Breastfeeding a four year old
November13
On one of my regular blogs, BreastfeedingMums Blog, today, there was a link to a story that details a mom’s experience nursing her four year old. Before I started nursing K, if you had told me that we would still be nursing at 2 years, I would have laughed at you.
I know some people think he doesn’t need it anymore, and I know some people wouldn’t choose it for themselves, but I have to say that they longer I nurse him, the more rewarding it becomes.
It’s amazing, isn’t it, the things that people feel that they have the right to comment upon. Sometimes I explain that the World Health Organization recommends nursing until at least 2 and then beyond and sometimes I explain that my daughter isn’t ready to stop yet and other times I say that I will stop nursing by the time Reid is 7. The latter seems the most effective for know-it-all type people.
Fortunately for me, I have gotten almost complete support from friends and family. Either they all are supportive, or they know better and don’t say anything if they aren’t. I do have one friend who told me that it is important to stop nursing babies at the age of 1, because “they know too much.” I happen to disagree with that, and so K is still nursing on demand throughout the day.
After I hit 16 or 18 months with R people just shut up about me still nursing him, even Ex. I just wouldn’t nurse R in front of anyone because unfortunately I didn’t have enough guts to stick up for what we wanted. Oh how I’ve changed.
Good for you!