An Update on our Breastfeeding and BLW journey

Harper is now 15 1/2 months old (crazy right??) and we are still breastfeeding and BLWing :)

Harper would still rather breastfeed than anything, she still nurses around 8-10 times a day (maybe even more I do not keep count) and nurses in the middle of the night between 2-5 times a night.

Her favorite foods as of now are chicken, pretzels, carrots, yogurt, spaghetti, oatmeal, and any fruits. Of course she eats MANY other things, but these are her favorites.

As far as "meals" go, she normally has something for each meal, however she never eats much and either nurses before or after eating.

For breakfast most days she will have oatmeal or yogurt and sometimes eggs. On the weekends she might have pancakes and definitely eggs. She now uses a fork pretty well and she gets these things in her hair chair on most days to eat while I clean the kitchen or eat beside her.

For lunch we usually eat leftovers from the night before such as spaghetti, chicken, stir fry, or just whatever we had the night before. Sometimes we will have soup and sandwiches, however Harper does not like sandwiches so she will just have soup :)

Dinner is just whatever we are having and most days she doesn't eat whole lot at dinner time, then she has her bath around 7 or 7:30 and bed around 8


As far as breastfeeding goes we have no plans on stopping anytime soon as I have said before I plan to let her self wean when she is ready.

Oh and yes, she can ask to nurse on her own now (I know that freaks a lot of people out!) but it doesn't bother me in the slightest. Nursing has created the greatest bond between us and I wouldn't change that for the world!

Ah and on a side note, we are paci free! Harper used to take a nap and sleep with her paci at night and as of a few weeks ago, we are officially done with the paci! Yay! :)

One year already?

Harper is almost a whole year old, I can't believe it! Most people are surprised that I am still nursing and now I am about to embark on a new stage of breastfeeding, breastfeeding a toddler.

I've never put a time limit on how long I would breastfeed. I believe it is up to Harper and will let her decide when she wants to self wean. This is not the norm around here and when I tell people this I am always getting "Ohhhhh.." or "Mmmm..." I really wish that more people would understand the importance of the relationship/bond you can have with your child through breastfeeding and also the important benefits of continuing as long as your child wants. There is NOTHING like it, nothing I can compare it to.

Continuing to nurse into and through toddler-hood is so beneficial for your baby. Harper is still 98% breastfed and doesn't really eat solids yet, so all of her nutritional needs are met through breastfeeding even though she is 11 months old. 

Breastfeeding can help protect your toddler for illnesses by enhancing his/her immune system. When your child has an upset tummy, breast milk is about the only thing that will actually stay in the stomachs without making them more sick/upset.

The longer you breastfeed, the more omega-3-fatty acids, or DHA, your child is getting, which means a smarter child in the future.

If you are a fan of delayed or no vaccinations, breastfeeding for at least two years significantly lowers you child's chances of getting any of the sicknesses that are "prevented" by vaccines.

Your breast milk will never loose any nutritional value just because your child gets older, it will always have all of the same nutritional benefits whether you are nursing a 1 month old or a 24 month old.



On top of benefiting your child, which is enough reason to continue in itself, it is also beneficial for the mother as well.

It significantly lowers a mother's chance of getting breast, ovarian, uterine, and endometrial cancers

It also reduces a mother's risk of developing cardiovascular disease



And to top everything else off, breastfeeding a toddler is NORMAL. Yes, you read that right. It is completely normal, natural, and beautiful.

Breastfeeding Harper has been one of my greatest and most beneficial accomplishments. I am so excited to continue this normal, natural, beautiful journey with her. 

The Big Latch On

Just wanted to share that Harper and I were in the local newspaper for participating in The Big Latch On this past weekend! It is an event across the world were mommas get together and "latch on" at exactly the same time! I think there were around 8,000 people in all who latched on! How awesome is that? :)

I am the redhead by the way ;)

Go Breastfeeding Mommas!

Breastfeeding

  I have made it my goal to breastfeed for at least two years and met my goal of breastfeeding exclusively for 6 months! Breastfeeding is a huge part of a mother and baby relationship. There is absolutely nothing like it and as they say, breast is best! I could not agree more.

Every mom, and dad, have a ton of decisions to make before bringing a baby into the world. How they choose to feed their baby is one of these choices and is so important. Breastfed babies in general are happier and healthier than formula fed babies.

I believe that every mom should try to breastfeed. No, it's not easy in the beginning, but if you try you will see how amazing breastfeeding can truly be. You can not get any closer than having your child breastfeeding and holding them so close and knowing there is no place in the world they would rather be. It is such a special, personal bond that a mother and baby can share.

On top of everything it is the most nutritional for your baby hands down. There is no argument that breast milk is the best nutrition for your new baby.

A lot of new moms do not have sufficient support to be successful at breastfeeding. It is imperative to have a support system behind you to breastfeed exclusively. The first two-three weeks are extremely difficult and if a new mom tries breastfeeding, most will stop within this time frame because of no support system. People will tell them "Oh just give them a bottle" when it gets hard and this is NOT helpful even though they are trying to be. If you push through those first few weeks, you can push through anything, trust me.

If anyone ever has any questions about breastfeeding please contact me! I would love to help you achieve your goal of breastfeeding your baby! It has been one of the greatest decisions I have made in raising my daughter.