I won't be surprised if a few of these are repeats.

Depending on who the person making the comments is, there are the
informative comebacks -

"The AAP recommends nursing for AT LEAST 12 months and thereafter as
long as mutually desired by mom and baby."

"The WHO recommends nursing for AT LEAST 2 YEARS and thereafter as long
as mutually desired by mom and baby."

Michael Jordan was breastfed until he was 3 years old.  Michael Jackson
was not breastfed.

The world-wide average age of weaning is around 4.2 years.

Anthropologist Kathy Dettwyler has done a lot of research on this
subject.  Her research shows that the natural age of human weaning is
between 2.5 and 7 years.  In her survey of mothers here in the USA, she
even found a handful of 9 year olds who were still nursing, although I
doubt we will nurse that long.

Other comebacks -

If baby is old enough to have started solids, they can honestly say
"we're working on weaning now" since the first time something other than
breastmilk is introduced to baby weaning has technically started.

Yes, we're still nursing.  It's very important to both of us.

Yes, we're still nursing.  We're so lucky to have been able to nurse
this long!

This is what works for our family.

I'm parenting the way that feels right to me.

She still needs her Mommy very much.  XX is such a difficult age.

And YOU don't NEED to eat that doughnut, but you still are, aren't you?

Here's a good link on handling criticism -
http://www.kellymom.com/criticism.html

Carissa Dollar
LLL Leader, Indianapolis, IN
& Mommy to Keithen (2/1/99) & Kaylee (3/5/01) & someone new (EDD 2/8/03)

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