Congratulations.  When he is grown perhaps he will be a wonderful father and husband who still loves and holds his mum dear (like my 3 sons!)  If only everyone understood that breastfeeding is not just delivering a nutrition source to a mammal, but a total mind, body and spirit experience that conveys what being a human and IMHO an image-bearer of God.  As science gains more and more information about the connection between nature and nurture (it isn't one OR the other, but both together that influence growth and development) perhaps we will gain more respect for the biologic role of women and their importance in society not just as carriers of the next generation and producers of goods and services!  It should not be THIS hard for women to move through ages and stages and contribute to society in a way that doesn't sacrifice or ignore basic biology!  Just sayin'!

-----Original Message-----
From: Lactation Information and Discussion [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of [log in to unmask]
Sent: Thursday, October 25, 2012 9:54 PM
Subject: beginning of the end

here we go - the beginning of the end. 
'lou has been nursing once every day or every other day for weeks now. he just went 3 days w/out asking and then wanted to nurse tonight. for the 1st time, he told me he can't get any milk. 

he's 5 yrs and 24 days. after 12 3/4 years of non-stop breastfeeding, i'm almost done. if you spaced out how many years each kid nursed for consecutively instead of concurrently (due to tandem and triandem nursing), i normal- fed my small children 23 1/2 years of human milk.
my youngest weaner was 3.5 and my oldest was 5 yrs and 7 mos. 

it was hard. it was uncomfortable. it was not always approved of or understood. but it was my duty and privilege to provide for my babies and i can look at the end of the road with fierce pride that i did it for as long as they needed it. i will never ever regret not giving them their best, most essentially necessary start in life. 

i especially love knowing they nursed to an age that they will always r/m it. i hope it is one of their most enduring memories of me all of their lives. never were we all as in sync, bonded, content and still enough to look into each other's souls as when they were nursing.



             ***********************************************

Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]
COMMANDS:
1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail 2. To start it again: set lactnet mail 3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet 4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome

             ***********************************************

Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]
COMMANDS:
1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail
2. To start it again: set lactnet mail
3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome