乳離れ - Weaning

１０ヶ月に入ってフォローアップミルクをあげ始めたら、案外あっさり洸希が乳離れ。
もともと７ヶ月頃からもりもり離乳食を食べ始め、その頃から日に日におっぱいに対する執着が薄れだし、最近ではついあげるのを忘れちゃうほどに。おかげでおっぱいの出もかなり減って、最近は就寝時のオシャブリ状態になっていた。

今日にいたっては朝おっぱいをプイっと拒否られ、昼には噛まれ、夜にいたってはほ乳瓶でミルクを飲みながら寝付いた。

なんか、ちょっと寂しい・・・

以前から卒乳の悲しさを聞くたびに心の中で、「えー楽になるし、エスプレッソやビール飲めるからいいじゃない！」と思っていたけど、いざ自分の身になってみると結構寂しい。
そっかー、お母さんの役割１つ終了なのね、というかんじ。
そして、すやすや眠る我が子を見ながら、少し前まではホギャホギャ泣く赤ちゃんだったのに、つくづく大きくなったな～と感慨にひたった。

From this week we started feeding him follow-up formula milk and he quickly adjusted to non-breast feeding environment.  This all came naturally. Kohki gradually started showing less interest in breast feeding and he started eating more regular food and drink water or non-caffeine tea. I didn't have to make him give up.

Though I heard many moms express saddness when they weaned their babies, I didn't expect myself to feel the same for some reason. But I do now.  Feel of loss, in a way.  I feel like my motherhood has marked a big milestone here and this made me realize that Kohki is really growing rapidly.  He is not a baby forever.

I look back and wonder why I didn't take it slow at so many stages and wished Kohki'd grow out of baby phase soon (esp. when he was only few weeks old and kept me up all the time, or when he woke up so many times a night at night cry phase) .  Had I known he'd wean so quickly, I would have taken it easier... well, I am saying this because things have moved on from then and now I am looking back, I know that.

Kohki, don't grow up too quickly, mommy and daddy love you, take it slow.