The way it is

Baby J is a wonderful baby girl. She was born in July 2005 (which makes her currently 7 months old). Her dad and I have raised her more or less according to the Attachment Parenting style of parenting and we are very happy about that.

However, some things didn't go according to plan, namely, Baby J will not take a bottle. This means that I, as the breastfeeding momma, can't leave her for more than 1 or 2 hours at a time (and 2 is pushing it.) I won't go into all the varieties of bottles, nipples, positions, and people used to feed her - suffice it to say she won't take a bottle.

I think that if Baby J could take a bottle, I would not be as eager to wean her. But, as it stands, she doesn't, and I need a little break. So, I've decided to start down the road of weaning.

Originally, back when I didn't know a thing about being a mom, I decided that I would stop breastfeeding at 6 months. After Baby J was born, that seemed like a loooong way away. By day 6 I thought that 6 weeks would be damn near impossible. But, each day got easier. By 4 months I loved breastfeeding. By 5 months I started to worry about how in the heck I was ever going to wean her. She loved to breastfeed, and it was a miracle cure for all her aches, worries and cries. I realized that cutting her off would require lots of maneuvering and love. At 6 months I called in a professional doula to offer some advice. (her advice to follow)

Baby J not only frequently nurses to sleep for naps, she also beds with us. This means that she has all night access to her food. (note: If I had it to do over, I don't think I would do anything differently as far as sleeping or feeding her. I love to sleep and feed her in bed; it's convenient and really helps us feel attached. )

So, to sum up, Baby J has been exclusively breastfeed for 7 months, frequently nurses to sleep for naps (when she doesn't fall asleep in her baby bjorn or car seat) and nurses many times during the night in bed with us. And now, I need a break.

That's the way it is.

The way it will be: Baby J will be completely weaned and exclusively on formula and solid food.

That's what I hope, anyway. I have no specific date in mind as a goal, but I hope it will be before her 1st birthday. (I guess that's a specific date.) Obviously there will be no harsh methods used to wean. Her dad and I are all about having a loving, thoughtful connection to Baby J. It would not be fair to her to raise her with near constant access to the breast and then abruptly take it away.

My attempt here is to chronicle my experiences with weaning so that I will always remember how to do it, since I will be having more children. I know, I know, each baby is different. Yes, that's true, I'm sure. But right now this just seems like such an impossible feat (weaning, that is) that I really want to remember exactly how we did it.