Recently, I have had to defend my decision to continue nursing my 13 month old (insert eye roll here). I always try my hardest to stay cordial when people question this decision, but what I really want to say is:
"Excuse me... Are you a mother? No? Well, then shut up already! Did I ask for your opinion? & how is this any of your business anyway??"
I completely understand their point of view. I felt the same way before I had my daughter. Heck, I never thought I would even attempt to nurse. Before I had Elli, I had all of these negative feelings towards nursing and thought it was absolutely disgusting to nurse past 4 months. The pre-baby me was going to stick to formula from the start! Ha!
After the encouragement of everyone to nurse for the baby's health and a few selfish reasons (helps promote weight loss, no fumbling for a bottle & formula & warm water & cleaning the bottle, oh and it's FREE), I was determined to do it for the first 6 months. After 6 months though, it was going to be formula all the way! Six months came and went and I was still nursing. So, I then proclaimed that nursing would be over as soon as she grew more than 2 teeth. She now has 8 teeth and I am still nursing. As soon as she is able to ask for milk, we're switching to formula!... Sign Language doesn't count does it? Then, I decided that at one year I would stop nursing and whole milk would be her drink of choice. (Sigh) She now drinks whole milk, but I am also still nursing.
With all of this said, I have decided to let Ellington decide when she is ready to stop nursing. I still have ideas in my head that I will stop nursing in the next few months, but I know that it is really not my decision. I am not committed enough to be one of those women who is still nursing a 3 year old, but I'm not judging them either. It's their decision! Also, nursing in public... not such a big deal people. I am not comfortable enough to nurse in public & probably never will, but it's really nothing to fuss over. Everyone wears hooter-hiders nowadays, so I don't really understand why people get disgusted if they can't see anything.
This is just a little something that I have had to get off my chest (so to speak), so thanks for listening to my little rant. I am not saying that anybody's decision is right or wrong and I am certainly not saying that anybody's opinion is right or wrong, just that passing judgement before you have been in the same situation doesn't really help your case.
If you are not asked to weigh in on the situation, please keep your opinions to yourself next time! Or at least have the decency of a true southern gal and talk behind the person's back. :)
Yep...your body, your baby, your decision!
ReplyDeleteExactly! I've been really surprised by how many people like to give me their unsolicited opinion about parenting. Often, we aren't even talking about babies when they blurt out how I'm not raising my child in the correct manner. Very strange.
ReplyDeleteI'm still nursing. I nursed my son til his first birthday and that was the best option for both of us. He kinda told me he was done and I had previously decided a year would be the stopping point. Now here I am on my second (and final) child and see no end in sight. I had a rough time nursing her in the beginning and had to supplement, so now that she's wanting to do it I am completely in it for as long as it continues to be a beneficial and satisfying thing for the both of us. I know that part of my not stopping has to do with the fact that I know she is last child I will feed, but I also know she's happy with how things are. You do what is best for you and you'll know when it's time to stop. I'm proud of you for sticking to your guns! And man, I really wanna know what happened right before you wrote this post!!
ReplyDeleteHaha, yeah I kinda went a little angry ranty there for a second. I was just so upset with people thinking that it was their duty to tell me what I was doing wrong. The first time I brushed it off, but it got really annoying by the fourth time someone gave me their unsolicited opinion (during 3 of the encounters, E wasn't even with me).
ReplyDeleteAll I say is try to stop before she goes off to Kindergarten! I don't want to see my sister on one of those shows where the kid takes a break from playing t-ball to go nurse! Haha, that kid will just be asking for therapy :)
ReplyDeleteI am definitely not a mom (unless you count Harrison as a child) :) But if my niece is at her t-ball games asking to be nursed.....then I will question that! I mean do you want her to be the weird kid in Kindergarten that has her Mom come to lunch everyday and nurse her, hahaha. Just Kidding! But seriously stop before school :)
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