For those who have weaned before.

[bookagape]

@confused_guy Can I ask what Shatavari does/how it works? I've seen a few people mention it but it's unclear to me what it's supposed to help with/what dosage is needed to get the required effect!

 

[confused_guy]

@bookagape It’s an adaptogen which supports our body manage stress and neuroplasticity. If you wanted to learn more, I’d Google ‘adaptogens’ and then a separate search for ‘sharavarti hormonal support’ to learn how it helps hormones (various stages too).

Personally, I found that it helps me with feeling overwhelmed while having a newborn and toddler. That was expressed with crying, frustration, rage and I’m much calmer now. I do other things in frustrating moments to regulate but I don’t feel the emotional turmoil (I suppose) that I did before. I feel more equipped mentally and emotionally to deal with the situations at hand.

 

[bookagape]

@confused_guy Thanks, I'll Google that. Also really appreciate your sharing your experience, so glad it works for you!

 

[johnnathanturner1989]

@vl32 No I didn’t feel depressed. I was definitely aware of some hormonal changes but nothing unmanageable

Apart from horrendously dry eyes, which my optician told me is due to the same hormonal change as when women go through menopause! I used drops and was back to normal within a couple of weeks

 

[jhoncarpp11]

@johnnathanturner1989 My eyes have been dry lately! That's crazy lol. I wear contacts so it's been particularly annoying. I just stopped breastfeeding a couple days ago. Never knew that, thanks for the info

 

[strugglingtwicedaily]

@johnnathanturner1989 So that’s what’s causing my dry eyes!! Weaning!!

 

[zacman]

@vl32 I'm on day three of not nursing my 14 month old. We've been slowed down for a few months, only nursing to sleep. I'm not depressed but man have I had a short fuse and raging temper the last 2 days. Hopefully its over soon but it's been good resilience practice and an example to my kids of taking deep breaths and stepping away to be alone.

 

[youthpastor500]

@vl32 I had a hormonal emotional crash after night weaning that lasted about 2 to 4 week. Worse than the baby blues for me. Not everyone gets this, but many do.

 

[ethzz]

@vl32 No depression. Just a sense of relief as now there was no excuse for the father to take on a few night shifts

 

[kimilicious]

@vl32 Not depressed but some other symptoms I didn’t expect - headaches, dizziness, nausea, loss of appetite

 

[ecco3k]

@kimilicious Weird I have those first three from continuing to BF according to my dr not from weaning. She said it’s due to low estrogen which is just above a menopausal level.

 

[mel84]

@vl32 I'm in the middle of weaning, down to pumping once a day as an exclusive pumper, so my experience may change BUT this is the best I've felt since giving birth. One time a day doesn't throw my schedule off or feel like a hassle and it's been great. I can see stopping in the very near future and being comfortable with it.

 

[didicooteypie]

@mel84 Same. I’m on 9 hour windows and just spacing it out evenly. I had a much easier time with my 8 hour windows though as it was a sweet spot and I honestly stayed her for a month and a half. But I know I have to persist slowly and increase my windows to wean, spacing hours instead of dropping as I might get clogs. The entire process is bittersweet in a nostalgic kind of way but I wouldn’t say it’s depressing in a crippling way—I get anxious when I think about the logistics of extending my windows but other than that, with work and my 12 month old, the rest of the day is pretty regular.

 

[holyrollernovocaine]

@vl32 I got super depressed when I stopped

 

[klangl01]

@vl32 I was pretty scared of experiencing depression upon weaning so I did it as a 6 week taper and felt totally fine during/afterwards. I’m also prone to clogs and I think the slow taper helped avoid that.

 

[n0nbeliever]

@vl32 I weaned slowly over about 6 months. Last feed was a Thursday morning. Monday I felt flat and tired. Tuesday I wished everyone around me would go and die. Lol. It was weird because I knew my thoughts were irrational. Luckily for me it was just that and done. I guess it’s different for everyone.

 

[leyah]

@vl32 sounds like fear mongering. the amount of people who get genuinely depressed after weaning is so small. if youre expecting it and waiting for it its bound to happen. expect the best, because you literally cant do anything to prepare for the worst, other than cause yourself much more anxiety. it might just be a seamless transition

 

[trinichristiannudist]

@vl32 I think it's much less likely if you wean slowly! I didn't experience any noticeable symptoms either time I weaned. They were both slow (and the first time I was pregnant with my second, so my milk had probably dried up anyways.

 

[alannasteph]

@vl32 I did not get depressed. I just cut out 1 feeding at a time whenever I felt we were ready to let go of another one. We ended with the before bed one right after she turned 3 and honestly I felt spectacular when we were finally done. I had wanted to finish weaning for a while and it took some time to convince her haha. Everyone is different but you will most likely be fine! Just go slow and listen to your body.

 

[andybrooks]

@vl32 Hormonal changes for sure. Some mood swings. That’s pretty common no matter how fast or slow one weans. But not necessarily full on depression. I mean, anything can happen. But it’s not a given