It’s official. I quit nursing my son after 13 months. Part of me wants to celebrate that my body is once again all mine and I have a little more freedom. Part of me is a bit sad because I won’t be having any more children, so this was my last time to experience that special baby-mommy nursing bond.
What does the diabetic part of me think?
Well, research shows T1 mothers are less likely to long-term breastfeed successfully. You read a lot of quotes in scientific journals like this:
I’m sure this isn’t a huge surprise to any of us, as most hard things in life are a bit harder with T1 along for the ride. Nevertheless, I’m proud that I lasted this long (despite the fact that I’m guilty of “down-prioritizing my own needs”).
Research also shows that a longer duration of breastfeeding might help protect my children from potentially developing T1 themselves. So, I’m proud for that reason as well. I really like to think that despite my broken immune system, I was still able to pass on to my little guy what he needed for his tiny immune system to grow big and strong (hopefully strong enough to know not to attack parts of his own little body!).
I’m also nervous. I’ve been telling myself that when I finished nursing I would get back on the trail to emphasizing my own health, which means letting my body adjust to the hormone changes that come with quitting (and premature menopause) and then figuring out where my insulin requirements really stand now. This is daunting. So much has changed! I weigh more. My activity levels are different. My schedule is more erratic. I eat a little differently. I was never afraid of a new variable before. I watched my BG patterns and I made adjustments as needed. But this? This is a LOT of variables that have changed at once. I almost feel like I’m starting from scratch. Then again, I knew it was coming, so the jig is up. I’m on my own once more with no excuses and it’s time to work on stabilizing my BG patterns.