If you’re not interested in this topic, please skip this post because really I don’t want to waste your time.

I’ve been asked a couple times over DMs how breastfeeding is going and if I have any advice for moms starting out. When I get these messages now, it’s so funny looking back because these questions were definitely huge triggers for me my first go around with breastfeeding. With my daughter I felt almost offended if anyone asked me, I felt like it was such a taboo subject and hated that anyone would even think it appropriate to ask about the journey. I remember going on a podcast back then specifically to talk about breastfeeding and feeling like I didn’t really have much to say about it. Now, and I’m chalking it up to this not being my first rodeo, but I feel like I’m much more of an open book. I will literally talk about anything at anytime lol. I don’t consider myself a pro at all with anything Mom related, but I like to think that because I’m doing what works for me and because I could literally care less about what you’re doing (just being honest), maybe that makes it easier for me to talk about things? I also like to think it makes me more relatable or easier to talk too? Idk but I find my conversations over social media really uplifting because I really believe first of all, that parents should not compare a child to anyone else’s child, and I’ll be the first to admit that what worked for me might not work for you. ALSO, I do truly believe that my daughter was really easy when it came to “big” moments, so I don’t think I’ve ever had to struggle with certain things. (Fingers crossed my son follows suit LOL, but I’m not holding my breath).

I just recently had a good convo with another mom in the depths of potty training and trying to figure out how to get the nighttime routine down, I told her what worked for Avery and luckily, weeks later she let me know that big progress had been made using my advice, which I LOVE hearing. Anyways, got on a little bit of a tangent here, but basically I’ve had lots of convos regarding breastfeeding lately and thought I’d do one big round up here.

So my son is 9 months old now (crazy) and breastfeeding is going well! He’s now also doing solids for 3 meals a day, so I usually breastfeed first thing in the morning before any type of food and then usually after he’s eaten throughout the day and about an hour after his last meal before bed. I feel like I’ve been really lucky with breastfeeding in general, both my babies latched right away and everything just clicked fairly easily for us.

With my son, he started sleeping through the night pretty quickly (thank you little man), so after a 10 pm dream feed, I was up twice overnight to pump- usually around 1 am and then between 3-4 am, and then up at 6 am to breastfeed. At around 5 months, that dropped down to one overnight wake up to pump, usually around 2-3 am (I never set an alarm to get myself up, I just let my body wake me up and yes, it was always because my chest was in pain lol). In January, I officially stopped waking up overnight to pump, so after he turned 7 months old. And let me tell ya, that has been a huge game changer lol. I don’t recommend doing this until your supply is established and unless you’ve got enough of a stash to keep up with whatever goal you have for yourself and your own journey though!

I will say that Jaxson had a tougher time getting used to taking a bottle when I was getting ready to go back to work, and that definitely stressed me out for a few weeks there, but then he finally got the hang of it. Now he seems to go between the two pretty seamlessly.

My plan is to continue to breastfeed until he turns 1 and then to slowly wean after that. We’ll see how that goes once I get there, but basically I HATE pumping with a passion, so after he turns 1, that’s the first thing that’s going to go. I’ll nurse when I’m with him for as long as I can, but trust me, the pump is going in the trash and I might just throw myself a little party after having officially CLOSED my pumping journey FOREVER!! I’m not sure if sharing pumps is a thing or not? But please, if you’d like Elvie pumps, don’t hesitate to ask lol, I’d like to never see them again.

If it weren’t for pumping to need to maintain supply, or if I was constantly with my son all day everyday, I’d for sure nurse for as long as he wanted too, at least for sure mornings and nights. I don’t mind the breastfeeding part of it at all, it’s just the pumping and having to interrupt my work day in order to do it. And I know– lots of people like to judge or say “it’s your responsibility as a mother; you’re doing what your baby needs; yadda yadda yadda” and I get that, which is why I’m DOING it people. But I’m just saying, after I hit this 12 month milestone where it’s officially socially acceptable to no longer breastfeed, I am going to take the weight off my shoulders, alright?

And also– I fully believe that a fed baby is best. So however a baby is being fed, as long as they are thriving, that’s really the bottom line. I’ve always felt that way, and part of this whole motherhood thing that has always rubbed me the wrong way, is the reality that anyone can somehow judge or comment on what another mother is doing for their child.

I had this awkward conversation with an older colleague and a co-worker who also had a baby around the same time as me. We were all in our break room and I was getting my things ready to go into the “wellness room” (a private room with a sink and a lock for me to pump), the woman asked my co-worker, “are you also breastfeeding?” And she’s not, so she said no, and the woman and idk if it’s because she’s from an older generation or what, but she went on a tangent for why my co-worker should be breastfeeding and why she should try to pick it up again. I was floored, so I gave her the tangent I just gave ya’ll- her baby is fed and is thriving, nothing else matters.

So in conclusion, yes, my journey is going great and will come to an end eventually and I have no hard feelings about it at all lol. A few people have actually asked me if I’m going to miss it, and at least at this moment I can confidently tell you no, I am not going to miss it one bit! Are you kidding? I feel like once breastfeeding is over, that’s really when I’ll be able to have complete control over my body again. I loved that freedom when the transition happened with Avery, like going to Disneyland and NOT having to go to the baby care center? HUGE WIN. I think it’s so much more fun too once kids are able to sit and eat and enjoy a meal with you instead of trying to balance breastfeeding with me eating, with my toddler eating, etc. For me, the pros to the journey being over outweigh any of the cons or any of the “sadness” over it being over.

Anyway, that’s all I have on the matter for now!

Happy Tuesday!