In a message Patricia Y  wrote:

<<Over the years I've noticed a sort of natural disinterest stage for some
babies between 13-15 mo.  Then it seems as if the baby or mom doesn't
capitalize on it, nursing continues for a long time.  Has anyone else noticed
any other ages when this seems to happen.>>

Yes. Seems that too frequently I hear a mom say to me that the baby is or was
self-weaning at 5-7 months. That the baby just doesn't want or like to BF any
longer. That the baby nurses for a short time then off and disinterested, back
on a short time later, so they are weaning. I calmly explain that this is
likely a normal developmental stage of distractability, and all the positive
aspects of this stage, when I know that, all to often, they are looking for an
excuse to stop BF. Why? Is it as Linda B wrote: <<I find it frightening that
the mothers I am seeing (and they know no economic or social bounds) feel that
EVERYTHING else is more important than attending to their baby's needs.....
We are currently seeing the result of self-centered parenting.>>

Is it a symptom of being self-centered and/or that too many people in our
society do not offer enough/any concrete evidence that mothering is valued,
whereas producing income is clearly valued. I try to ignore my sad assumption
that an excuse to stopping BF is being rationalized and my support is being
solicited. I try to convince myself that if I persist in saying to enough
mothers, the same things enough times, to support the continuance of BF and
the value of the mothering and nurturing this entails, it Will make a
difference.

Deb