It's surprising to me how much the media condemns women for formula feeding their children before the age of 1. I've recently decided to stop pumping my breast milk for Ava and instead put her on an organic soy formula diet. Research on discontinuing milk supply proved to be extremely conversational and, I must add, very discouraging. I did not find one website that supported a mother weaning her child from breast milk for reasons other than what is considered to be "appropriate": the mother has issues with milk supply, disease, or the child has irreparable feeding problems.

Personally, I am choosing to stop breast feeding because I am tired of the inconvenience. Call me selfish, but I can no longer wake up three times a night to pump for a screaming, hungry baby. I have been pumping breast milk since Ava was six weeks old and let me tell you, pumping every 3 hours for almost an hour is downright obnoxious. When I began breast feeding I vowed to myself that I would breast feed Ava until she was at least 10 months. I felt guilty even thinking about formula feeding her, mostly for health reasons. Will she receive all of the nutrients she needs? Will formula upset her belly? Will she develop health issues later in life?

After plowing through and ignoring all of the negative responses to weaning, I was able to find some valuable information concerning a baby's health and breast milk/formula. During the first three months of life, it is essential they receive x amount of nutrients to build immunities, and yes, they are found more in breast milk than formula (however there is NOTHING wrong with formula feeding from day one, for whatever reason). Having breast fed Ava for almost a solid four months, this puts my mind and the guilt at ease. I am excited, ecstatic really, to wake up and not have pumping be the first thing on my mind. I am looking forward to not having to drop everything I'm doing and start pumping, hoping the baby stays happy during the entire forty-five minutes that I am stuck to the pump.

I was having guilty thoughts of weaning as early as her first month, but I stuck to it for four months, and I am proud of myself for that. Breast feeding is difficult, very, very difficult, and I am glad it is over. Yes, this was a very difficult decision to make, but with formula nowadays, I can trust that my baby is receiving all the nutrients she needs to be and stay healthy. Now the only thing I have to worry about is the cost of formula (which will be SO worth it!).