Wean!! Wean!! Wean!!!

"So, how old is she" chirped a mommy.
"She will be two, next week" i smiled
"Are you still breastfeeding her" she asked the familiar question
"Yes, why not?"
"Ohh, i would feel so odd feeding such a grown-up baby"

And this was the line that inspired me to write this.

Breastfeeding is such a beautiful thing. It brings my baby close to me. She looks for me when she wants to feed, she caresses me and gives me that heavenly smile. I am satiated with the content on her face. I know so many mothers who were not able to breastfeed their babies and always told me, please do not stop breastfeeding early. And I even know so many other mothers who asked me to stop breastfeeding after my baby turns one.

There are so many presumptions when it comes to breastfeeding. I respect my mom-in-law who always gave me invaluable parenting advice. She told me to feed as long as the child wants to. This will make sure that the baby is protected from all kinds of diseases that float around. One of my other friends advised me that if i am staying at home to bring up my baby, why should i not breastfeed for at least two years. 

I am a mother who keeps on talking to other mothers to know about their style of upbringing. I am pleasantly surprised that a great number of mothers have chucked their flourishing careers and now stay at home, just to bring their kids up in the best manner possible. And they are not from a very well to do family. These mothers just want that their babies grow up into good human beings. They do not want that their kids repent their childhood, saying that their mother was not available to them. 

When I consulted my husband regarding weaning because i was tired, he asked me to breastfeed for at least two years. He gave me a valuable piece of advice that breastfeeding for two years will prevent me from breast cancer. One thing that he told me changed my perspective forever. My husband being into corporate communication at a hospital, told me that he has been to the cancer ward of the hospital and found people who had no hope of living.  And whenever i felt like weaning in between, i should visit the cancer ward and stay there for some time to respect the convenience that God has given me.

As compared to this, i am disgusted to see mothers who just want to wean their babies as they cross the one year mark. Such mothers generally have been conditioned in this manner. They do not have experienced this but want to climb on the bandwagon of weaning babies early. I feel sorry for their babies because i have noticed the behavioral changes in them after weaning. Breastfeeding makes babies strong, especially breastfeeding after the 1 year mark.

Now, my daughter is 25 months, I have started the process of weaning but not that of a sudden one, but a gradual effort. I am happy seeing my daughter now, who had started talking early as compared to her peers. She is friendly, playful, considerate and does not show tantrums regularly. Sometimes I feel that this might be due to the blessing of breastfeeding.

I want her to grow up a happy human being. I have given her the gift of planned breastfeeding, which will stay with her for the rest of her life. Maybe she too might not want to wean off her baby early. She might give the same gift as mine to her baby, when the time comes. 

Make a human being out of your baby

And a fellow mommy told me that generally women who have a son as their first baby, do not plan a second child, these days. I was amused but didn't want to end up in an argument. But i am happy that there are only a few of her breed in my friend circle, at least. 

Most of my friends from school were two sisters, just like me and my sister are. Same goes with my sister. In fact, i know even those friends, who are single daughter of their parents and that too in the time of 80s. I never felt the need of a brother, ever. In fact, i started loathing those people who asked me whether i had a brother and pitied me, when the answer was negative. I am proud that we are two sisters and both are the apple of our parents' eyes. I am glad that our mother-in-laws too don't have daughters and have welcomed us like their daughters in the family. 

             "Sons do not stay with their parents 

              these days, but at least daughters do"

My mother-in-law envies my mom saying that sons do not stay with their parents these days, but at least your daughters make a point to come and stay with you for some days. This is the beauty of daughters. Every family desires that they have one, either in the form of a daughter or a daughter-in-law. 

When me and my husband were planning a baby, we kept our fingers crossed for a daughter. A daughter's a bliss in disguise. She smiles and the entire world seems to be smiling at you. When people started indicating that i might have a son, seeing my bloated belly, i was slightly depressed. In fact, after delivering, i did not even bother to ask the gender of the baby. But thank God, when somebody addressed the baby as she, that i was happy to bear all the pain. 

I am not biased towards boys because i know it all depends upon the upbringing. My parents have brought us up as independent human beings who can handle all kinds of work easily, whether travelling alone, handling finances or pitching in family discussions with ideas. I even know males (some present in our family) who handle kitchen like pros when the ladies of the house are not present. I am proud of my father-in-law, brother-in-law and even my husband who can dish up cuisines when we are not feeling well. 

It's high  time that parents understand that babies need to be made strong, empathetic, independent and loving, rather than strong-headed, opinionated, loud and selfish. I seriously wish that i insert lovely values in my little one so that she can stand on her own, when she steps out in the world.