Are you breastfeeding a toddler?

[GEM]

Wow. 12 minutes for a nasty reply. That's a record for DIS ignorance.

Oh well. Just walk away.

Anyway . . .

Hey to all the moms out there nursing toddlers. My little guy finally self-weaned at about 3 months past his 3rd birthday. Bittersweet, for sure. Disney is the perfect destination for nursing moms. It's very breastfeeding friendly. I was able to nurse my little guy "around the world" on trips at 13 months, 18 months, 26 months, and 32 months. No one ever batted an eye or even seemed to notice. We had great experiences!

 

[nancy drew]

man, uneducated people are everywhere.

when dd was 15 months i nursed here in the park and no one said a word about it. i nursed her on the pirates ride (after the drop ) and the haunted mansion ride, and actually carried her out of the pirates ride while she was still nursing (i did have a sling on with her in it, but she wasnt covered up). i did find some quieter places to nurse her, like the benches on the side of the plaza by the entrance to pirates, or some benches near the flying carpets (where i nursed my 7 month old on our last trip). i also nursed him on the side of the waiting area for turtle talk. next trip he will be about 19 months old, and im sure he will still be nursing, so im expecting to have just as good an experience as i have on our last vacations

 

[toesmom]

Some may be entirely shocked by this post, but my dd who is now 8 enjoyed the occasional nursing session till she was almost 6. Hard to believe, but she would not give it up.

She was 5 when ds was born, and I basically had no problems letting her nurse when she wanted to through the pregnancy (sound strange now, but seemed perfectly normal at the time).

Thanks to her constant nursing, my milk came in perfectly for my ds and he had no trouble latching and has nursed since then. He is past 3 years and shows little to no sign of self-weaning.

I've stayed home with both kids so that makes it easier for breastfeeding to continue for so long.

You almost have to stop nursing before babies get to really enjoy it, because it becomes such a comfort to toddlers and even kindergarteners.

On a side note, both my kids are extremely healthy, no ear infections at all. Minimal colds and fevers.

People think I'm crazy when they see my ds nursing now, but I know the benefits to him are life-long and my dd has protection against juvenile diabetes, childhood cancers, pre-menopausal breast cancer and ovarian cancer as she gets older. Breast-feeding also results in children who have higher IQ's (hard to believe this fact but it's been proven true) as breast milk helps the brain connections develop optimally.

It really is tough to stop the nursing once kids understand and really enjoy it. And if mom/toddler are ok with it, no reason to stop.

I have a feeling the little guy is going to continue until he is past 4 based on what I'm seeing right now.

Maybe I belong in another country where kids typically breast-feed until they are even 6-7 years (for comfort typically).

Call me crazy but I think it's wonderful to see moms nursing in public, especially toddlers, because then I know I'm not the only one who follows the needs of my children.

 

[meandtheguys2]

sorry but thats gross..and i think it fits your needs emotionally more than it does nutrionally..seek therapy please.

Therapist here... I find a bigger issue with judgemental people than those that are nursing toddlers. The nursers eventually quit...rude judgemental people just harp on and on and on...

My longest nurser was my oldest. He went about 2 1/2 years, and then I was pregnant and it hurt like bejeebers!

Good job to those for whom it works out!

 

[Reese]

Therapist here... I find a bigger issue with judgemental people than those that are nursing toddlers. The nursers eventually quit...rude judgemental people just harp on and on and on...

The longest nurser I had was 3 years. She probably would have kept going but I was pregnant and too sore so I encouraged her to wean. In many countries the norm is to nurse until they are five.

I find that sometimes peoples own insecurities prevent them from making decisions. "What would Aunt Martha say it she saw you nursing your 1 year old ".

So Mom's of nursing toddlers be proud and know that you are using your breast for what they were intended to do....they're original use was not to hold up your halter top .

 

[GEM]

....they're original use was not to hold up your halter top .

Or, if you're Janet Jackson, to NOT hold up your halter top.

 

[Monkeyfeet]

MDC member here as well!

DD, 27 months, is nursing happily still.

 

[justhat]

I posted on this thread awhile back, but now that I have my son and it was bumped up again I thought what the heck! Ya know, I will honestly say that before I had my daughter I thought she'd be weaned at a year cause I thought going past that was "weird". Well, then I learned more about the benefits when I had a rough start with my daughter and figured we'd go till a year at the minimum if we could make it. After all the trouble we had in the beginning the last thing I wanted to do was quit early on cause it would have made those early days a waste of time. It also didn't seem so weird to me anymore as she got older and I thought it was great everytime I saw a mom nursing a toddler cause I know it's not always easy to get to that point.

My daughter self-weaned at 21 months, a week after I got pregnant with my son. When he was born (less than 8 months after she weaned cause he was born at 36 weeks) she saw me feed him and was amazed. She had no recollection of ever nursing and thought her brother eating from "mommy's tummy" was the strangest, most fascinating thing ever. So clearly no damage done to her emotionally as she didn't even remember nursing!

ETA: And I plan to nurse my son as long as he wants to as well. Right now we're at 5 months and he's quite the eater-already 17.5 lbs and he was preterm!

 

[threekidsandasheltie]

sorry but thats gross..and i think it fits your needs emotionally more than it does nutrionally..seek therapy please.

It saddens me that people actually think like this. And umm, nursing a toddler is definitely more about the toddlers needs than the moms. Because I sure dont need a toddler hanging on me every chance she gets


anyway, I am glad to hear that there are nursing toddlers at Disney. I hardly ever see babies nurse in public let alone toddlers where I am. My toddler is 21m and still nurses about 6-7 times a day when we are home. My goal once I passed that overall omg how can I do this phase was to nurse her till at least 2yo.

 

[blessedby3]

I have 3 kiddos well past the nursing age, but enjoyed nursing all three of them. My first baby only nursed for about 12 months. She was so interested in everything going on around her that she wouldnt sit still to nurse. My second baby nursed for about 18 months. Neither one for as long as I would have liked. My 3rd baby I was able to nurse till right past her second birthday. It was very bittersweet knowing this would probably be my last. They all weaned on their own much to my dismay. I loved nursing my babies... Good for all of you who are able to nurse for so long.

 

[java]

Well we are now down to night only- this has been a rough week of "pees mommy.".. and tears he will be 2 in Feb. I have always been a believer in it having to be working for both for it to be working at all- and I am done. This is my 4th child and I feel like I have been nursing for the past 12 years..... Stick a fork in me I am done! *we are down to twice at night.... I think I can slowly wean totally in the next few weeks. To those of you that are still going strong- more power to you. I just want my ****s back.

 

[KelsiesMommy]

I nursed my oldest dd until 41 months, and my 25 month old is still going strong

 

[labdogs42]

Can anyone explain to me or share their story of their child "self-weaning"? My son is 23 months now and nurses 3-5 times a day (usually 2x a night for sure). I thought about trying to night wean him, but then I changed my mind! I'd really like to just let him decide, but I'm curious about how that happens. If anyone would care to share their stories, I'd love to hear them!

BTW, I was one of those people who thought nursing a toodler was "weird" before I had my own kid. I actually went back to work full time and pumped for 9 months so he could have only breastmilk for the first year! Now I only work part time and he still nurses. I'm so glad I kept up my supply so we could continue nursing. What a blessing it has turned out to be!

 

[GEM]

Can anyone explain to me or share their story of their child "self-weaning"?

Well, for us it was really easy. Paul was about 39 months old when he nursed for the last time.

I went with a "Don't Offer/Don't Refuse" policy. He just gradually nursed less and less until finally we were down to last thing before bed and first thing in the morning. He started going to sleep with a story instead of nursing and that left us with the morning session, which got more and more sporadic. He might nurse 3 or 4 mornings a week, and not ask the other mornings. Eventually, he just stopped. I remember very clearly the last time he nursed. He fell in the living room and really clocked his head on the fireplace. He was just hysterical - more scared than hurt, I think, really. Anyway, I scooped him up and offered him some "milkies" and in just a few seconds he was done crying and on his way to feeling better. I remember looking at him there so cozy and comfy and thinking, "This is probably it for us." And, it was. He never nursed again after that.

He does remember it, though, and he talks about it sometimes in a fond kind of way. And, every once in a while, like when he sees my sister nursing my baby newphew, he'll ask for it. But, then I remind him, or he remembers, that he "drank all his milk up". And, he's ok with that.

All in all, it was a really painful process. But, if you had asked me when he was two years old, I would have sworn that he was going to nurse until he went to college. The idea of him giving it up voluntarily seemed totally out of the question - but he did.

 

[Starr W.]

My youngest gave it up at about 13 months(when he started to walk). He was only nursing 2x per day. Nap time and about an hour before bed time. He just started having to much fun to sit down for that long and liked being like his big brother with milk in a cup.

Gosh I feel sorry for some of you, your kid doesn't sleep through the night. My boys are great sleepers, only have ever woke up when sick. They are 5 & 10 now. Eldest slept through starting at 3 months, other at 9 WEEKS(not a big eater like his bro).

Do I miss it? NOOOO!

 

[Bird-Mom]

I am still nursing my 2.5 year old and will be doing so at WDW next month! She is down to before bed and in the morning unless she gets hurt or scared. I am going to let her self wean. She night weaned a few months ago although she will occasionally ask during the night. I tell her the boos are sleeping, can she try and sleep too? She usually falls right back asleep, but I would nurse her if she persisted.

I nursed her big sister until her second birthday and weaned her gently b/c I was very pregnant, which made nursing unbearable for me. We cut down very gradually, and she was ready when we stopped.

Nursing a toddler is not at all about the mom; it is totally about the child. I find that people who make negative remarks about EN are very defensive about or uncomfortable with their own choices.

 

[Reese]

Or, if you're Janet Jackson, to NOT hold up your halter top.

 

[justhat]

Labdogs, my story is similar to GEM. My daughter nursed a lot till she was 13-14 months when we went on vacation for 3 weeks. She started falling asleep in the stroller at naptime (normally she nursed to sleep for her naps) the first week and the 2nd two weeks we were in WDW where she fell asleep in the stroller everyday, for naptime and bedtime. That really reduced the number of times she nursed everyday by the time we got back home so by 15 months she was down to 2-3 times during the day and a few times during the night. Well those night nursings were killing me and I needed to start sleeping so I phased those out on my own by about 17 months (that part was not so child led, but I seriously needed rest as I had not slept all night since I got pregnant with her).

Once I stopped the middle of the night feedings then she gave the the before bed feeding cause she no longer really associated nursing with going to sleep. So around 17-18 months she was only nursing first thing in the morning. She loved that feeding but wanted nothing to do with nursing the rest of the day. Gradually she started dropping the morning nurse session, reducing it to maybe 5 times a week, then 3-4. When it was maybe 2-3 times a week I just started waking up before her and getting dressed and most days she wouldn't ask. If she did then I obliged, but I never volunteered. She finally went almost a whole week without nursing and then one morning I slept in and she snuggled up next to me (we coslept at the time) and nursed. After a maybe 30 seconds and trying both sides she asked me for more and I told her there wasn't any more and she got a really sad look and asked why. I explained the best I could that she was bigger and didn't need my milk as much so it was going away and she accepted that and never asked again.

When my son was about 2 weeks old and she saw him nursing she asked me for milk. I told her I'd get her a cup as soon as Henry finished nursing and she said "no, not milk in a cup, milk from mommy's tummy." I told her okay but said I'd put it in a cup for her. When he was done I pumped some milk and offered it to her and she said she didn't want it and that was that. I think she was more curious about this thing her brother got that she didn't and when I said she could have it too she was fine with it. I showed her some pictures of her nursing as a baby and that made her pretty happy too.

 

[GEM]

"no, not milk in a cup, milk from mommy's tummy."

That's so funny. Paul always referred to it as "tummy milk" - and he still does. Like, when we hear a baby crying at the store, he'll say, "That baby needs tummy milk!"

 

[hannahsmomma]

I just wanted to give a big to all you EN mommies! I nursed dd till she was 33 months and I am sure ds will nurse till he goes to college as so many of us like to say! He turned 2 in December and I am hoping he will wean sometime this year. When we went to DW last year I never really had to nurse him to much out and about. I remember nursing him in Playhouse Disney and on the buses a couple of times. He is one of those ones who does not like to hide while he is nursing so it does make it difficult. I am hoping to have him just at bed times by the time we go this may. but not if he has anything to do with it!