My impression from literature and anecdotal data is that for at least 100 years the norm in many parts of the U.S. and Europe has been around 9 months to a year. In "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn", written early in the century, I think, there was a boy who refused to wean at what was presented as the usual age of 9 months. His character as a nursing toddler was presented in a very grotesque, absurd way. My mother (turning 83 next month) told me that she was nursed "until I was walking around" becaue her birthday was in October and "you didn't wean a baby in the summer". So, I don't know if that means she was around a year or around two. I was amazed to find out that my husband's grandmother bottlefed all her babies, who are now in their 80's - my MIL was born around 1915. And this was in a small town in Missouri. It's been going on a long time! My impression is that it's been a long time since the normal course of nursing was standard in western countries, at least in urban areas. Miriam Levitt RN, IBCLC *********************************************** The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html