by Michelle Stein posted in Parenting

Weaning a child can be a bittersweet experience. And did I mention physically uncomfortable" Emotionally exhausting" Yeah, it's definitely a rollercoaster ride.
Even though I had already gone through the process of weaning two children, I was thrown for a loop when I recently weaned my youngest child. Here are the things that surprised me:
1) Holy hormonal shifts. Sure, I was sad about the fact my breastfeeding relationship was ending, but I also knew it was what I wanted. It's true the process has been fraught with each child. But weaning wasn't as gradual this time around, and I totally felt it. I was an emotional ball of sadness and anger -- which can be normal, thanks to a drastic drop of oxytocin that happens during the weaning process. Fun times. 2) Stuffing cabbage leaves in my bra really did help. This might seem random. But, I've read this bit of advice over and over again for both mastitis and weaning. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) suggests refrigerating a head of cabbage, rinsing it with cold water, and then tearing off sections to use as cold compresses. For me, it definitely helped eased the discomfort of my tender, engorged breasts.

Ugh, weaning feels so unnatural. But it?s time. It?s been more than 24 hours since I last nursed ? we survived our first night cold turkey. (But not without 4-5 screaming fits.) I currently have cabbage leaves stuffed in my bra because I guess it?s supposed to help ...