77 months - My Breast Feeding Story

I just weaned the baby of the family.   I am having mixed feelings about the whole thing.   I have devoted 77 months of my life to providing my three, unique and beautiful children, with the best milk on earth. A chapter in my mommy life is now closed.  The cherished memories of little eyes looking up at me with love, little hands gently playing with my face, along with  the not so cherished memories of sore nipples, crying babies in the night, and sleep deprivation will never be forgotten.  "It's a good thing they are so cute."  I use to joke to myself, while barely being awake enough to feed them every two hours or less some nights.

 I nursed the baby of the family, my daughter Josie, the longest at 38 months.  I have been nursing straight for the past 52 months.   I nursed Skyla, my oldest daughter, for 14 months with 8 of those months while being pregnant with Josie.  The other 25 months is from 15 years ago when my first child, Ben, was born.

I have estimated that I have produced over 300 gallons of milk.  I nursed a son, I nursed two daughters, I even nursed during a pregnancy.  All three of my children pretty much never had a bottle except a couple in the hospital for some supplementation. They also never took to pacifiers either.  If they were hungry or upset they got my breast. 

I have been fortunate enough to be able to be the hands on type of mom I always wanted to be.  My patient husband of Skyla and Josie, in the beginning before our girls where born was like, "about a year is enough, right?"  "One is good, but two is better" I replied.  Hoping that I could make it last a little longer.  Then our Josie was born and one year became just over three.  My children were nursed to sleep and always next to us either in bed or Skyla in a family heirloom wooden crib at night.

I will admit the first 3 to 6 months of my son's life I felt like a milk cow.  Weighing in at a hefty 9lbs 11 oz, my little man was never far from the breast.  After about 1 and half he just nursed in the morning for one snack and mommy time. Skyla, my independent one  was easy to wean thank heavens because her sister was just about to be born.  I did get in about a two week break before Josie was born.  Then we come to Josie.  Her more gentle nature and yearning for mommas milk and comfort persuaded me to nurse her the longest.

I will never forgot my three momma milk loving babies nursing moments.  I will also note that so far, non of my children have had ear infections or serious allergies like my hay fever.