I nursed Huck until he was 27 months old. I assumed I'd nurse Jemima at least that long but, at 15 months...I'm already feeling like I'm ready to stop. Or nearly ready anyway. I know there are women out there who give it up for the team way longer than I have, but I'm just feeling ready to have my body back to myself for a while. I'm trying to hang on until the snow melts and the weather turns warm here.
Toddler nursing can be...challenging. Thank god neither of my kids were biters, but Huck was a twiddler at this age. He'd reach over to my free breast and go after the nipple like he was trying to find a good AM radio station.
Jemima is more of a honker. She just likes to give me a few quick squeezes--Honk Honk. Note to self: put an old-fashioned bicycle horn on her tricycle when I start to wean. Honestly, it doesn't bother me that much.
I'll take a honker over a twiddler any day of the week.
The other difficulty with nursing a toddler is the acrobatics. This is currently Jemima's favorite nursing position.
She's also partial to this one.
It's a damn good thing I don't have much occasion to nurse in public any more since we're down to first thing in the morning, before naps and before bedtime. But every once in a while when we're out, if she falls down or gets scared of something, she wants it a little comfort nurse. Naturally, I oblige and she's usually pretty chill about the crawling around and standing on her head antics. However, she insists that no fabric of any kind must come closer than a foot from her face in any direction and if, god forbid, she sees a dog or hears a bird tweet, she must stretch my nipple five inches until it pops out of her mouth with a giant slurping sound. So...
It's time.
I'm ready to buy a bra that fits--even if it's smaller than before.
I'm ready for my body to be my own again--most of the time at least.
I'm ready to have a libido--even if it's smaller than before.
I just hope she's ready, too, because I'm thinking June is just around the corner.
Update: Made it to the warmer weather and successfully weaned her at 18 months.
