Breastfeeding beyond babyhood is normal
‘Weaning’ is the process whereby a child learns to take nourishment other than his mother’s milk. It starts when the child is introduced to foods and drinks in addition to breastmilk, and ends Mother nursing a toddler on a trainwhen he finally stops nursing. You may worry that if you don’t initiate an end to breastfeeding, your child will ‘nurse forever’.
But children outgrow breastfeeding on their own, just as they outgrow other toddler behaviours. This process of ‘natural weaning’ can allow a child to develop at his own pace, giving up breastfeeding according to his own timetable. All children stop breastfeeding eventually, but some finish earlier than others. Rather than choosing a specific time to stop breastfeeding, many mothers just continue nursing while it’s working well for them and see how it goes.
Mixed feelings
Not all mothers are comfortable or wish to breastfeed their babies beyond a certain point. Or perhaps you feel that your child is nursing too much, or more than you are comfortable with? Before rushing to wean, consider whether breastfeeding really does make your life harder. Your child will need your constant attention and care for years yet, whether he is breastfeeding or not. Sometimes needs can be met more simply and easily through nursing than in any other way.
For many mothers, shortening feeds or reducing their frequency is enough to make them feel more positive about breastfeeding and confident that it will eventually end. Thinking Of Weaning?, How Breastfeeding Ends and the book Mothering Your Nursing Toddler offer suggestions on how to reduce or end breastfeeding gently while still meeting your child’s needs. Your local LLL Leader will have suggestions, and other mothers in your local LLL group will have found their own solutions too.
Comments from others
Your biggest challenge may be coping with the opinions of others on how long you should continue to breastfeed and how weaning should happen. Explaining the importance of breastfeeding may seem threatening to people who made other choices. Instead, help them feel more comfortable by mentioning how breastfeeding makes life easier for you, your child and your family. You might say that you didn’t plan to nurse this long: “At first I planned to breastfeed him for six months. At six months I decided to wean him at a year.” Or, “Before he was born I hadn’t considered nursing a toddler!” Sometimes a smile and a witty response may do the trick: “When is he going to stop breastfeeding?”—“Oh, in about 5 minutes or so I expect!”
Out and about
Criticism can be easier to handle when you are happy and confident. Even so, you may start feeling uncomfortable about breastfeeding your older toddler in front of others. As a child develops the image2 permission given, use anonymouslyability to wait, some mothers set limits on where and when they nurse, or offer distractions at times when it’s inconvenient. You could nurse before you go out and take a healthy snack and drink to tide your toddler over until you reach the car, home or other suitable place. Selecting your own clothing carefully can help avoid accidental overexposure and choosing a convenient codeword for breastfeeding such as ‘num-nums’ or ‘milkie’ makes it less obvious when your child asks to nurse when out and about.
Breastfeeding manners
Setting some gentle limits on how your older baby or toddler breastfeeds is the start of gentle discipline and guiding him into good behaviour. It starts when you hold his hand or give him a toy to stop twiddling while feeding. If your toddler tries to breastfeed in unusual or uncomfortable acrobatic positions, you can let him know that it hurts and that if he wants to nurse he needs to sit properly. It’s best to start to set limits on how you will breastfeed before behaviour becomes a problem. If a behaviour you aren’t happy with has become a habit, it may take a little perseverance to change things. But even young toddlers respond to consistent loving guidance, especially if rewarded with breastfeeding and a thank you when they behave appropriately.
Source: LA LECHE LEAGUE
Link: https://www.laleche.org.uk/still-nursing/