> Mothering Magazine's winter '93 issue had a wonderful article on
> extended breastfeeding.  Many of the studies are older and most from
> countries in Africa.  I would assume that it is because there isn't a
> large enough population in one geographic area to study (for the U.S.)

Au contraire! My belief is that extended nursers in the U.S. are "closet
nursers" not even telling their pediatricians because of the flak they
receive against extended nursing. I came to this opinion after sitting
in on the parent session on "Toddler Nursing" moderated by Paul Fleiss,
MD at the Anaheim Western Regional LLL meeting (August 96). After 2 or 3
starts into his planned presentation, he wisely gave it up in favor of
letting this extremely aggrieved group of parents "ventilate" - they
needed a "rap session" and affirmation from one another. This group
feels terribly ignored and maligned, often from those who should be most
supportive.

It was an eye opener for me! I had attended the session because I
sometimes get calls from a toddler-nursing mom, so I wanted some tips.
But then I realized those were not a few "odd" calls that I get, but
rather representative of larger unknown numbers.

I spent the remainder of the conference asking people if they knew of
toddler groups in LLL, etc, picked up business cards for the local
groups and have probably decided to do my master's thesis on nursing
behaviors of extended breastfeeders in the U.S. My thesis chairperson is
worried I won't find even a few mothers to interview who are
breastfeeding into the 2nd year. Is she in for a surprise!! And, I think
it will be great fun to interview the verbal children themselves who are
nursing up to age 6 :-D   (But first, I have to learn how to do
qualitative research this summer...)

Katharine West, BSN, MPH
Sherman Oaks, CA