She’s started
biting, this little lady. My nipples, that is. And it hurts. Quite a lot.
Only recently I was sure that I would continue feeding Lila for quite some time, but now I’m
not convinced.
There’s the biting,
which isn’t much fun, but there are other signs too that
she may be ready to
finish our feeding time together. After refusing the bottle for months, in the
past week she’s taken to guzzling down a full formula feed in one hit. I wonder
if my milk just isn’t enough any more.
She’s also not at
all fussed on a midday boob-feed, but will happily drink a full bottle. I think this
has something to do with not wanting to miss any part of the action, now that
she’s so much more aware of what the action really is.
I was hoping to
feed for a year this time. I’m not sure why. I fed Oliver until he was nine
months, so perhaps it was a personal challenge. I'm also not working now, so why stop? But maybe the reality is that
the nine-month mark is just how we roll. It’s good enough for me.
Part of me feels
sad that it’s coming to an end. The breastfeeding-bond is beautiful. But the
other part is looking forward to getting back to full health. I feel pretty
drained. My chest is bony. My hair is still falling out and the re-growth isn’t
pretty.
We won’t force
things. We’ll keep going and let things happen naturally and slowly.
And what will be
will be.
But tell me… have
you ever had to deal with a biter?
*This line was pinched directly from the pages of the wonderful 'Doodle Bites' by Polly Dunbar. Such a great series of children's books. We love them.

















































