) for an hour did a TON of good for me...that and a milkshake....with a cookie. : )
ReplyDeleteOh great, this is what I have to look forward to? I thought I was enough of an emotional wreck as it is. Seriously, though, I do remember it with my second, and I don't look forward to it with Kam. I got pregnant with Makenna a month after weaning Sierra, so I was dealing with a whole different set of hormones there. Good luck to ya, sweetie.
ReplyDelete*Lil Chick and Kam must have close birthdays ;)
Still trying to wrap my brain about the fact that LC is 1. I know our babies aren't far apart, but still...
ReplyDeleteI'm still nursing 3 times a day and yet The Crazy is with me always. Am trying to fathom what it will be like not to be nursing or pregnant. I haven't seen that status in 3 years. Seriously.
Amanda your great.... You make me feel like I'm not so alone with all this stuff. Thanks for being so honest about it all. I LOVE reading your blog.
ReplyDeleteB
I don't remember being that way too much with my first 2, they weaned themselves and I was ready. This time is different though, I started weaning my little guy about 2 weeks ago and then it got put on hold due to a mastitis infection. We are down to 2 times a day and he has been soooo whiny about it! (My MIL says he's like a baby calf bawling for its mama!) That in turn makes me crabby and emotional. Hopefully in the next couples weeks we can just finish and get it over with, and it would be a whole lot easier if he would do it himself but I don't think I'm gonna be that lucky! Thanks for sharing and remember you aren't the only one going through it!
ReplyDeleteTHAT'S what must be driving me bonkers!! except for me, mister K doesn't want to give it up and I'm watching the 1 year mark fastly approaching and wondering if he'll ever be done with it. Problem is, during the day, he's hard to focus and get him to eat, but middle of the night is no problem! for the life of me, i can't remember the whole weaning/introducing milk process, even though i did it with miss m just fine, obviosly. did you just switch straight to milk? does she take a cup or bottle? i'm trying to get mr. k acclimated to a cup, but it's taking it's time:) hang in there! before we know it, our babies will be 3 and we'll be wondering where all that time went!
ReplyDeleteIs that what all this crying is about on my end? And here I was blaming it on the paper pregnancy. My suggestion? Crafting therapy!
ReplyDeleteIs that what all this crying is about on my end? And here I was blaming it on the paper pregnancy. My suggestion? Crafting therapy!
ReplyDeleteOhhh...yes, I remember the Crazy Train after my little girl weaned...we nursed past a year, so it was a bitter sweet time.
ReplyDeleteI tried to replace our nursing times with a fun activity so that we were busy and still enjoying one another - just not nursing anymore. Also, naptime was essential for me to get a break because I felt like we were getting busier than ever...so that I could take a nap myself or just have "me" time. Hang in there...this is just a blink on the radar, even if it feel like a year! :)
Oh, I don't know if we'll ever make it off this ride. The last six years have been crazy for me: marriage, newlywed, "trying", pregnant, 23 months of nursing, weaning, "trying", pregnant...we're on 15 months of nursing for the second baby, and she's not really slowing down (once or twice a night, one to three times a day).
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I just try and limit my sugar and white bread to avoid MAJOR glucose crashes, and bite my tongue a lot. Probably not enough for my husband, but I do try :)
Courage! It will even out- just make sure you're taking care of yourself!