You've heard of a baby shower and even a gender reveal, but have you heard about the newest reason to party down — a weaning party? Although you may be thinking that a "weaning party" might have something to do with nursing a baby, it's actually more about reaching the end of your birthing years, which has some moms ready to turn to the bubbly to celebrate officially being D.O.N.E birthing and breastfeeding kiddos.
Having a baby is a very exciting time, and these days that means a ton of party planning.
What used to be a standard baby shower with few funny games and lots of gifts of booties and diapers has become an over-the-top event. The taboo of only having one shower has been replaced by the "baby sprinkle," a low-key version of a baby shower but for baby number twoâŚor five. If youâre not done celebrating after all of that, then donât worry because you also have a gender reveal, a babymoon, and a "hachelorette" (think bridal shower but for moms-to-be). And just when we thought that having a baby couldnât possibly require any more partying, along comes Real Housewife Braunwym Windham-Burke with a weaning party.
So what exactly is a weaning party, and why are people starting to talk about them?
If youâve never heard of a weaning party, then youâre not alone, itâs a new thing. But brace yourself because after BRAVOâs Real Housewives of Orange Countyâs recent episode, we may all be planning one faster than you can say âopen bar.â Â
For her celebration, she gathered a bunch of gal pals and endless booze to celebrate both being done with the breastfeeding baby phase and being done having kids altogether.
So, for some moms it's all about celebrating the end of lactating, and for others it's about the end of babies forever.
No matter if this is a party for closing up the baby making shop, officially weaning your last baby and having your boobs back for good, or to celebrate the end of your first little one's breastfeeding journey, the concept is being met with strong feelings.
Some people online feel this is a pretty silly concept and aren't feeling it. "A weaning party they really throw a party for anything huh? #ridiculiousness ," one person commented on Windham-Burke's instagram post featuring her celebration.
But many others are down for the reason to celebrate and think it's up to mom if she wants to host this kind of party. "This looks like so much fun â¤ď¸ " another person wrote.
But despite recently gaining popularity on reality TV, weaning parties aren't exactly new.
Hashtag weaning party is certainly becoming a thing. But Windham-Burke didnât invent it, although she may ultimately be the one who will launch the concept into popularity. According to Le Leche League International, throwing a weaning party can be a special experience for mother and child to look forward to when ending the nursing phase as a positive rather than a negative. For Windham-Burke, a weaning party looks more like celebrating the end of having children, and a chance for her and her girlfriends to let loose.
During a post-show interview, Windham-Burke got emotional when asked about the weaning party. She told BRAVO interviewers, âI'm not having any more kids," before taking a moment to collect herself. "I would have 30 kids if I could. All I ever wanted in my entire life was to be a mom. It was a fun party, but nobody at that party realized what a big deal that was to me. But I wasn't really celebrating."
So there you have it. When a parent comes to that emotional place where the reality of not having any more kids is becoming totally crystallized, then you can celebrate the milestone by throwing a special party in honor of her motherhood journey.
