Here is my study of one:  I started back on the Nuvaring, which is a
combined hormonal contraception (vaginal ring) when my youngest was 27 mos
old.  I always wanted to nurse my kids between 2 and 2.5 years "minimum"
(going for the low end of natural weaning as determined by Kathy Dettwyler,
or by the WHO minimum), and longer if they wanted.  I figured that by going
on it then, I was half way between those 2 ages and she was unlikely to wean
in the next 3 months probably.  I chose the Nuvaring since it has the lowest
concentration of hormones available, given how close it is positioned to the
ovaries, really.

My daughter is now 4 years and 4 months, so I have been on it for 2 years
now, and I do think it GRADUALLY "helped" diminish my milk production, but
really not in a big way.  At the time I started it, I was tandem nursing (my
older child was 5 though, almost...and certainly not a real concern with
respect to weaning abruptly).  That child nursed until she was just 6, and
my younger one most recently asked to nurse about 2 weeks ago, but every
time she asks to nurse now, she takes one "sip"(suck) and says there is no
milk and doesn't want to continue.  She really is pretty much done.  I did
continue to have a good amount of milk for at LEAST a year longer, and
certainly my younger one was still nursing a fair amount LAST year around
this time, and I think what really sealed the deal for us was when I started
working nights and putting her to bed less often (I work 3-4 nights a week
usually).  She had to learn to go to sleep without nursing, and it carried
over to nights when I did put her to sleep, after a few months.  I do think
that if I were not working evenings she would have nursed a lot
longer/more...not sure how much though, maybe she'd still be weaning
now/weaned pretty much.  I decided, however, to work evenings so her dad
could be with her (with both of them) rather than put them in daycare.  If
it was at the cost of a slightly earlier weaning, so be it...it wasn't
exactly a traumatic forced weaning either since she went to bed well with
her dad, had lots of opportunity to nurse outside of bedtimes, and just
gradually lost interest all the same.

Fio
Mama to Sandrine, 7yo, weaned at 6yo, riding a 2-wheeler bike and with 4
bottom adult teeth now!!
and
Nyssa, 4yo1/2 and pretty much weaned and talking full sentences finally...in
frenglish still though ;-)

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