<< Just to chime in that I breastfed my daughter, now 13, for 5 or 6 yrs.
For those unfamiliar with older nurslings, often they nurse very briefly
prior to naps or bedtime, and sometimes skipping a day or two, and for me
even on a "dry" breast - I really did not feel I had any milk the last
several months.
I concur with all the benefits, physiological and psychological. What I do
want to mention is that I was actually quite fearful, as she got older, that
someone would be quite aghast about it, report it, and have my child taken
away from me. We basically went "closet nursing" as she got older, as many
mothers unfortunately do. Living in the "Deep South" USA attitudes about
even bf a newborn are not favorable.
Did any others have this fear?>>
Yes Laurie, NOW I do, whereas before I did NOT. I have nursed or am still
currently nursing my children each to the age of 6 (the youngest is 4.5
years and still going strong). Wit my older 2 children we lived in Southern
California and I never once worried about how other perceived my conituned
nursing well into Kindergarten. However now I am living in Virginia where I
see virtually no nursing at all, at any age and I am quite worried at the
reaction I would get were others (outside of my LLL and LC ircles) to know I
was still breastfeeding my youngest. It is a sad state of affairs, however
it wont deter me. I know what is best for my children, I have witnessed the
wonderful effecs that nursing until they are ready to wean has had on my
older 2 children (they still bohth fondly talk about their nursing days, and
often wistfully wish they STILL could!...espcially when ill). I so enjoy
nursing my youngest (and last) child and do not look forward to tha day that
I wont be nursing anybody anymore. The joy my children and I have shared at
the breast cannot be put into words (however Morgan, you did a bang-up job
of it...thank you!)
Nursing into toddlerhood and even beyond IS perfectly normal, healthy and
the only way I can imagine mothering. My children would be happy to extol
the virtues of extended nursing and have been known to go on a rant when
finding out that a baby they know has been prematurely weaned (at 6, 12, 18
months old)!!
Sweet Nursings,
Robyn
LLL Leader, IBCLC, GS Asst Leader #950
**********************************
Mom to Morgan (11), Siobhan (8), Tiernan (4)
Proud Military Wife to Stephen (13 years)
Proud US Navy Veteran 1991-1997
**********************************
Visit us at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rrochepa/
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