> Q1. I have heard of several 18mo's who are still 95% breastfed and
> reluctant to move onto solids.

I've known several babies like this.  They were hioghly allergic and had
more sense than the adults and "knew" not to eat :-)

>Is it appropiate to cut out breastfeeds,
> in order to "encourage" more solids and is it likely to work?

NO

> Q2. Should a mother continue to nurse "on demand" throughout the second
> and third years of life?

Yes, on request :-)

>Can a toddler nurse too much?  I don't think so.  But I've also observed
busy moms who tend to use BF as only way they pay attention to toddler, so
this needs to be addressed, not ignored.  BF isn't just food or just
emotional security, it's a package deal.  And parenting the baby as s/he
grows and develops and changes ages and stages is part of the package too.

> Q3. Is iron the only nutrient which could become insufficient with
> extended, exclusive breastfeeding?  The iron isn't insufficient.  But the
baby's needs change as his/her body grows and needs more nutrients  to
keep growing.

> Q4. Does the "quality" of the milk degrade as nursing continues, and if
> so, how long does it take?

No, it does not degrade.

> How long, theoretically, could a child
> continue to be exclusively breastfed (from the mother, without
> supplements)?

I'm sure you will get all sorts of answers, but we do   know that the
baby's nutritional needs begin to change between 6 mo and 1 yr and solids
begin in here somewhere, to some extent, almost everywhere in the world.
Individual babies may have had very different, long term nursing
experiences, for various reasons, but they usually get supplemented some
way, somehow.

Sincerely, Pat in SNJ

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