Baby Led Weaning

Yesterday, I went to WIC office to pick up food vouchers and was hoping to talk to someone about the breastfeeding weaning process. My goal was to breastfeed my daughter for a year. She is about to be 15 months old and I am starting to feel it is time to get informed on the process. I am usually attended by a woman and they are really great at answering my questions about my daughter's nutrition. This time I was seen by a male. He seemed to be a bit uncomfortable with answering my question about child-led weaning breastfeeding. He stumbled and began to say that I would need to put my foot down about it.

Maybe my facial expression was obviously telling him I was not convinced so he asked a front desk attendant about it. She began to tell me she is going through the same thing with her baby and was advised not to co-sleep with her child anymore. I thanked her for sharing. It became clear I would need to keep searching for more resources.

My intuition tells me that this process is not just about Tzintia's nutrition. The process is an emotional one. Our attachment ritual does not have to end but will need to transform into something that still mutually provides the affection and bonding that nursing does. I'm not sure exactly how to go about the process but I know I will need to be gentle, creative and take it one day at a time.

The breastfeeding experience can be difficult but it is such a rewarding experience. The weaning process also requires for me to let go of seeing my tzintia as my baby. I feel as though it's the begining of letting go as a parent. Something that we must do little by little to let them grow into their blessings and choose their paths little baby steps at a time. I look forward to learning about breastfeeding education and being a peer counselor because there seems to be a need for these kinds of resources and education