Ouch

Around 11 monthsof age Zoe had to visit the doctor for yet another illness. At that time I decided to ask the doctor how and when I should begin weaning Zoe to cow's milk if I wanted to be finished breastfeeding around her 1-year mark. The doctor told me to wean her gradually, for example...one feeding per week, until she was completely weaned. She also told me that I could start right away and to try to wean her to a cup since she already uses one for water.
 
Zoe was not fond of the cup idea.

Actually, that's putting it lightly. She absolutely HATED the cup...to the point that it took me a few days to get her drinking water properly again.
 
To counter this reaction we thought we might buy her new cups just for milk. We took her along with us to the store, picked out a cup, and left feeling pretty confident.

No deals. This kid was not weaning to a cup...unless I wanted to take 5 months to stop breastfeeding.
SO, we weaned her to a bottle...fairly easily. It took us 6 weeks. There were a couple feedings that took her longer to give up...mainly breakfast and lunch. (The doctor wasn't thrilled that we went to a bottle...said we'd taken a step backwards. Yeah.)

Admittedly, bedtime still isn't all calm and serene. She went to bed
SCREAMING.BLOODY.MURDER. several nights last week. It's only been just over a week on the night-time feedings though. I think she'll be fine in the next few days.

Now to the point.

Here I was thinking that was the end of it. It's not, my friends...it's the beginning...of the pain.
 
My thought process was that, since I had weaned her gradually over a six week period- and hadn't had much if any pain yet, that my milk would just stop coming in. Well here I sit a week and a half after her last latching and I can't hardly hold her, or hug anyone, or be touched. I sat on my couch for two hours with a heating pad today- trying to sooth a clogged milk duct (pain on top of pain). I called the nurse who said it could be a good two weeks before I get any relief! I tried taking ibuprofen, hoping it might take the edge off...it didn't touch it. I'm to the point where I wonder if I really should have stopped nursing at one year. There were reasons...something to the effect of trying to conceive again soon (in case it takes forever again) and having my body belong to me again for a bit (which is nice, I must say). In any case, here I sit...dreading bed after being awakened by a wrong move several times last night. I hope this is over soon.

Moms...experiences? advice? consolation? Talk amongst yourselves