Lately I've been struggling with the idea of weaning Vivienne from co-sleeping and breastfeeding.
Josh and I both strongly have our hearts invested in the attachment/baby-led parenting approach so this idea of weaning is really hard for us both.
For the longest time I've been letting what other people tell me and all of the things I read influence how I've been feeling about it.
Everyone says that Viv must be weaned by the time the new baby comes and after hearing this from so many people it started to really stick into my mind that "oh my gosh, we have so many changes to make!"
Last night when I got into bed (I had put Viv to sleep a few hours earlier) I curled up next to her little sleeping body and put my arms around her and I realized that my little girl is still a baby and there's no reason for me to be trying to change things that she's not ready for...that none of us are ready for.
She is still so little and so innocent and so dependent on us.
She is still so little and so innocent and so dependent on us.
Just because we chose to have babies so close together in age doesn't mean that one has to grow up faster than what she's ready for.
As a mother I obviously am not going to force my children into doing anything that they're not ready for and that starts the moment that they're born and continues on through their lives and applies to even little things like sleeping and nursing for comfort.
So, I guess this post is just to remind myself that Viv is still a baby and there's no hurry to make these big changes for her.
I'm confident that once Penelope is born our life will change and adapt to work how it's supposed to as a family of four just like it did when we became a family of three.
What's life without some challenges along the way, right?
Maybe we're crazy or maybe we seem unprepared but our hearts are ready for these challenges and these new adventures.
Every day I think about our life with two little girls and I just can't wait!
If you have any tips or advice or just stories on raising two children under a year and a half old I would love to hear!
Especially if you have any experience with tandem nursing/co-sleeping!
It's always so reassuring to hear from other mom's who have been in similar situations and I know I can't be the only mama who's ever nursed a toddler and newborn at the same time or practiced baby-led sleeping with two under a year and a half.
Crazy mama's unite!
xoxo.
As a mother I obviously am not going to force my children into doing anything that they're not ready for and that starts the moment that they're born and continues on through their lives and applies to even little things like sleeping and nursing for comfort.
So, I guess this post is just to remind myself that Viv is still a baby and there's no hurry to make these big changes for her.
I'm confident that once Penelope is born our life will change and adapt to work how it's supposed to as a family of four just like it did when we became a family of three.
What's life without some challenges along the way, right?
Maybe we're crazy or maybe we seem unprepared but our hearts are ready for these challenges and these new adventures.
Every day I think about our life with two little girls and I just can't wait!
If you have any tips or advice or just stories on raising two children under a year and a half old I would love to hear!
Especially if you have any experience with tandem nursing/co-sleeping!
It's always so reassuring to hear from other mom's who have been in similar situations and I know I can't be the only mama who's ever nursed a toddler and newborn at the same time or practiced baby-led sleeping with two under a year and a half.
Crazy mama's unite!
xoxo.
I don't have any experience to lend you (I only have one 15 month old) but I can tell you for sure that you are not alone. I can't think of any by name, but I have stumbled upon plenty of blogs of mamas who tandem nurse their toddlers and infants and co sleep with multiple children of various ages.
ReplyDeleteWe don't co-sleep although we did at first (until my daughter was sleeping through the night at 6 weeks) and I'm sure we wouldn't think twice about doing it again with our future kids concurrently if that's what was working for us. My daughter only nurses sporadically now, and by the time we have another child, I'm sure she'll be completely weaned, but if we do happen to have two close together in the future, we will certainly tandem nurse. You aren't crazy!