Teething Time
Janice Uhlin-Rowe
Kannapolis NC, USA
From: NEW BEGINNINGS, Vol. 17 No. 6, November-December 2000, p. 210
We provide articles from our publications from previous years for reference for our Leaders and members. Readers are cautioned to remember that research and medical information change over time.
My first child, Evan, stopped
nursing when he was just weeks old. I think it was the result of my
return to work because he started to take a bottle. I also feel that
I didn't recognize a nursing strike when I encountered one. I didn't
know half as much then as I know now, although I thought I was well
educated about breastfeeding. Though I was reluctant to wean him, he
just didn't seem to want me anymore. Thus, our beautiful nursing relationship
ended.
By the time I gave birth
to our second child, my daughter Schuyler, I had become friends with
other women who breastfed their children for longer periods. They introduced
me to La Leche League. From the time I knew I was pregnant, I was determined
to nurse this baby longer than I had nursed my son. Thanks to all the
wonderful, enlightening information I received from the LLL meetings,
the support from the Leaders, and my friends' own experiences with nursing,
I have now been nursing Schuyler for 16 months with no sign of weaning
in sight. I am incredibly glad that our breastfeeding relationship has
lasted this long, because it's teething time!
Schuyler got her first teeth
long before now, but these were never much of a problem for her. She
always seemed to get through the eruption of each new tooth with ease—no fevers, no drooling, and no pain. Now, however, her molars are
coming in. Lately, she has just not been herself. My happy, lively bundle
of energy who always has kisses for everyone has turned into a sleepy,
weepy little girl who longs for nothing more than her mother's lap and
breast. It has been such a comfort for me knowing that through the simple
act of nursing my child, I am fulfilling two of her incredibly important
needs. Not only am I providing the majority of her nourishment, since
the pain makes her unwilling to eat, but nursing also gives Schuyler
the opportunity for many warm, comforting cuddles, reassuring her that
she's okay and I am always there for her, especially when she's feeling
crummy. Just sitting and holding her, watching the tears ebb and her
eyelids close as she finds soothing comfort in my milk is enough to
make me smile. It reassures me that, for many reasons, a long happy
nursing relationship has been the best thing for us.
There will always be the
old familiar standbys—the cold washcloths and teething rings and biscuits
for little ones to chew on in hope of finding some relief for sore little
gums, but none of those things can provide the soothing reassurance
of mother's milk. Nothing makes me happier than when I can ease my child's
pain, making her feel secure and loved. As we rock in our rocker and
I nurse my precious baby during these terrible "teething times," I know
in my heart that is exactly what I am doing.
Last updated Friday, October 13, 2006 by njb.
Page last edited Sun Oct 14 09:30:33 UTC 2007.
