I too am nursing a toddler. Matthew is now 14 months. *sigh*
The time just goes by too quickly, doesn't it? I have two other sons, ages 4 and 3, so I find breastfeeding is just the best way for me to spend quality time with my son Matthew. We have a great relationship; he's a happy, smiley, sunshiney baby... Everyone is so impressed by his temperament, and I think it's because he's so content and we share such a bond.
I really suggest to any mom to keep it up as long as possible; it does get hard when the baby is having a growth spurt - but mother nature has planned for this and our milk supply does increase.
Stacey Milne
Stacey's 100 Acre Wood - A Pooh and Friends Emporium
I am currently
nursing my second toddler. He is almost 18 months old.
It is a special calming time for both of us when he nurses. We play,
wink, nibble on toes, stop and hug, giggle, and know how much we love
each other, and nurse some more. It is wonderful nutrition, but so much
more.
When he wakes in the night he nurses and is reassured. When he is hungry for solids but dinner isn't quite ready, it is a good tide me over! It never seems to *spoil* his appetite for solids. I don't have to worry if he is getting enough of the right foods. I still do my best to offer him a good variety of foods, however, he is geting what he needs from the breastmilk.
I don't know when he will wean...it depends on both of us. When we are both ready. I won't force him to wean. (God willing and the creek don't rise)
I believe I am doing the right thing for him. It enhances the mother baby bond. I can't imagine not nursing.
Suzanne, Mom to Graham 2/27/96, and Emily 3/24/90
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Emily's Place
I nurse Maia quite a bit.
Just recently she's started to show a little
interest in drinking from a sippy cup and occasionally sipping from my
cup of water...but most days unless we're going somewhere, I forget to
give her a sippy cup and if I do give her one she doesn't always want
it. All this to say Maia mostly nurses to get her liquids. She has
always been a large baby. She was interested in solids late, not until
about 8mos and even now she doesn't always eat a lot. Some days Maia
nurses all but a tiny bit for her nutrition...unless some food happens
to catch her fancy. She'll be 19mos in 9 days. I'm not sure how many
times she nurses at night. I'd say at least 3 times, unless she's not
feeling well or teething, then she may nurse nearly the whole
night...but not always getting milk.
We're often home alone, which makes it easy to just nurse Maia whenever she wants, and we don't always have to be very discrete. When we go away, Maia is often pretty busy and doesn't nurse as much. Like last week, when we went to stay with my parents for 2 nights and 2 days. The first day there she barely nursed until night time when we were alone in a room. She was just too busy and maybe doesn't feel comfortable nursing around other people (?). The second day we were there she did want to nurse more. Often I had to just take her in a separate room to nurse because she'd start to nurse, expose to much of my breast, get on and off, basically not really nursing. My family is uncomfortable with my nursing, which makes me feel a bit sensitive too. But the second day Maia was able to sit still a little more while nursing, unlike a few months ago, so we did nurse several times in front of my parents.
I really enjoy nursing Maia. It is a pleasurable experience for me. I like how she still has a milky smell about her. Nursing is a positive experience for me. I like that my breasts are useful and not mere sexual symbols as our culture leads us to believe. Nursing gives us a lot of close time and helps us slow down. Nursing almost always calms Maia down and gives her comfort. When she's sick I don't have to worry about trying to force food or liquids down her because she's already nursing for comfort and will get her milk in the process.
I plan to allow Maia to self wean. I can't imagine not nursing Maia. We both get a lot of joy from it. It helps me slow down and not be quite as busy. If she wants to nurse I have to slow down and then we're together. It gives Maia a safety base to come back to after exploring or when she needs comfort. I feel good about still nursing Maia...she may be a toddler, but she is really still a baby in many ways. When she's ready to give up nursing, then we'll stop. I don't see any end in sight. When another baby comes along I plan to tandem nurse if Maia is still nursing.
Victoria, mama to
nursling Maia Jan 26 1996 woodsyee.mc@iwaynet.net
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It has info and links about Homeopathy, Vaccination,
Breastfeeding, Parenting, Crafts, Food, and Soap making
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The image of nursing toddler is copyright 1997 Lori Thompson Photography.
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