I'm asked this question all the time in my breastfeeding support groups....I
often answer by saying..."I have been nursing a long time" Usually moms want
details...I hate to be evasive, so I explain that I nursed my son till he
was 5 1/2 until he self weaned when his sister came home from the hospital
and now she is three so I have been nursing 8 1/2 years straight. I always
qualify this statement by saying "how long you nurse is a very personal
decision and for my family, letting our children wean themselves is very
important and my first son wasn't so lucky". I look at this disclosure in a
positive way, usually the moms who are asking are "regulars" and appear very
trusting in the other breastfeeding info I speak about. I honestly think, by
sharing this..it will somehow give moms "permission" to nurse as long as
they want. I truly believe... for moms to see this as normal it must be
presented as normal, often at this point I bring up Dr. Dettwyler's research
and usually pull out a handout too. I currently have three moms tandem
nursing, one being a 1 1/2 year old and his three year old sister...so new
moms certainly have interesting experiences on many levels at my groups!


Mary Anderson

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