Monday, March 26, 2012

It's Time

Yesterday afternoon, I made a bottle of formula, sat down in the rocking chair and fed it to Tory. And like a unintentioned dagger to the heart, she drank it.

WEEP.

I'm throwing in the towel on nursing. I guess my body has decided it's time. After two and a half months of popping fenugreek and Mother's Milk pills, drinking tons of water and eating oatmeal with limited results, I'm coming to the realization my body is done nursing my baby. But am I ready? No. Yes? I guess I have to be.

As I laid in bed last night, wide awake at 4:00am after my third wake-up with Tory in less four hours, I tried to understand why this is happening to me. Isn't a mother's body designed to produce milk for her baby? Why is mine puttering out just a few months after it started? Why do some moms have such an oversupply but I don't? What did women do in biblical times when their bodies stopped producing milk and the alternative wasn't as simple as a can of formula? I suppose it's been happening to women throughout time and like me, they probably moved on to the next best option - cow's or goat's milk at the time.

Thankfully, Tory seems to be accepting the transition better than I am. I was worried she wouldn't take a bottle from me (as has been the case in past months) but it's almost like she knows it's time. Scratch that - I'm fairly certain she's ready. I don't think she's been getting enough to eat. Yesterday for example, I nursed her at Noon and she slept for an hour which is fairly standard. She woke up happy, but started to fuss about a half hour later. Knowing I likely didn't have much milk left and half wondering, I went into the kitchen and made a bottle of formula. As we walked back into her nursery together, Tory was already grabbing at the bottle in my hand and down-right guzzled the bottle once we sat down. The poor girl was hungry! I held back a few tears as my heart shattered right there on her nursery floor. I know it's such a silly thing for me to be so worked up over a stupid bottle of formula, but it made me feel like I was depriving my child of food. I let out a deep breath, realizing I was clenching my teeth and waiting for her to bock at taking a bottle, and tried to focus on rocking her in my arms. I expected her to want me, to demand to nurse, but she didn't. She drank her bottle, sat up and smiled and we went on with our day.

It's no secret we're still waking up a bazillion times a night over here, and I'm starting to wonder if hunger is the root cause. Last night before bedtime (which was an hour and a half after she ate a full serving of rice cereal and squash for dinner), I made Tory another bottle of formula. I know she went to bed with a full belly but like clockwork, she woke up again around Midnight. I nursed her back to sleep and she woke up again at 3:00am. I fed her again, but she mostly pacified herself back to sleep. A few minutes later, she cried out again until 3:45am I finally made her a bottle and went in to feed her. Tory drank the bottle, I laid her in her crib and she went right to sleep. She was still sleeping when I left for work this morning at 7:00am. I'm not sure what to think. Has she been hungry after nursing and that's why she wakes up so frequently at night? Or is she conditioned to wake up at Midnight and 3:00am and does so out of habit more than anything? Where is the manual for this child?!

In my mind, I thought the nursing transition would happen gradually over a few weeks. I'll slowly replace one nursing session with a bottle feeding, I told myself to make it an easier pill to swallow. It seems though, Tory is dictating another course of action. I brought my pump into work this morning and I'll try to pump a few times a day like I always do but I'm fairly certain I'll have little results. Looks like my Tory Bean will be bottle fed by the weekend.

8 comments:

  1. Try not to be hard on yourself!! I always tried to take things a day at a time and they always seemed to work out - I spent way too much time worrying about not having enough milk or how I would stop nursing. I never realized how "stressed out" I was about it all until I was done nursing.

    Now I just worry about other things, ha ha!!

    I too wish there was a manual about all these things!!

    Just a side note Lauren didn't sleep through the night until I stopped nursing completely. I am not sure if she was just ready or if she knew if she got up mommy wouldn't have any milk to feed her so what was the point. Who knows!

    Just keeping doing what is best for you and Tory!! You know best for your baby : )

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  2. Think about it this way - you nursed her for a good 6 months - that's awesome! I can still remember the day the doctor called me to say that I had to go out and buy formula and stop nursing Henry - I burst into tears. And to sit back now knowing that they were wrong in saying he had a milk allergy makes it even harder - but there's nothing I can do now.
    Don't be hard on yourself! I agree with Jen, you know what's best for you and Tory!

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  3. Well, I can definitely relate... and it's hard! So hard! The one thing that people always told me that (sort of) helped is to remember that feeding/nursing is not the only part of raising your child.. it is just one aspect. I realize that's hard when you're in the midst of it - but Allie had some formula too and now she's a thriving almost three year old and has no clue she had formula :) I'm so sorry that your body is reacting the way you want it to, I don't get it... but then again, I don't get why mine doesn't "work" either, but it is no less frustrating to not be able to do something that you want to! Regarding the hunger - I remember my pediatrician telling me that when a baby is over 12 lbs. they don't "need" to eat in the middle of the night. So, I'm sure it is not that she's hungry in the middle of the night, it is just a habit/comfort thing for her to wake up. Maybe that will make you feel better? However, I know those feelings so well, whenever Allie cried when she was younger, I thought it was because she was hungry - to this day, I'm sure there were a couple weeks when I was figuring out how much to supplement that she really was hungry, but again, she is none the wiser now! You did an amazing thing by nursing for 6+ months, remember that! I'm thinking of you during this tough time!

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  4. As I have told you before you gave T the best stuff for six months. She is a picture of health, she won't judge you for not nursing her, but may get abit upset if she doesn't have enough to eat. I know exactly what you are going through but its time to take the next steps...she will be fine. It's not like you are replacing the good with the bad. You may find bottle feeding is easier for you, giving you more time for yourself and still satisfying T.

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  5. Girl...you have done great things with that baby. Tory has been getting the nutrients and sustenance she needed for months...now it's time to move onto the next thing. Don't feel bad about it....feel great that you were able to provide for her for six months...and that she is a perfectly healthy, happy babe.

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  6. I know this is so hard for you, I'm sorry! I really, truly, honestly think that while our bodies are made for nursing, they AREN'T made for nursing and then being away from our babies all day while we work. I had an OVERSUPPLY while I was home, and the second that damned pump came into the picture, my supply tanked. The whole putting up with supplements and pumping and night waking is TOUGH while you are trying to be a good mom and do a good job at work. I think you did an AMAZING job! Once the weaning hormones die down, you will be glad to have more time and energy to devote to Tory. Win win!

    [And you know where I stand on the hunger question - I do think babes living on low supply wake because they are hungry, hence the quick transition to sleeping once they get more formula / solid food].

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  7. You know that I feel the same way as you regarding formula. So, maybe you'll find some comfort in knowing I've had to loosen up about breastfeeding too. My supply is also dropping, and I now only pump 1 1/2 bottles a day instead of the 2 I need, so every other day she has a formula bottle. I felt this EXACT same way at first, but I feel so much better now. Just letting go of the stress of trying to keep up feels so great.

    Anyways though, hope it goes smoothly for you two. You are a great Mama and Tory is lucky she has you!

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  8. You shouldn't feel accept for that you are allowing her to feed multiple times during the night. Many babies sleep through the night at 3 months, certainly 6 months. Try working on that next!

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