Here is one mom’s story of letting her baby go from nursing. It is a rollercoaster of emotions. Remember to embrace the memories of nursing, but also remember to embrace your child’s journey into independence!

In my last blog post (http://womenswellnessnj.com/one-mamas-breastfeeding-journey/), I talked about the gentle weaning of my two year old. Since writing that post, my son has completely weaned, and I am still processing it all. Here are five things that have surprised me so far.

1. It is uncomfortable. The milk is in there, and I can feel it wanting to come out. Cabbage leaf compresses do wonders.

2. My appetite has finally decreased. I ate all the time for the last few years, but within days of weaning, I noticed I was eating much less. My son on the other hand has doubled his food consumption.

3. It’s been much harder on me than on my son. He looks at pictures of us nursing and talks about how he used to drink Mommy’s milk. I look at the same pictures and cry, which leads me to…

4. I am emotional! I had no idea how many hormones were connected to breastfeeding, but I have been a mess ever since we weaned. Weaning triggers many hormonal changes, and post-weaning depression is real.

http://kellymom.com/ages/weaning/wean-how/depression-and-weaning/

5. And finally, the hardest thing is that nobody knows what I am going through. I don’t look any different, but I feel like a different person. For two years, I was a breastfeeding mama, and I can’t say that any more. A huge part of my identity is no longer a part of me.

So much information and support is out there for new mothers, but let’s not forget to support each other during these later mothering milestones. Talking to other moms and learning that others have felt this way has been a tremendous help, so if you’ve recently weaned and are feeling crazy, know that you are not alone!

Women’s Wellness of New Jersey offers support to weaning mothers at our Lactation Circle, Playgroups and Mothers Groups. Just by talking to other moms, you will soon learn that you far from alone in this process of weaning your child.