Hello everyone, I have been reading you with interest for few weeks. I
guess now is the time to introduce myself. My name is Christine Gauthier
and I am a La Leche Leaague Leader in Quebec (La Ligue La Leche, Canada
français). I have 3 children: Élaina (4 yrs), Félix-André (2.5 yrs) and
Emma (4 weeks old). I live in Hull, Québec (next door to Ottawa) with my
husband Rafael and our niece Althea (15 yrs). I am delighted to have
found Lactnet and I'm learning every time I read you. It is also
thrilling to be in contact with so many likeminded people when it comes
to bfg and the well being of mother and babies.

Now about the tandem nursing of chimpanze, I was most interested to read
about it. I couldn't help but to see an analogy with my experience at
tandem nursing. I tandem nursed my first two children for 21 months and
Élaina  stopped nursing at 3.7 yrs when I was expecting my third child.
Félix-André is being tandem nurse as we speak (with Emma). I recognize a
similar behaviour between "Faustino" and my son. There is nothing he
won't try to get his share. Actually he is nursing more often since
Emma's arrival. And I do sometime feel like the chimp mom about throwing
him through the window!! He does sleep with us and I don't refuse the
breast, but we still have our share of tantrums. We are still in the
adjustment stage and he is doing very well, learning to wait for his
turn, etc... I would say he is pretty normal for a 2 yrs old boy who's
welcoming his first human being into his most intimate relationship!
With Élaina, she was only 22 months old when her brother arrived, so I
had both kids on the breast at the same time for many months. I made
room to answer the need of both children and if my daughter didn't have
so many tandrum  she definetely nursed MUCH MUCH more than Félix in the
same situation. I think, as one of you wrote, that 2 yrs old are meant
to still nurse, they are still 'baby' in many aspects. As for the
tantrum, I think temperament has a role to play. Children are just using
different tactics to get what they want or need. And when it comes to
social pressure, they DO attract unwanted attention!! both toward the
mother and themselves ...and it does make me react to protect both my
son's nursing relationship and my peace! To discover the behaviour of
the chimpanze,which I consider more instinctive, just reinforce my
conviction about tandem nursing when siblings are close in age. And I
will also take my "fed up" feelings as being as normal as can be :=)

Christine Gauthier LLL
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