Extended Nursing

I've noticed quite a few of you have nursed past one year. Just curious why you chose to extend nursing and what the benefits may be. Thanks! My goal has always been one year, and it's still a ways off, but maybe you can convince me to go even further .

 

Good question. For me I sooned learned that 12 months is some random figure that someone came up with. As my babies got older I also learned that at 12 months they were not suddenly not babies anymore, they were (are) still very much babies. Bfing past 1yr does all the same things and MORE than it did for them before 12 months. And it isn't weird (I know alot of woman think it will be), when they are yours things take on a whole new perspective.
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/bfextended/index.html
http://www.llli.org//NB/NBextended.html

All the benefits of human milk—including nutritional and health—continue for as long as your baby receives your milk. In fact, as your baby takes less human milk, these advantages are condensed into what milk is produced. Many of the health benefits of human milk are dose related, that is, the longer the baby receives human milk, the greater are the benefits.

HTH

 

I just talked to a LC in town who is working on a research project that is proving that the benefits to the MOTHER are great for going longer than 1 year...at some point your body gets some of the benefits...it may even cure allergies in mom.

 

Good question. I didn't really have a stop date planned, but thought it would be at least a year. I knew that various authorities suggested at least 2 years. I'm going to answer this personally because you've already got good factual info from pp.

When 12 months came the idea of weaning made me feel very very sad. I didn't want to stop for selfish reasons, I just didn't feel ready. Reading people's weaning stories here kept making me cry! More imporantly, the girls clearly still derived tremendous comfort and pleasure from BF and weaning would have to have been something I imposed on them. Tal was just getting back into BFing after several distractable months. The girls were more and more able to express how much they loved to BF - running up, getting excited when they see the nursing cushion, saying 'num nums', saying 'aaaah' with a big contented smile afterwards.

There were also more practical reasons. I knew they were going to start with a childminder at 16 months, in September, and I wanted them to have the extra antibodies so they weren't sick so often through their first winter in daycare. Although I have nothing against dairy products, I was uncomfortable with the idea of them drinking large quantities of milk several times a day - it just seemed weird to artificially stop them drinking my milk (specially made for them) and give them milk from another species instead. They do drink cows milk whenever they want, but it's only a couple of times a day.

Finally I thought we'd make weaning a very very gradual process - to make life easier for all of us. So at one year they were nursing 4 times a day (waking, after naps and going to sleep) plus any extra comfort after owies etc. Now, at 22 months, we're down to morning and night only (unless, like now, they're ill and seem to want to nurse in the night too). This slow approach has also given DH and I time to develop alternative ways to comfort them when they're upset. Probably in a couple of months we'll cut one more feed and then sometime during the summer, after they're two, I'd like to wean them fully.

Personally I feel ready right now. For the past couple of months somehow, nursing is just basically a bit uncomfortable for me (and, sadly, I'm not pregnant!). But I know an abrupt stop would be very hard on them.
lisa

 

Emotional reasons - it's very rare for babies to wean themselves before 18-24 mo, from what I've read. If they still love nursing, why cut them off before they're ready?

Like pps said, there are great nutritional benefits. I worry less about my kids eating a balanced diet (though of course I still try my best in that regard) because I know my milk will fill in the gaps in a way that cow's milk couldn't.

I've read that when you're nursing toddlers, there are a lot more antibodies in your milk. It's like your body KNOWS that your kids all over the place and getting into everything, and makes extra protection for them! So cool!

Selfish reason - I love being able to eat all the time and not gain weight! B)

Nursing older babies is FUN. All the pressure of "Is the baby getting enough?" is off, the milk is just a great bonus, it's not like they need to nurse every 2 hrs anymore, so you get to just sit back and enjoy all the cute and sweet moments as they interact with you and each other. It is such a beautiful, sweet way to bond with them, especially when they're too busy crawling and climbing and playing to cuddle the rest of the time. Nursing the babies is one of my favorite parts of the day. :wub:

 

QUOTE(fuchsiagroan @ Mar 11 2008, 06:21 AM) [snapback]663019[/snapback]
Nursing older babies is FUN. All the pressure of "Is the baby getting enough?" is off, the milk is just a great bonus, it's not like they need to nurse every 2 hrs anymore, so you get to just sit back and enjoy all the cute and sweet moments as they interact with you and each other. It is such a beautiful, sweet way to bond with them, especially when they're too busy crawling and climbing and playing to cuddle the rest of the time. Nursing the babies is one of my favorite parts of the day. :wub:


This is my reason! I love it. Most of you know I am not all for nursing toddlers but I am def. going to keep nursing my girls for a few more months! Who knows these lil ladies may change my perspective all together!

 

My new reason: Sister just got engaged and I want to be nursing long enough to fill out a nice dress That means at least another year! We'll see...

 

QUOTE
My new reason: Sister just got engaged and I want to be nursing long enough to fill out a nice dress


:rotflmbo: Are you going to skip a few sessions too for that little extra va-va-va-voom?

 

Mine were not ready to quit at a year. I was still nursing at least 6 times a day. It is so helpful.
Economic reason also. I didn't have to buy any milk for them until we were closer to two years old!
It's beautiful! Continued to bond.

 

QUOTE(Zabeta @ Mar 11 2008, 02:50 PM) [snapback]663264[/snapback]
My new reason: Sister just got engaged and I want to be nursing long enough to fill out a nice dress That means at least another year! We'll see...


:rotflmbo:

Well definitely don't stop just before--my breast completely shrivelled up when I stopped. (The good news is they've come back but it took at least a year post breastfeeding--and a little general weight gain--for me to get back to my pre-momma bra size.)

I went back to work at 12 months, so we started a long gradual wean that I had hoped would last until 18 months, but they completed it at 15 months. I was a little sad about that. BTW physically I didn't get my period back until 14months post-partum and I never had a cold during all the breast feeding time. And I do think it helped lessen my seasonal allergies, the only medication I ever needed while bfing was related to a gall bladder surgery I had at that time.

 

If I had weaned my son at 12 months, he would have been heartbroken (and crying A LOT). My daughter would not have been pleased either. It's a lot easier to nurse for a few minutes than to listen to them cry all day. At this point I've been nursing so lng that a few more years for the twins is not a huge deal

 

My main reason to keep going is that none of us is quite ready to stop

My original goal was 12 months, and when that day arrived, it just didn't seem right so we kept going! I don't know if I just thought at 12 months this little switch was going to go off and we'd be done or what, but it didn't work that way!

And dear, DH, who tends to think in absolutes, was I think almost a little confused as to why I couldn't just stop, we made it to a year right?

My latest goal has been 'just through the winter...' so we'll see if he starts asking again, or he's just going to go with it He sees how excited they get when the pillow comes out. We're down to just morning and before bed, and the past week or so sessions have been very brief so who knows?

 

QUOTE(Chillers @ Mar 13 2008, 12:16 PM) [snapback]667501[/snapback]
And dear, DH, who tends to think in absolutes, was I think almost a little confused as to why I couldn't just stop, we made it to a year right?

My latest goal has been 'just through the winter...' so we'll see if he starts asking again, or he's just going to go with it He sees how excited they get when the pillow comes out. We're down to just morning and before bed, and the past week or so sessions have been very brief so who knows?


LOL, my dh is the same way!!!! He was my BIGGEST supporter for the first 12 months, if it wasn't for him I am sure Iwould have given up multiple times.

But then as they got older he would question me every now and again, he still does The first few times I reasoned with him, explained the benefits, had him read off Kellymom.com, etc. But since then the conversation quickly turns to me telling him to BACK OFF, or I can certainly start nitpicking him about ALL sorts of things, lol!!!!!

 

I had every intention of quitting at a year, but they just didn't, and still don't, seem ready. I think Jack would do fine transitioning to milk, but Lilly can't use a sippy cup yet, and never did get the hang of drinking from a bottle (the couple times we tried it). I wouldn't introduce a bottle at this point anyway. We're down to 3 feedings; morning, about 3pm, and before bed. As soon as Lilly figures out the sippy cup and can drink enough milk, I'll probably cut out the 3 pm feeding, then the a.m. feeding, and SOMEDAY I'll get rid of the bedtime one. That will be a rough one, though... for all 3 of us!

Helen

 

QUOTE(kuchar @ Mar 13 2008, 10:21 PM) [snapback]667951[/snapback]
We're down to 3 feedings; morning, about 3pm, and before bed. As soon as Lilly figures out the sippy cup and can drink enough milk, I'll probably cut out the 3 pm feeding, then the a.m. feeding, and SOMEDAY I'll get rid of the bedtime one. That will be a rough one, though... for all 3 of us!


We were down to your schedule, about the same age--cause I went back to work. First I stopped the 3pm one. (That's the time we have our main meal of the day, and since that age I had them eating with us, so it was replaced by food.) Then we dropped the morning one about 6 weeks later. They got sippies, and I got to sleep in 15 more minutes!!!! Then one night at 15 months Gabby just fell asleep while I was nursing Bianca, she never nursed again--she didn't seem to even notice, so don't count on it being rough for them, when they are ready they are ready. Me yes, I was sad. DH convienced me to wean Bianca that same month--she was a paci user, it only took 3 nights for her to be happy to take the paci to bed instead of mommy.

 

I never had a set date in mind (well maybe 1 year), but CJ is not ready to quit, so I am not pushing it either. She feeds about 3-5 times per day. I know that is is also a comfort issue for her. Since she is most likely my last baby, I am not wanting to let my "baby" go.
Tomorrow will be 17 months.

 

We just weren't ready at one year! I had always planned to try to make it to one year, and believe, if you would have told me in the beginning I'd still be at it, I wouldn't have believed you! It was tough going for about the first 8 weeks...but that's another story for another post!

At one year, we were still nursing up to 5x a day. The boys certainly still wanted to and I wasn't ready to stop. I will admit, the advantages of the extra calorie burn and bigger bra size (not to mention all the nutritional benefits for the boys!) are nice but I think the three of us still wanted/needed that special bonding time. As they get more active, they are slowly weaning themselves. In the past couple weeks, we've dropped from 2-3x/day to once in the morning when they get up. I'm pretty much letting them decided when we are done.

 

:clapping: Nothing to add, you ladies are my heros! Thanksfor posting all of this... it just made sense that they self weaned (even though I had to nudge them a bit!)

 

I am just not ready... and I don't think the twinkies are either... we will wean just before their second birthday because dh and I are going to his fraternity reunion and they are going to momma and poppa's house for the weekend. At first I didn't think they wouldn't make it a year, but when I did I made the decision to extend it for their health benefits... I am glad that I did... we have had a great winter...

 

:cray: Does anyone else tear up while reading this?

 

You'll know when you get there whether it's right for you. If you had asked me at 4 months whether I'd still be nursing at 2.5, I would have said no. BUT, at 12 months, they still seemed much more like babies than big boys and we'd gotten past the biting phase so it was easy to continue. I didn't see any reason NOT to. Then, the strangest thing happened... they got old enough to really ASK to nurse and they speak with such affection for their "pillow time" that it seemed wrong to take it away. I'm not entirely sure now when we'll quit and I've quit answering the question when people ask. I think we'll know when the time comes.

So there's the real reason. But if you want logic, I'm saving $50+ a month on whole cow's milk (and that's the cheap kind), they get the same illnesses that DH & I do but theirs is always a light case, and I don't have to worry about the residual antibiotics and hormones in the processed milk.