Mission 'No Boobies'

I've been trying to access the 'New Post' page on blogger but it takes ages to load properly. Something about 'error on page'. So, I have resorted to post this entry via email. Last Sunday, I made a spur-of-the-moment decision to wean Maisarah from breastmilk and freeing my boobies from becoming her pacifier. This has been long overdue. We have exceeded the two-years-breastfeeding goal by 12 months. I didn't have a proper plan. That morning, at 7 am, when she asked for milk, I told her that she is now a big girl and that she should drink milk from the bottle. She retaliated and cried, screamed for breastmilk. Shah was comforting her but she continued to cry. At this time, I went out and mixed coffee with a little water and placed some on my nipples. I was in a hurry and quickly pulled my shirt close. It caused a stain. When I got back to the room, Shah was telling Maisarah to stop crying before she can see me.

Finally, after 10 minutes, she stopped crying and came out. I'm not sure if this is the best way of weaning but I resorted to trickery. I saw her and said to her that my boobies were sore and bleeding. Showed her the 'blood stains' which were really coffee stains and she believed me. From that moment onwards she was off the boobies. Throughout the day I kept reminding her that she is a big girl and she should drink from her bottle like her friends. Also, I kept on cuddling, kissing her and telling her I loved her every now and then. When she asked for milk, I reminded her that my boobies were sore.

Towards noon, I was apprehensive about nap time. I made a bottle of milk, closed the drapes, and told her to cuddle me, shut her eyes and keep quiet. After a few times of reminding her to keep quiet, she fell asleep. Unfortunately, mommy slept too. At night, I did the same tactic but it took slightly longer before she slept. But I knew one more challenge awaited, night-time feeds. She awoke at around 2 am, looking for boobies in her sleep. I reminded her that they were sore and she screamed. I forgot to prepare milk in advance so had to run out. Shah had to handle her. Poor hubby had a disrupted sleep on the night before the first day of class. When I got back, she drank a little milk. Then, after cuddling and series of of soft cries and whimpers, she slept again till morning.

Alhamdulillah, last (Monday) night was much better. She awoke at 1 am for milk but didn't scream. Whimpered a bit, drank a little milk and went back to sleep. She now knows that she must drink from the bottle and no more breastmilk. I am very grateful to Allah for the past three years of breastfeeding which I will cherish. So, for now I can safely say that Mission 'No Boobies' has been successful, although the execution could be better. To remember our breastfeeding journey, I'm going to post Maisarah's breastfeeding ticker here for safe keeping.

And a special note to Shah: 

I am very very thankful for your help throughout the three years of breasfeeding and weaning process. Maisarah and I love you with all our hearts and we are grateful for all that you have one for us.

P.S: Here are some tips for weaning from mom's who've been there taken from BabyCentre. There are lots of tips, but I'm pasting here tips for toddlers above 20 months like what I faced.

Change bedtime routines

My then 26-month-old daughter Elise's favorite time to nurse was at night, right before bed. Instead of nursing, I read to her from her favorite books. She would then drink her milk, and snuggle into the pillows ready for sleep. It took a few weeks to get her used to the routine — and some crying — but we learned to bond in a different way.
—Jackie

Introduce the cup

A few months before my son's second birthday, he and I shopped for a special cup. He picked out a red one with a built-in straw. I began to substitute a cup of warm water for the breast and let him choose the times to give up nursing. He still uses his special red cup for his bedside water and we still cuddle in my bed every morning.
—Jill

Tricks for the family bed

I weaned my daughter just shy of her second birthday. When she woke in the middle of the night, I would just hold her until she drifted back to sleep when she realized there would be no "nursy." I kept a cup of milk ready for her when she woke up in the morning, then we read, read, read until she got used to this pattern and not nursing. Bedtime was tough. I would just say no, Mommy has no more milk or I'd let her dad take her to bed and I stayed away until she drifted off.
—Cindy

A recipe for weaning

Here's a gentle weaning method to try: Finely chop a clove of garlic. Put chopped garlic and a tablespoon of olive oil in a small bowl. Let this sit for a few hours. Strain out the garlic. The oil should have a strong garlic odor. Put the oil on nipples. (You may want to protect your bra with a nursing pad.) My 2-year-old would ask to nurse and then tell me I was stinky and refuse. She'd check a few times a day, and lo and behold I was still smelly. I reapplied twice a day for about four days and then she stopped asking. We cuddled and read a lot of books during the transition time. There were no tears. I'm happy I nursed her as long as I did, but I was ready to wean!
— Anonymous