Lynn,
This is a topic in itself. I think it is a very good idea to have a brief
discussion.
I'm currently analysing a study that is looking at the experiences of Aust
mothers and children of breastfeeding past 2 years. For many of these
mothers one of the factors that contributed to them ending up bf for a long
time was that they saw someone bf an older child, initially they were
shocked! eventually it sank in that this happens and they remembered it. So
yes, it will shock them if you mention that you bf but this is perhaps not a
bad thing.
Before you get into that however, I would talk about duration of
breastfeeding elsewhere and at different times. I would probably start with
the WHO statement on bf and then go to talk about common durations in other
places. Will you be using powerpoint? Ted Greiner has a fabulous "test" on
his website that has a postcard from Lesotho that shows a woman busy weaving
a basket while her daughter, in school uniform, has a quick suckle. The test
is to ask what the caption on the back says, everyone will guess that it
says something about bf, in fact bf, even a child that 'old' is so usual
that it fades into the background and the caption only says that it is a
woman weaving a basket. The recent photo of Carrie Ann Moss breastfeeding
her 1yo son as she walked along the street labelled "NOT NORMAL" in a
magazine (someone posted the link to Lactnet a while ago) provides a good
contrast (she's doing 2 things wrong because the baby is not a newborn and
she is bf in public). Mention the recent famous sustained bfers (eg Michael
Jordan and Pele).
Talk about breastfeeding replacers in our society. How thumbsucking and
transition objects like blankies are in substitutes for bf and how we don't
question the need for them in children who are toddlers+ and how studies
have used oral abnormalities to measure the incidence of bf since
thumbsucking distorts the development of the mouth and in communities where
breastfeeding is freely available children do not generally thumb suck.
Something I have only recently realised is that many people do not
understand how older children breastfeed, they think that they breastfeed as
frequently as a 6mo and that it is all about food. So I'd suggest that it is
a good idea to mention how toddlers and older bf and describe why they BF.
So yes, I'd mention it but probably leave it until last and you have
established yourself as a reasonable, knowledgeable person.
Good luck. I'd be interested in feedback. Are you going to ask for it?? I
think it would be worth having forms that they fill in at the end and let
them know that you are particularly interested in negative feedback, it
gives an idea of where you might have missed the mark. I'm currently
thinking about what I will do for presentations I'll be starting to give
next year on the subject of sustained bf.
Karleen Gribble
Australia

> The presentation has been postponed to next Wed.  Today I got a list of
> their (excellent) questions, and could easily spend the whole time just
> answering them.  One thing that came up repeatedly was duration and
> nursing toddlers.
>
> I am nursing a 4.5yo on a limited basis, as well as my 6mo.  It would be
> comfortable to me to disclose.  Would this freak them out, or would it
> be a good thing for them to meet a real person who breastfeeds this long?
>
> Lynn in Kirksville MO
>

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