Gwen Stefani Says Self-Weaning Zuma 'Felt Like a Total Rejection'

Bret Thompsett/Pacific Coast News

As it would for any mom, having two babies back-to-back took a toll on Gwen Stefani‘s figure. Up until very recently, she tells USA Today that her closet was filled with maternity clothes as she swung between weight gain and loss; What’s more, losing the weight after son Zuma Nesta Rock, 13 months on Monday, was “no miracle.”

The 39-year-old No Doubt songstress and fashion designer notes in the interview that it took a full eight months to reclaim her pre-baby body.

Tougher still, however, was Zuma’s decision to self-wean this summer — a change Gwen says she wasn’t ready for.

“I didn’t want him to [quit], it felt like a total rejection. It was really hormonal, and trying to stop in the middle of the tour was insane.”

With a 40th birthday rapidly approaching next month — Gwen says she wants “a really big cake” — a recently reunited band, a “reborn” L.A.M.B. line and more, she shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. “I don’t get any sleep,” Gwen concedes.

In addition to Zuma, Gwen is mom to 3-year-old Kingston James McGregor with husband Gavin Rossdale.

Source: USA Today

– Missy

Comments

A baby under a year does not self-wean, it was probably a nursing strike. If she wanted to stop breastfeeding that is her business but don’t perpetuate the myth that an infant will CHOOSE to stop breastfeeding.

- Shawna on September 16th, 2009

I know plenty of babies who have weaned themselves once a bottle or sippy cup is introduced. And that’s totally fine. I feel for Gwen, though! Clearly she wasn’t ready to wean him. I am still nursing my 17 mo. old twins and I get so sad thinking about weaning.

- urbanadventurertales on September 16th, 2009

Shawna, I self-weaned at ten months, so yes a baby can self-wean at under a year. I did it whilst on holiday, and my mum was so upset, she says she felt like I didn’t want her anymore. I imagine poor Gwen felt the same (even though it’s not true, of course your baby still wants you!). In contrast my mum had to try really hard to wean her youngest, my brother, at 22 months.

- Rachel-Jane on September 16th, 2009

I’m so sick of lactivism. If you don’t breastfeed you are evil. If the child doesn’t suckle until the 3rd grade you are evil. WHEN WILL THE JUDGMENT STOP? Mothers cannot win. You don’t know this baby’s personality! Please stop perpetuating the myth that all babies love to nurse until grade school. And don’t blame it on bottles or sippy cups, either. News flash: babies haven’t read up on their “weaning age rules” on kellymom.com! Do you think a switch flips in a baby’s brain on their first birthday or something? You aren’t even satisfied with a celebrity working mother nursing for almost a year, when less than 12 percent of U.S. moms make it to SIX MONTHS? COME ON! Congratulations to Gwen for even nursing at all.

- dd on September 16th, 2009

My baby self weaned despite me trying to keep up the nursing!

I find it so refreshing to hear Gwen talk about how hard she works to lose weight and keep herself in top shape. She looks great and has a beautiful family.

- essi on September 16th, 2009

I agree dd. There is a group on facebook who are hardcore lactivists who claim to respect all views on breastfeeding yet they are nasty and cliquey. They mostly fight about breastfeeding photos and why some photos are just not acceptable by facebook and other sites, but they are mostly quick to force their views on other topics now. Their way is the only way and everyone else gets bashed to no end. Even asking simple questions if you are not sure about a technique gets you picked on in a “how could you not know, you’re a woman and know deep down how to breastfeed already” manner. Ridiculous.

- J on September 16th, 2009

I would have to agree with dd. Why would someone beat Gwen up for claiming that her son weaned himself? Shawna, your comment seems a little judgemental. Breastfeeding for the length of time that she did was a great thing, and it’s none of our concern whether she weaned him or he self weaned.

- acidstars9 on September 16th, 2009

Gwen is one of my favorite celebs!!
dd- I lol’d at your post!! I think it’s great that Gwen nursed for a year and it’s great that she’s talking about it, but it’s the people that make judgemental comments that get to me. And I don’t think nursing until grade school is a good thing lol.

Shawna, have you met every baby out there, and determined that none will stop nursing on their own until a certain age? I was watching 18 kids and counting and the Michelle said baby Jordyn was getting fussy while nursing, because Michelle was pregnant and she was what 7 months at the time? I don’t have kids, but I think people are so judgemental of what others do. Find someone who doesn’t feed their kid at all, then you can judge away.

- Erika on September 16th, 2009

Sure a child won’t self wean if you refuse to feed it any other way because it would starve. But realistically most older babies eat solids and drink water as well…and trust me some babies are obsessed with milk and some are obsessed with solids. I could easily imagine a baby who occassionally get a bottle because say his mother is a busy superstar and can’t physically be there on the odd occassion deciding they prefer the bottle. Breast nazis back off!

- freebreeze on September 16th, 2009

I think it is pretty clear that she didn’t want to stop. She says it straight out in the quote. Plus she nursed Kingston for what? 14 months? so I highly doubt she was planning to end before a year with Zuma.

My younger daughter also self-weaned at 10 months, and I felt totally rejected so I understand where Gwen is coming from. The additional problem we had was that she wouldn’t take pumped breastmilk or formula at all, she only wanted water. We ended up having to sneak milk into her cereals so she got it that way, and our pediatrician let her start on cow’s milk a few weeks early.

- April on September 16th, 2009

I didn’t realize Shawna had met Zuma to know he didn’t self wean. Is he as cute in person as he is on here?

- Bren on September 16th, 2009

I understand stopping BFing before you want to. My son was slowing down nursing when my doc said I needed to change meds and couldn’t BF anymore. I guess it came at a good time since it seemed like he was going to be self-weaning anyway, but I’ve been feeling pretty bummed out about it. I also didn’t realize how much it would affect my hormones…I feel like I’m in the first trimester of pregnancy all over again!

- MZ on September 16th, 2009

I babysat for a woman who’s baby stopped at 6 months. She didn’t want to but her son didn’t want it. She then switched him to formula. Her son was happy and healthly so I don’t see the problem. I’m sure she was sad though because she loved that part of being a mom.

- Lena on September 16th, 2009

My nephew started rejecting breast milk at around 4-5 months of age. He was exclusively bottle fed breast milk because he was 8 weeks premature and the NICU wouldn’t allow him to nurse right away. Because of that, he got used to tube feedings and then bottle feedings and would never latch on properly to nurse so my sister exclusively pumped and fed him breast milk for the first 4 or 5 months. All of a sudden, out of nowhere, Quinn refused to take the breast milk. They even tried mixing formula and breast milk and he would not take it. Nobody could figure out why and by 6 months, he was on full formula. Broke my sister’s heart, especially when she’d been pumping for so long cause she knew it was best for him.

- Caitie on September 16th, 2009

Well said, DD! The first post was very narrow-minded. I think it’s great Gwen even nursed at all!

- mary on September 16th, 2009

Shawna it looks like you don’t know anything about breastfeeding.

- Amy on September 16th, 2009

Every mother and child needs to do what’s best for them. Judgements are unnecessary.

I was in school and working part-time when my first son was born and worked full-time when my second arrived. The times when I was present, I’d nurse them and when I was away, they were given pumped breastmilk. Despite what the first poster said, my eldest self-weaned at 12 months while my youngest did so at 11 months. My children’s pediatrician, who is very supportive of extended breastfeeding, said this was perfectly normal.

- Liliana on September 16th, 2009

Good God I love it when someone is the authority on everything. My sister was a stay at home mother with a 6 month old and a 2 1/2 year old. She breast fed the baby and was thrilled to do so. He just one day refused to take the breast anymore. Every time she tried he would scream, finally she gave him the bottle and baby food. I guess she was lying because she didn’t want to BF anymore.

- Haylo on September 16th, 2009

My son self-weaned at 20 months and halfway through my pregnancy with #2. It was such a sad time for me, I totally feel for Gwen.

- Megan on September 16th, 2009

Actually the first post was pretty medically accurate. Most babies under 2 don’t actually just magically self-wean, the introduction of bottles and solids contributes and begins the weaning process. Rarely ever will you find a baby that has received no artificial nipples “self-wean” while an infant or more often than not under 2, nursing strike? Maybe. Supply issues, poor latch, scheduled feedings, NIP issues, and someone who has used bottles or pacifiers? More likely – although not always, but very rarely just a fluke.

I will say that sometimes these are easy/simple ways to wean though (and who’s going to not offer solids to a baby over six months that shows all the readiness signs with no risk factors for suggesting that delaying solids may be necessary?), but weaning nonetheless. Not everyone is comfortable or feels like they can nurse for the recommended 2 years (and beyond as long as mutually comfortable), but the sad truth of the matter is that sometimes people don’t realize that they have begun the weaning process and that when it does stop they’re a surprised and caught off guard. Suggesting that it just happened does not help those mothers, just as much as suggesting someone is a terrible mother for choosing not to breastfeed.

No wonder the nursing rates are what they are. Anyone who dares to point out the facts gets accused or implied to be a Breastfeeding Nazi – gah, I hate that term, its offensive and such a stretch. It speaks more to the person spewing it than the person its directed at. The truth of the matter is that we, especially in North America, do not have the resources, education, support, and knowledgable health care providers that give an accurate representation of the normal breastfeeding relationship.

I certainly don’t believe in imposing my pro-breastfeeding stance on anyone (the facts speak for themselves, everyone knows it optimal so I think it boils down to choice), but I do know of many women who wanted to breastfeed and couldn’t either for as long as they wanted or without supplementing and felt terrible about it (with a majority of those cases, if not all being because of something that could have been corrected or prevented with a little help)and that’s just sad.

We need to support each other regardless of our position and recognize that women who can truly not breastfeed for 2 years is under 5%. Leave the mothers alone who don’t want to do it and concentrate on getting accurate information and assistance to those who need it. I think the original comment was just a reaction to the myths and misconceptions that continually get spread about nursing from a wide spectrum of people – even those well-meaning.

- Jaclyn on September 16th, 2009

I thought that my daughters self-weaned at 11 months and 12 months. Then I found information about nursing strikes before baby #3. Sure enough he went through a few periods of refusing the breast around a year old but I kept gently offering a few times a day and he went right back to it after a couple of days. He just self weaned (very gradually) at 2.5 yrs old. It makes me sad to think of how much more nursing my daughters and I could have enjoyed had I known about nursing strikes. No judgment whatsoever on how long other mamas nurse- and I do believe that some babies truly do self-wean under a year old. I just think it would be nice if information about nursing strikes was out there…

- Amy on September 16th, 2009

It seems that some people don’t understand the difference between self-weaning and a nursing strike which is causing people to take unnecessary offense. Self-weaning is generally considered to most likely to occur after the baby has reached an age at which they no longer need breastmilk or formula and which they no longer feel the need to breastfeed for comfort reasons. A nursing strike, on the other hand, differs from self-weaning in that it occurs when the baby still needs breastmilk. with a nursing strike, if you can figure out why the baby is rejecting the breast then you can often get the baby to resume breastfeeding. Nursing strikes can be caused by teething, illness, nipple confusing, among other things. For the layman, differentiating between the two can be difficult.

- Charleen on September 16th, 2009

The last few posters have really explained a lot about the issue and put it more into perspective. I think the main problem with the first post was that she didn’t just say it was probably a strike, she basically accused Gwen of lying about him self weaning because she wanted to stop breastfeeding.

- acidstars9 on September 16th, 2009

Well said, DD! I nursed my preemie by pumping and even got flack for not trying the breast more. You can’t win. I believe that any amount of breast milk should be applauded, even if it’s just a bit of colostrum at the hospital!

- Julie on September 16th, 2009

WHO is a LAYMAN when it comes to breastfeeding? A child’s own MOTHER? Who wants to keep stuffing a breast into an unwilling child’s mouth for days or weeks? At that point it’s for the mother’s benefit, not the baby’s. To suggest that offering pacifiers, “artificial nipples,” solids, sippy cups, ALLOWING A CHILD TO GROW AND DEVELOP, ALLOWING A MOTHER TO DO SOMETHING OTHER THAN SIT AND NURSE is accidental “weaning behavior,” well, God help the billions that weaned ‘early’ or never tasted a mom boob, because if it is such a big deal…whatever will become of the human race?
THIS is why nursing fails so often…the bar of perfection is so impossible to reach. Moms can’t do anything right when nursing. So many rules, so many expectations, so many people watching you and judging you for every reason, such a delicate balance. So many things can and do go wrong, NO MATTER how much advice is spewed at them.
By the way I am still nursing my kid and know what a nursing strike is, so I’m not bitter or “uninformed.” I’m currently stuck right between the “weaning police” like Shawna and Jaclyn and the “oh my God you are still nursing” people though.

- dd on September 16th, 2009

dd, the all caps and run on sentences make you sound a little angry.
Neither Jaclyn or Shawna did any name calling… you did.
If you aren’t getting enough support in your life, you might want to find other outlets rather than ranting on the internet.

- fuzibuni on September 16th, 2009

Well said, Jaclyn! I applaud your well-thought response. I think it was factual and sensitive at the same time.

DD- tell us how you REALLY feel In all honesty, it’s Gwen’s business what happened to her son. I (and no one else) have the right to judge. I applaud her for nursing as long as she could and I do empathize with her feeling sad that Zuma’s no longer nursing.

- urbanadventurertales on September 16th, 2009

naw, I am just using caps because there’s no option for underline or italics here.

I didn’t accuse anyone of name-calling, by the way. No run-on sentences either.

I’m getting plenty of support. I’m offering my support to those moms who will see this and may feel guilt and are guilted for letting/making their children wean at any age, and those who didn’t/couldn’t nurse. Now, with the internet, there is plenty of support information out there for anyone seriously wanting to nurse. Sometimes there is too much, and it is all written to be ‘one size fits all babies’ and if your baby doesn’t fit that size, then there are plenty of scary statistics that are written to make it seem like NOT nursing until age 2 (or age 7-8 if you are into child-led weaning) is a _guarantee_ for diabetes, obesity, emotional problems, orthodontic problems, cancer, and the like, just to kick you while you’re down.

Let us be serious here. Is weaning at 10-11 months going to do any harm? No. Is insinuating that offering bottles, pacifiers, solids (?!), or sippies is a THREAT and a DOOM to breastfeeding going to do harm to some moms who have to work, have to pump, have babies who have a high sucking need, or are READY to EAT at 6mos, and will hear that and figure, why even bother? ABSOLUTELY, YES. THAT will undermine breastfeeding much more. Facts can hurt more than help, something that lactivists can easily forget.

- dd on September 17th, 2009

I hear you, dd. I’m nursing and starting to wonder what I got myself into. The amount of hassle you take from grown adults is downright bizarre.

- Stella Bella on September 17th, 2009

Calm the eff down, dd. No one stated that offering bottles, pacifiers, and solids is a ~*DOOOOOM*~ to nursing mothers. All Jaclyn did was state that, more often not, the introduction of artificial nipples, solids, and the like are what initiates the self-weaning process instead of perpetuating the myth that it’s just a spontaneous “Peace out, Ma. It was nice knowing ya” kind of the thing. Which is true. Also, you’re taking this way more seriously than is actually necessary. I redirect you back to my first statement…

- Anna on September 17th, 2009

Wait a minute if introducing solids (ie food) and sippy cups (ie water) initiates self-weaning then either the drive to bf is pathetically low in an infant (which suggests that bf is not that important) or that in fact self-weaning at this time, for at least a proportion of babies, is probably natural and normal as their dietary needs are being met elsewhere. I mean wouldn’t it be worse not to give an 8 month old solids so that it chews and develops its mouth muscles etc not to mention you know, EATING, just so you can continue bf that has minimal nutritional value at that stage anyway? Esp in a mother whose diet is not perfect like most mothers in the world…

Just thoughts…

- freebreeze on September 17th, 2009

dd, you clearly don’t know the facts. “True” self-weaning doesn’t happen at 7-8 years old. In fact, I’ve never heard of a child who’s still nursing at 7! If you let them nurse as much as they want, they almost always stop before their 4th birthday.

Now, who’s doing the fearmongering?

- Mira on September 17th, 2009

I wonder if Gwen’s milk changed when she went on tour, – cause that is what obviously happened with some friends of mine when they went back to work, – doctor said they would probably have more lactic acid ( one friend has a very physical job) or something other (the other has a job that I’d call “nervewrecking” lol) in their milk and that is why the babies would not like to breastfeed anymore ?
With my youngest nursing was history the day he was finally allowed (finally from his point of view, – he had been eying our plates almost from day 1 lol)to try “solids”, from that day on “he was lost”….

- KiKi on September 17th, 2009

Right, maybe I did go through a nursing strike then, I don’t remember, I was ten months old! I think I’d been introduced to solids by this point though, so possibly I just prefered them. As it happens my mother became pregnant right after this holiday with my sister so even if I hadn’t ‘self-weaned’ (as I always understood I had) then perhaps like Jordyn-Grace Duggar I’d have started being fussy and refusing the breast due to my mother’s pregnancy. Who knows. Either way, my poor mother was upset that I was refusing the breast, just like Gwen was. Isn’t the post here really about Gwen feeling rejected, and not about whether babies actually do self-wean?

- Rachel-Jane on September 17th, 2009

Just to add my 2 cents: Neither of my kids self weaned, I had to wean them (neither ever had formula supp) but my nephew weaned himself around 9 months and he was supplimented with formula.

I’m passionate about bfing too and when you educate yourself on the subject and you hear comments that celebs or anyone makes, you sometimes know they are fibbing a bit.

- Mary on September 17th, 2009

dd – I love you!

- Summer on September 17th, 2009

Awww I feel for her! My daughter was born the same day as Zuma and self weaned at 8 months. I felt awful. I tried everything to keep her going but she prefered the bottle instead at that point. You do what you can do. She made it this long and that’s admirable!!

- Lyndsey on September 17th, 2009

Maybe Zuma just weaned a couple weeks ago, after his 1st birthday? Anyone thought of that? My daughter turned 1 on June 12th, and started refusing th breast less than a week later. Could have been the same with Zuma. even if that’s not the case, it’s not totally crazy for a baby to wean before 1. I can easily see it with her schedule and touring, he probably had to use a bottle and has had solid food, so maybe he would just rather have those. Nothing wrong with that.

DD-go check out the forums on http://www.llli.org. I’ve been on there for a year, I had to supplement, and didn’t nurse all of my kids. I am still a forum member even though we’ve weaned, and have received nothing but support and understanding from the nursing moms on there. No judgement, everyone is pretty understanding and respectful of the fact that everyone is different, and no 2 nursing relationships are alike. If you’re looking for a place to go online for support, instead of looking at the Facebook nursing groups(who really are a bunch of crazies!), you should seriously set up camp over at LLL. Yeah they got all up in arms about the photos too(which is understandable since FB allows pics of girls in thongs and wet t-shirts with their nipples showing, but not a pic of a mom feeding her kid!), and every now and then there’s someone who is a little overzealous, but for the most part, it’s a really good place to go!

- Shannon on September 17th, 2009

Jaclyn – That is the best pro-breastfeeding post I have ever read! You were so kind and still logical and reasonable. I can say, looking back, that there are a series of things that went wrong in my own attempt to successfully breastfeed. It wasn’t my “fault” that I was only able to breastfeed for a short time, but more-so because I got either terrible advice from people who should have known better, or because things didn’t go accordingly. For example, my daughter was “in distress” during the last few pushes, so when she came out, they took her right away. I was allowed to hold her briefly after 15-minutes, but didn’t get to feed her until about 3-hours after she was born! This was, I suppose, no one’s fault. They wanted to be sure she was definitely okay. I then met with a lactation consultant who didn’t really do anything. My daughter was born with GERD, so she would latch on and then rip off in pain. This caused me to be in severe pain, too (naturally) and I had a lot of bleeding. My doctor suggested I “just pump” until I healed! I lasted as long as I could pumping (which wasn’t long). When I had to tell my daughter’s pediatrician I stopped breastfeeding, she documented my reason for stopping as “pain and inconvenience!” Nice attitude. How about, “terrible guidance,” instead? I learned months later that they make those nipple covers (which I know are controversial, but better than quitting flat-out) for women whose nipples start to bleed… wish someone would have suggested those instead of pumping round-the-clock!

- cbbfan on September 17th, 2009

Every baby is different with BFing. My SIL has a nephew who at 11 months will NOT eat a thing he only wants to nurse. It’s exhausting for the mother. But that’s his preference right now. And I know some people who introduce solids at 3 months and then the babies really could care less about nursing anymore.

I too hate the BFing Nazi’s. I can tell you right now that I will most likely not even try brestfeeding. It’s just something that doesn’t appeal to me but who knows I may hold my child in my arms and think otherwise.

And btw those who freak out that their kids won’t drink milk when it’s time to wean should relax. As soon as my nephews were taken off the bottle they refused milk. My SIL pediatrician said that was fine and as long as the kids found other sources of calcium (i.e. cheese, yogurt, ice cream etc) that the kids would be fine. Think about it many adults do not like milk so why should your kid?! It’s not for everyone and babies don’t know any better until regular food is introduced.

- JMO on September 17th, 2009

hey! i am a member at the La Leche League forums, as well as the Kellymom, Mothering.com (where I got the age 7-8 for child-led weaning), and diaperswappers.com forums. I am in a healthy, functional nursing relationship that has seen its share of expensive problems, sippies and nursing strikes. So, for anyone who is writing my messages off as crazy, jealous, hormonal, uninformed, disgruntled- well, I’m writing on behalf of what I have seen on those well-respected forums and with my fellow mamas and myself in real life.

- dd on September 17th, 2009

OK dd, I have a statistic for you: my husband. His mother DID NOT bf him and he has conditions that are associated with NOT bfing. He has juvenile diabetes (Type 1 diagnosed at age 8), he has Chron’s Colitis and poor eyesight. All those conditions has caused other conditions like early bone loss, side effects to meds he takes, etc. He’s a the doctor at LEAST 4 times a month. I see how much he suffers because of all those conditions, if his mother chose to bf would he still have all these conditions? Maybe but not likely, stats prove it. My mother chose to bf me. I’m perfectly healthy and don’t even wear glasses at age 37, perfect eyesight, perfect health. When I became pregnant with my first child I made a commitment to him that I would make all the right health choices for him and he’s very healthly. Our citizens are very unhealthy and maybe it’s due to not bfing, I’m,just saying.

GO BREASTFEEDING MOMS!!! YAY FOR YOU!!!

- Mary on September 17th, 2009

I have a 19 month daughter who is still breastfeeding. I am waiting to see if she will self ween, with all 4 of her molars coming in right now it is really difficult to even try. It doesn’t bother me at all but it drives my mother crazy. She has been bugging me since before she was a year old to ween her. Granted I don’t nurse her in public now (don’t need the negative stares!!) anytime she tugs at my shirt around my mother she gets mad and says you need to ween her right now, that’s just wrong when she can undress her mother. Anyways, I am confident she will ween herself.

- isabellasmama on September 17th, 2009

Mary-Breastfeeding your child does not mean your child is going to be perfectly healthy. I was not breastfeed, I never had any health issues at all growing up. My brother on the other hand was breastfeed and had all sorts of health problems growing up. He was in and out of the hospital until he was 8.
There is nothing wrong with choosing to breastfeed\not breastfeed. It’s a personal choice and no one needs other people shoving opinions down their throat.

- missy on September 17th, 2009

Hi Mary — I guess I’m a terrible mother then because my milk never came in. I didn’t do what’s best for my baby because I couldn’t produce what he needed most.

Obviously I’m kidding, but it’s posts like that that still make me feel inadequate, 3 and a half years later. I’m pregnant again and I pray I can breastfeed, but if I can’t, I’m going to hold my head up high while buying formula. You have no idea how hard that is to do. If I had CHOSEN not to breastfeed, that would be different, but I didn’t chose it and it’s ridiculously hard.

(My son self-weaned at one week — BEAT THAT!!!!!)

- mmh on September 17th, 2009

Mary – anecdotal evidence like yours does not help your cause. I am the only one of my siblings and I’m the only one who’s had medical problems (which, oddly enough are VERY similar to my mother’s…). The truth is, some people are healthier than others, and there are a MILLION factors that go into that, not simply one.

- dearling on September 17th, 2009

Mary, that’s wonderful that you had the ability to successfully nurse your son. That said, while breastfeeding is proven to be beneficial, I know plenty of individuals who have never been nursed and are perfectly healthy to this day. You’re husband’s individual difficulties could also be caused by a number of other reasons, including genetics.

- Liliana on September 17th, 2009

There will always be someone who says I wasn’t breasffed and I’m completely healthy but so and so was and has many health problems. I’m sure that does happen sometimes, however, babies who are breastfed do have lower rates of SIDS, obesity, Type 1 diabetes, childhood cancers, and the list goes on and on and on. The benefits are real if you can/choose to do it. If you don’t then that’s OK and your choice, but please don’t take away from the recognized benefits while defending your choice not to breastfeed.

Oh, and I’m sick of the term lactivism. It doesn’t set the stage for having a calm, rational discussion.

- Cathryn on September 17th, 2009

Mary – I must point out, that most people will acknowledge that the statistics tend to be skewed based on who breastfeeds and who doesn’t. They aren’t able to conduct studies that account for differences in socio-economic background, education, etc. Even the sibling studies are skewed because a family’s circumstances change considerably from one child to another. No researcher can tell a mother they can’t breastfeed for the sake of a “fair” comparison with all other variables removed. This is why anecdotal evidence is pretty meaningless. My daughter was only breastfed for one week. She was born with severe GERD (which is a huge reason why breastfeeding wasn’t workable), but that has nothing to do with breastfeeding vs formula, because she literally had it at the first feeding (which was at the breast). Other than that, she is perfect. She hits milestones early, she’s a nice, normal size (not huge or too small), and she’s never sick (even when my husband brings home illnesses). The boy down the street has had nothing but breastmilk and is constantly sick. Does this mean breastmilk is bad? No, they’re just different kids. Personally, I don’t think formula is nearly as bad as it’s made out to be by certain breastfeeding enthusiasts.

- cbbfan on September 17th, 2009

I happen to think that school lunches contribute much more to our obesity rates than whether or not you were breastfed as a child.

- Summer on September 17th, 2009

I love how all of these posts turn into breastfeeding debates! LOL! I wish we could all just agree that breastfeeding is best if you are able. It’s best to do it for as long as you’re able. And if you can’t, you’re still able to be an amazing mother. Your child is still able to bond, be healthy, well-adjusted, etc.

My hope is that the people that are critical of breastfeeding will not deter women from trying to breastfeed. And the women who are “psycho-lactivists” will not discourage those who simply can not breastfeed.

- urbanadventurertales on September 17th, 2009

Weaning is so sad – I can relate. I especially miss it when I see other moms nursing – and it has been 5 years! I definitely recognize that breastfeeding has lots of benefits, not just for the baby, but for the mother too. If you think nursing your child is going to produce children that are health problem free, you are mistaken. I nursed all three of my children for 1.5-2 years. Surprisingly, they all have allergies (which I do not), one has asthma and they all wear glasses. I fed them organic baby food or made it myself. I try very hard to keep my children healthy and they still get sick. Am I surprised? Yes. It goes against everything I’ve read about breastfeeding. But, you know what, that’s life. You do the best that you can – and for some, that is maintaining your sanity and bottle feeding from day one. Breast feeding, for many, is very hard. I had a lactation consultant visit my house frequently with 2 of my babies. Tears, pain, frustration (for weeks). The idea that it will come “naturally” is misinformation that causes many to give up before exhausting all avenues of assistance.

- missymom on September 17th, 2009

MMH I am with you!!! I never got any milk either, but even if I did, I was not into breasfeeding.

Mary i never breastfeed, nor has anyone im my extended family. My 9 year old son is a straight A student, no glasses, no other medical conditions, involved in every sport we have at his school, so your post is irrelevant and rude if I may…It is not your place to offend people who couldnt breastfeed or chose not too. Non breastfed babies are just as healthy , and my son proves that!!!!!!

- jenny on September 17th, 2009

dd-Hi! I wasn’t trying to imply anything negative about your posts, I am in total agreement with you. There is way too much pressure on moms these days about BFing. I will advocate it all day, and do what I can to educate moms, and I encourage everyone I knwo to at least try it. However at the end of the day, stuff happens. People choose not to, they have problems. Kids wean. It’s no reason for women to think they can judge other moms for the way they do things. I just kind of got the impression you weren’t happy with the sites you had been on (which now that I think about it, I may have been confusing you with another poster, in which case I apologize!) I live the forums on LLL for this reason. Most of them don’t judge, just encourage and support. That’s why I’m still there 3 months post-weaning.

Don’t know how often you’re there, or who you are, but :woohoo to see another LLL mama on here!

- Shannon on September 17th, 2009

Kudos to Gwen for breastfeeding for so long! As a working mom myself, it’s tough to keep at it, but it’s worth it. My own daughter self weaned at 11 months, and I was so sad because I hadn’t prepared for it, it wasn’t on my timeline, and I had so hoped to make it to a year. But she’s happy, healthy, and I know now it was best for us. To each their own, and to anyone who is able to breastfeed, bravo! To those who choose not to, bravo to you as well!

- Just K on September 17th, 2009

Totally agree with Jenny and MMH. I tried breastfeeding for a week and almost had no milk at all. My daughter is turning 4 next month, was formula fed and is in perfect health, was almost never sick as a baby and toddler. She is bright and advanced for her age. I don’t feel guilty anymore for not breastfeeding, and if you are in the same situation, just give your child love and attention, everything will be fine even if you are not breastfeeding!

- Lizzie on September 17th, 2009

Zuma did not self wean, it was a nursing strike, and I’m sorry that some people did not research breastfeeding as much as some other people did.
But believe me, a child does not truly self wean before the age of 2, if they stop nursing before that then it is in one way or another – parent led.

There is nothing wrong with admitting that you weaned your baby. I wish people would just admit it and be proud that they breastfed for however long they breastfed.
But the facts are the facts, and babies under the age of 2 do NOT self wean.

- N.Savage on September 17th, 2009

My daughter completely stopped BF at 5 months when I became pregnant again. The ped said that it may have been that the baby did not like the milk. I did everything humanly possible and even pumped. She would only drink from the bottle when it was mixed with formula.

- marie on September 17th, 2009

Crista

I agree and disagree.

Over the age of two I see no reason for a child to be breastfed and for me from seeing people who do it it becomes more about the mothers want and need to have that close comfort rather then truly caring about what it actually gives the child. If a doctor recommends a formula fed baby be weaned off of it by 12 months then why can’t people do the same for a nursing child?? It must be just as beneficial?? I’ve said it before and I got some flack for it but personally I think it becomes a crutch for the child. People will say, “it comforts them” well yes and so does a blanket or a teddy bear or get this a hug and a kiss! I heard a psychologist say before that he worries long term exteneded breastfeeding can hinder a childs ability to learn to self soothe. And after the age of 2 children should be able to learn how to calm themselves without having a bottle, nipple, or paci to calm them. As far as the nutritional value as we can clearly see it will always be a topic of debate.
I was never breastfed and besides the yearly cold I have never been hospitalized in my 27 years for a chronic illness. My brother was born 2 months premature and was on cow’s milk at 4 months. He rarely gets sick himself and is fine and healthy. I think only 2 of my cousins out of 12 of us was nursed (and all weaned by 12 months). It’s not very big in my family – I guess that’s why I don’t feel the pressure to have to do it myself.

- JMO on September 17th, 2009

I’ve consulted with the “experts” on a baby board. And they seem to think it is a nursing strike that could be worked through. I claim ignorance here. So maybe he was on strike and she got the same advise that I did??

- marie on September 17th, 2009

I think it is WONDERFUL especially with her busy life that she nursed as long as she did! So what if it was a nursing strike and she was mistaken? Her baby still nursed for 13 mos and that is so wonderful! But even if she CHOSE to stop bfing what is the big deal? Seriously? I am EBFing my now 9 mo old son and plan to continue until at the very least 16 mos but who am I to so harshly judge another mom?

- Randie on September 17th, 2009

Crista – what? You should let Health Canada, the World Health Organization, Dietitians of Canada and the Canadian Paediatric Society know about your “proof” then because they all recommend that toddlers be breastfeed to 24 months of age or older and this would not be for the mothers benefit.

- Cathryn on September 17th, 2009

Mary- you need to study statistics a little more before saying that someone with diseases would not have them if they had been breastfed. Studies indicate that breastfeed children and adults tend to have less diseases, etc., but this is not a direct cause and effect relationship. It means there is a link between them, whether that is because women who choose to breastfeed make more money on average or have a better quality of life, or maybe a woman who chooses to breastfeed knows more about nutrition, it could be any number of things. Always remember when looking at statistics that a link between two things does not mean one causes the other.

- acidstars9 on September 17th, 2009

crista, you seem like you have a grudge against breastfeeding. I don’t know if that’s because you had a bad experience in the past or what, but how can you realy claim that breastfeeding is for the mother and not the child? When a baby is born it naturally needs it’s mother’s milk. How is that not for the child? Formula is an option, but the bottom line is that it is a man made substitute for human breastmilk that a mother naturally provides.

- acidstars9 on September 17th, 2009

Call it self-weaning or a nursing strike, it boiled down to the same thing for me. My 1st child went from a perfectly happy nurser with an occasional bottle to absolutely refusing the breast in one night. I know nursing is best for babies and I’ve done it now with all three of my children but I always thought it had to be a mutual relationship between me & my babies. When she didn’t want me anymore I’ll admit that my feelings were of sadness and loss but I couldn’t make her miserable by trying to force the issue and it would not have worked out well for me either. My milk supply has always depended on feeling calm and those feelings of frustration made my milk dry up fast.

- NickyG on September 17th, 2009

I think Gwen would know whether her own child “self-weaned” or is on a “nursing strike”, especially since Zuma is baby #2, just saying LOL.

Regardless, obviously both boys are very happy, and Gwen and Gavin adore them. ‘Love them.

- Mia on September 17th, 2009

I myself am very big on breastfeeding. My kids have never had formula. I breastfed my son who’s now four for 21 mths and my daughter who’s 2 for 23 months. Although it’s my choice, I don’t judge anyone for not doing so. I recommend it, I give my opinion when asked. As for Gwen, I’m very happy she did it at all. 1 year is good and if he self-weaned then that’s fine. Who’s anyone to say it’s not possible. I can understand when she says it’s disappointing. It’s this little bond that we as mothers lose with them.

- Lisa on September 17th, 2009

Let me just say that I am glad I breastfed my two children 30-35 years ago when there weren’t so many snarky comments about it.

And I applaud all the celebrity moms who nurse, esp. for extended periods of time.

- fer on September 17th, 2009

Some of the most laughable “studies” i have ever read pertain to the “benefits” of breastfeeding. Not saying they don’t exist… just saying that the sample sizes and stats were just really really awful. The big study that “proved” breastfeeding babies had higher IQs was based on like 40 subjects and didn’t even control for maternal IQ (and IQ is highly heritable as i understand it). They repeated the study recently with a decent sample size of a couple of hundred and controlled for maternal IQ and… voila! formula fed babies had the higher IQs (though it was an incredibly marginal non-significant difference i should point out).

Fact is that there is not a mother on this earth who will let a scientist randomly allocate her to a “breastfeeding” or “not breastfeeding” group and so all our information will remain, at best, a bit of an educated guess.

- cait5 on September 17th, 2009

First off congrats to Gwen for feeding Zuma for so long.

The thing about nursing strikes is that they come on suddenly, so one day baby is happy to be on the breast and the enxt feed/day they aren’t. Pushing the issue too hard, ie. trying to force baby to take the breast and suck is a sure fire way to get a baby on a strikke to wean…well speaking from experience with DS1. I had NO idea about nursing strikes when he was born, so when he went on one at 9 months I handled all wrong, not that I knew that until it was too late. I say he PREMATURELY weaned at 9 months, though I tried for a month to get him back to the breast. He had been mix fed from 4 weeks due to some terrible advice, was on solids at 4 months (recommendations in 2003 and before I knew any better) and he was fully ff during the day when I went back tyo work when he was 5 months old. I think ALL these things contributed to the fact that he prematurely weaned from the breast.

When DS2 came along I was better informed so when he went on a nursing strike at 10 months for a day (they can last 40+ days apparently)I didn’t push it. I offered in as calm a way as I could, if he refused I didn’t make a big deal about it and tried again later. There were several more of these ‘mini’ strikes until he truly self weaned at 18.5 months (before I was ready but still………). I say truely because solids made up the bulk of his diet, he had cut down on the number of feeds gradually (went from 4-6 at 13 months down to one by about 18 months)and he no longer wanted to feed for comfort purposes which is the ‘criteria’ for a baby who is self weaned. He’s still obsessed with my breasts, but that’s another topic entirely. LOL The point is that yes it is sad when they wean, whatever the reason but for me ‘self’ weaning and ‘prmature’ weaning (either because mum or baby wants to)are two different things.

To the poster who said that feeding a toddler over 2 is only for the benefit of the mother, I think some education is in order because the benefits of bf an older baby/toddler increase the longer that you feed for. BF or don’t, it’s your choice as the parents, but if women weren’t meant to feed their babies for extended periods of time then we wouldn’t lactate at all…………some people even subscribe to the theory that kids would not self wean until all their ‘milk’ (aka ‘baby’) teeth fell out thus why the worldwide average age of weaning is something like 4.6 years.

- commonsensemum on September 17th, 2009

Babies absolutely can wean themselves. When my first was 13 months, he no longer would nurse during the day and was sleeping through the night. I would try to nurse him and he would just fuss. I took herbs and pumped for over a month to keep the milk incase it was a strike but he really WAS weaning himself. He was too busy and just couldn’t be bothered. He wanted to take his cup and go, go, go.

Now my 14 month old has been doing the same thing. He has not nursed during the day in about 3 months. He doesn’t come to me for it and doesn’t want it. When I offer it, he turns his head away. He only nurses first thing in the morning when he wakes up. I offer it a lot but it’s been months now. Again, taking hebrs and pumping and offering it in a cup at least until flu season is over.

- Jessica on September 17th, 2009

My son weaned himself around his 1st birthday–he just stopped. Maybe it was a nursing strike, but at the time I didn’t know about that. He only wanted solid food and I had to pump milk and give it to him in a bottle to make sure he kept getting breastmilk. I even mixed it into his food. However, after 6 months I got exhausted from pumping. I did my best! Maybe it will be different if we have another child!

- Liz on September 17th, 2009

Gwen, thanks for sharing this tidbit of news since it couldn’t have come at a better time. It’s nice to know that I’m not the only one feeling rejected and sad that my son has ended our nursing relationship.

- Sheryl on September 18th, 2009

KiKi- Your experience with your son is identical to my mother’s experience with my brother. According to my mother, my brother was never really gung-ho about nursing in the first place. Then, when he was about five months old, he got his first taste of solids…and that was it for nursing. He wanted the solids, not the breast!

acidstars9- I agree! As mammals, human babies are designed to be breastfed. I really don’t understand how breastfeeding a baby is just satisfying the mother (a child over two I can understand a little more)!

- CelebBabyLover on September 18th, 2009

cait5,

I think your info may be out of date. There are numerous large-scale studies showing the negative effect that formula feeding has on IQ. This link is just but one:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080505162902.htm

14,000 children and it was randomized and longitudinal.

You’re right that there are also studies that do not show this effect. Research on a subject so complex, like you point out, is difficult to accomplish. In fact, some of the newest research actually points out that there are children who have a specific gene variant and they are the ones whose IQs are affected by breastmilk, while children without the gene variant seem to have no effect on IQ from feeding choice. Nature always works with nurture. It’s never 100% one or the other.

That said, I see no reason that I wouldn’t want to give my child every advantage in the book, every help on the nurture side to complement what he or she has been given on the nature side. I think it is common sense to realize that a human brain has adapted for human milk. Cows’ milk is for baby cows; it’s an entirely different design.

When you put oil in your car that is not the kind designed for your particular type of engine, you may see a less-than-optimal performance. Will it run? Sure. Well enough to get your errands done? Probably. Might it even run better than your neighbor’s car with an entirely different set of variables? Perhaps. Will it run quite as smoothly and beautifully as it would have had you used the correct type of oil? That’s the million dollar question. When you offer artificial substitutes and think you can replace the eloquent, customized complexity of the natural product (there are components of breastmilk that haven’t even been totally identified yet, so they cannot be replicated in formula), it’s always playing with fire.

For me and my children, I don’t want a subpar product. I want what their bodies come out of me primed for – human milk. Not a chemical cocktail. I don’t know what they would have been like had I never breastfed them. You can’t go back in time. Would they still have been smart, loving, healthy, active children? Most likely. But I’m not taking the risk. Breastmilk for the first couple years lays a pivotal foundation for lifelong health. We know it can affect things even like cholesterol in adulthood. Why give kids McDonald’s when you have filet mignon available?

- lnatt on September 18th, 2009

I think the problem is that women need to be more supportive of each other. You can have different opinions but not be judgmental or condescending. Jaclyn for instance was able to make a post that was very fair and non offensive.

I totally understand the post from Jessica. My son stopped regular breastfeeds after he turned one, I was not ready for that either, in fact, I felt quite rejected. I realised though, it was not only that I was introducing him to solids that caused this but also the fact that he was becoming more independent, it seems like he is always on the go. He does not like to be in arms, he likes to run around and play hide and seek, peekaboo and play with his toys. The most he allows us to do is to play with his toys with him. When he does want to be in arms or a breast feed it is mostly if he is sleepy or has hurt himself in some way(not even then sometimes). This also makes me feel a bit rejected since I still want to have my cuddles with him.

Even when he does breastfeed, he only stays on for a minute or two, then he will wiggle his way to the ground to go play or he will just lay in my lap and go to sleep.

I am proud of myself for breastfeeding him so long since when he was born, I did not get to breastfeed him for over 24 hours and as a result he had trouble taking to the breast and my milk supply was very low. I worked hard to ensure that I could breast feed him as much as I did, learning and practicing how to make sure that he is getting enough milk and latching on properly and having him breastfeed for hours on end sometimes.

- Suffie on September 18th, 2009

I would imagine given the financial resources at her fingertips and that she has brought her two small children on tour with her that Gwen probably has better medical care than anyone on the site. Regardless I applaud her for being a celebrity mom who is quite busy and yet she still makes time for her children.

- Jilli on September 18th, 2009

I totally feel for Gwen. My first son stopped bf.ing at 7 mo. I was totally misinformed, and didn’t realize that supplimenting him with bottles could make him not interested in breastfeeding. It clearly states here that Gwen didn’t stop nursing on purpose. However, that being said, babies only self wean when they have something else to substitute the breastmilk with. Zuma is a year old, so he is most likely getting solids and other liquids in bottles. Before the age of one, babies don’t really need anything but breastmilk to grow and thrive. After a year old it is natural for them to gradually wean with the appearance of teeth and the ability to chew. The more other foods they get the less breastmilk they will want/need.
It’s really sad that we are all so misinformed about breastfeeding, in the modern western world. Back in the day breastfeeding used to be such a natural thing and the only thing babies had until they had the ability to chew solids. The invention of formula was a wonderful thing for those babies who can’t be breastfed beacause they loose thier mothers or other terrible situations. But I think it has been a negative thing as well.
It is also sad that we are so easy to judge. There is so much information and misinformation these days that it makes it hard to know what the right thing is. But just because we are misinformed doesn’t make anyone a bad mother or person.
So let’s just get informed and stop the judgment!

- emilyc on September 18th, 2009

I’m a new mother to a 4 month old and I am one of the mothers out there that chose not to breastfeed. I had many reasons why I didn’t want to but ultimately I decided not to because I simply am not interested in it. It freaks me out to be honest. I have no guilt or shame about my decision and feel perfectly content about giving my baby formula everyday however I totally support and respect women who want to breastfeed. What I can’t stand are people who are so passionate about it and try to make it sound like you’re less of a mother if you chose not to do it. That goes ditto with the anti-vaccination people too. I dismiss what they say and keep going doing my own thing. I agree w/the other posters here that we as mothers should suuport each other and respect each other’s choices. Just because we don’t do it ourselves doesn’t mean we can’t be supportive and respectful toward each other.

- Jen on September 18th, 2009

my baby was 5 months old and she self weaned. I went to feed her and she kept her mouth shut. I tried again when I was sure she was hungry, and got the same reaction.

- Lorraine on September 18th, 2009

Inatt,

Just wanted to respond to your link about the Kramer IQ study. It was not truly randomized. If it were truly randomized, subjects would have been randomly assigned to a breastfeeding or formula-feeding group. In fact, what actually happened was that subjects were randomly assigned to a group that either encouraged breastfeeding or provided the “normal standard of care” regarding breastfeeding support. Thus, this muddies whether or not it was the breastmilk, breastfeeding, or some other factor(s) with the mothers who chose to breastfeed that impacted their children’s scores on the IQ test – that’s why the study’s not being truly randomized is a problem when it comes to interpreting the results. Furthermore, this study was not blind. The researchers knew which subjects belonged to which group. If you know anything about scoring on the WASI (the IQ test that was used) you’d know this is a major problem/limitation with the findings. IQ studies have tons of limitations because no matter how much you try to control for obvious confounds like income, maternal education – you can’t ever control for the myriad of subtle things that influence a child’s intelligence. If you read meta-analyses of breastfeeding/IQ studies, you will see that the results are all over the place.

Regardless, good for Gwen for breastfeeding for as along as she did! I imagine that would be incredibly challenging on tour. And good for all moms who feed their children – no matter how they choose to do that.

- Jen2 on September 18th, 2009

emilyc- I agree. It clearly states in this article that Gwen definently did not delibritely wean Zuma. I also want to point out that, if I’m remebering correctly, she breastfed Kingston for 14 months. Therefore, I see no reason to believe that she wasn’t planning to do the same with Zuma.

- CelebBabyLover on September 18th, 2009

No, a baby that young doesn’t self-wean. Changes in nursing patterns such as nursing strikes, increased distractability from being more active and curious, increased interest in solids, etc., are often confused for weaning. Weaning is also not abrupt, it is a slow process. If a baby stops suddenly that further points to something else going on. I admire Gwen Stefani a great deal and I think she has done a lot to promote breastfeeding despite being (unfairly) criticized for breastfeeding her older son past one. However, she misinterpretted the infant’s desire to self-wean which is unforunate for both since neither was ready yet.

- Andrea on September 20th, 2009

I have two boys under age 4 and I choose what is best for feeding them. I believe Gwen does whats best for her family.

- Jenny on September 20th, 2009

Lorraine, just out of curiosity, how can a 5 month old baby self wean? It isn’t even recommended that babies eat solid foods until around 6 months. If the baby isn’t eating solid foods or is just beginning, I don’t see how it could not “need” breastmilk anymore. It wouldn’t be getting proper nutrition.

- acidstars9 on September 20th, 2009

acidstars9- I’m guessing that Lorraine was probably supplementing with formula for some reason, and her daughter started to prefer it to breastmilk (or the bottle to the breast, i.e., nipple confusion).

Andrea- Some babies that young, and even younger, do self-wean.

- CelebBabyLover on September 21st, 2009

i am a mom of 2 who breastfed both of my sons. however all of this stress and name calling is not helping anyone reading these commments. nursing is a personal decision and not for everyone. as long as you are taking good care of your child and meeting the baby’s needs that is the most important thing. if the best thing is bottle feeding then that is ok. questioning people’s choices on thigns like this makes them second guess themselves and doubt themselves as good moms.

- sarah on September 21st, 2009

Every choice I make as a mother is superior to every choice all of you make and that’s why I’m so much better than all of you.

Seriously, let’s unite and try to support each other and fight for children’s health and educational rights instead of tearing each other apart.

- jonijenkins on September 21st, 2009

my son self weaned too, i almost felt like i was forcing him to nurse and he would look at me like i was crazy…he was much to busy to sit and relax to nurse….

- ez peze on November 23rd, 2009

My baby abruptly stopped nursing at 10 months old, and I was devastated. I had a great support system in place, and I am VERY well educated about breastfeeding issues, so I assumed it was a strike. I didn’t give up… I talked to a lactation consultant, I spent hours with LLLI online, I followed every suggestion I could get my hands on, and I pumped like crazy. But weeks went by, and my LO just didn’t want to come back. She was as happy as a clam… not traumatized at all. But whenever I’d offer her the breast, she’d just turn away and try to get off my lap. I think the milk was fine… she drank plenty of it with her cereal… she just didn’t want to suck anymore. (She doesn’t have a paci and never seemed to have a very strong need to suck.)

After awhile, I started accepting that this really WAS her decision. And for all the mommas on here that say babies NEVER wean before age 2… that’s not true. I’ve talked to experts, and they say it’s uncommon, but it does happen. The problem with “all babies are this way” is that, well, all babies AREN’T the same. I admit, the odds are in favor of a nursing strike… but if you try every tool in the toolbox and weeks later, you’re no closer to resuming BF and your LO is clearly moving on… you need to rethink things.

In fact, looking back, I’m thinking now it wasn’t so abrupt after all. She was starting to nurse less in the weeks before the strike, but I assumed it was normal… easily distracted with all those developmental milestones… but perhaps she was getting ready. She’s a very independent, stubborn little girl. She does things her way.

I feel for Gwen, because I really mourned the loss of our BF relationship. I wasn’t ready either, and I didn’t want to give up after weeks of trying so hard. But at some point you have to accept what IS and move on. Our LO is healthy and happy, and that’s all that matters.

- HeatherWI on February 7th, 2010

I think Jaclyn made a good point, regarding her statement on the introduction of other sources of food attributing to the self-weaning. My daughter is 8 months and she too is “self-weaned”, I still pump but she gets a variety food, solids, and formula and breast milk.

I can relate to the rejection feeling. It’s not that big of a deal to me, but some how I still feel compelled to pump, I would like to stop but the guilt of not at least providing breast milk is something I have yet to overcome. I am glad I am not alone over all on feeling “off” about the change. Reading Gwen’s comment to USA Today brought me to this page and I am so glad that she brought it up.

- Shawna T on February 25th, 2010