What's your BFing age limit? - Page 2

[Ms.Doula]

im with klothos



And Satori- "I've been getting that skin crawling leave my boobs alone feeling..." Oh boy, Me too!!! : And I know it sounds bad, cause my dd is only 21 mos.... BUT I cant help it...I get so touched out. AND dd is no gentle nurser either!!!

[sadie_sabot]

I' just now starting to realize I'm gonna be one of "those" mommas nursing for a long time.

Whenever it comes up, now, i just say I'm gonna nurse dd until she moves out of the house. that way, for people who disapprove, if i *only* nurse her until she's six they'll be all, "whew, at least she stopped before dd was 15!"

:nana:

:

[Ruth]

99 years old is my limit

I've always told my now 6-year-old that she can nurse until she is 99 years old. ... But mommy, you'll be dead if you plan to live to only 100. Oh, then I plan to live to be 136 years old.

Seriously, she is six and still nurses for a few seconds every once in a while. And, she proudly shows us "look ... milk" and there is really milk.

I heard that some indigenous people in this continent nursed their teenagers!

[simonee]

I always thought we'd self-wean 100%. But last night, as dd (almost 5 yo) was nursing, for the first time I thought about how it would feel when she started changing her teeth (I'm also nursing a teething baby). And I realized it would be very very strange to nurse through the gaps. So I thought maybe in a year or so I want her to quit. She nurses about 4 times a day, but she'd nurse much more if I let her.

[Raven]

Originally Posted by Gidget

Not sure what my limit is, but my minimum is 2 years.

Amber weaned herself at 2.5 years and even tho I felt ready, I was also sad and I missed it for a long time!

I believe in self-weaning and I hope Noah doesnt wean himself before 2yrs...

[Peppermint]

I am hoping this baby (sadly my last) will nurse for at least 3 years, I really have no idea if I would ever "cut him off", I plan to allow him to self-wean.

[ameliabedelia]

I used to be of the "let them self-wean" school, but now I am 20 weeks pregnant, I get thet "creepy, crawly, feeling" and my nipples are sore. I would love for dd to wean before the new baby comes, but she is no where near ready to, so we will probably tandem. However, I am setting limits and slowly, gradually cutting her back. We don't nurse at night anymore, or limit it during the day. I am hoping she will be done by 3 or so (now 28 months).

[mraven721]

2 Well I say that now with my 10M old. We will see what I am saying in a year, probley 3. At least 2 though!

[Nankay]

I'd say 2.5. My two self weaned at 18 mos (too soon!..She just got up and played one morning and never looked back!) and 24 mos (just right..I was ready too)

[luckylady]

I was one of those 6-week mamas, which turned into 6 months, then 1 year, then 2 - now we are at 26 months and going strong. So now I am pretty much when DD wants to wean - though I cannot imagine nursing a 3YO, I also couldn't imagine nursing a 2 YO.

I am so glad we still are nursing. This winter we both caught RSV and DD had a 102+ fever for 7 days. Her ped said had she still not been nursing she would have been hospitalized. When she caught the flu she was able to keep breastmilk down.

Don't let your family pressure you. It's between you and your child. I always wonder why the heck it bothers some people so much. When MIL bugs me I say we are weaning. It's true. When DD started eating table food, she started the weaning process.

[DaryLLL]

I weaned 2 kids while pg, b/c my nipples were so sore. However I held out til the 8th month both times! Then I was so huge and uncomfortable one more discomfort was too much to bear.

Many women wean during pregnancy b/c of pain. Many babies wean when mom is pg b/c they don't like the change in milk taste/quantity.

With my 3rd and last, he nursed longer than the other 2 (each child nursed a yr longer than the previous). By the time he was 4 1/2 I let go of my goal to do child led weaning. By negotiation and his choice/need, we were down to only one 2 minute nursing at bedtime after stories. He would nurse, roll over and go to sleep. I know he could fall asleep without it, as just my presence next to him was enough comfort. So we talked it over, he agreed, and we weaned with no regrets on either side.

I am really glad I nursed him that long. He has been by far, my healthiest child. Well, no vaxes helped too!

He is proud he nursed that long too! He is almost 13 and b/c of my volunteer work, I never let him forget it. heh

For those that are geting lots of negative comments, go here for ammo:

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/criticism.html

[Bippity]

Well, I was hoping/wishing/planning it would go like this.... Privately - like in my home or the home of family/friends - I would have breastfed my child till about 5 if DD wanted to. I probably would have stopped nursing DD in public at about 3-ish. Unfortunately I had issues with chronic low supply and DD is weaned already. It makes me sad sometimes.

[Rainbow]

I don't have an age, I think it is instinctive (I really do) like in the animal kingdom. When enough is enough one of us or both will just know and start working towards that. I do believe there can be some encouraging on the mothers part- it seems pretty normal and universal, with animals at least.

[RaggedyAnn]

I weaned my dd when she was 2.1, but that was because I was kind of going through a depressive stage and was not liking all of the contact. I so regret it now, but what can I do.

With my next child I will let he/she self wean....I don't really have an age that I would stop at. And to think I was an odd ball when I nursed my dd to 2.1.....what will I been called when I let the next nurse until 5.

[magemom]

My first 2 weaned/were weaned by 9 months. I could not imagine nursing a baby to a year. Then DS2 happened along and I was going to nurse till a year, then 14 months, then self wean... he was 37 months. He nursed my entire pregnancy, was nursing when my water broke and was so happy when my milk came back. I started to get creeped out with him the closer he got to 3. He mostly self weaned- he didn't like the limits I was putting on things. (only in bed, only right before sleep time)
DS3 weaned about 21-22 months. I was sad he didn't make it till 2, but he also didn't like limits. I am pregnant so I am sure that had something to do with it. I still plan on self weaning this one... we shall see.

If I am not pregnant, I can see myself nursing till 4. However, I should say my 34 year old still ikes a slurple or two

[Mom4tot]

Originally Posted by Ruth

I've always told my now 6-year-old that she can nurse until she is 99 years old. ... But mommy, you'll be dead if you plan to live to only 100. Oh, then I plan to live to be 136 years old.

Seriously, she is six and still nurses for a few seconds every once in a while. And, she proudly shows us "look ... milk" and there is really milk.

I heard that some indigenous people in this continent nursed their teenagers!

Yay!

What else did you expect...with my ddddc??


There is NO age limit to a nursing relationship.

[lotusdebi]

I don't care how long anyone else nurses.
I totally support child-led weaning, but I'm starting to doubt that I can do it myself.
My son will be 2 next month, and I feel ready for him to stop nursing. I feel such resentment at the constant biting, pinching, clawing, upside-down nursing, pulling, etc. I never thought I'd make it two years, and I'm really proud of myself for it. I guess I'll just put more and more limits on nursing until my son is weaned. I'm pretty torn about this right now.

[SaraC]

With my first I started out with a goal of 6 weeks(after a very difficult start),then went to 6 months, then to a year. She weaned when I got pregnant again at about 14 months. I was a little sad because I didn't see it coming but she did fine since she was the one who did it.

With Mary-Grace I had the same goal of a year and now she is 15 months old and still nurses although it is not as much as I thought she would still be doing. Maybe 2 times a night. I don't push it and am ready when she asks. I think 2 is my limit but I am always open to nursing longer if she is open to it. I think that is the key to any successful nursing relationship. Being open.

Sorry for the novel.

[flminivanmama]

I feel that all babies deserve to be nursed till 2 years old. after that I feel it should be a mutual decision of the mother and child.

in my case - I got pregnant when my twins were 6 months old and one twin weaned when I was 5 months along - he was 11 months. the other twin weaned at 4 years and 1 month - completely child led in both cases. I was very sad about the one weaning when he was 11 months. he probably would not have weaned if I hadn't been pregnant and I do feel I short changed him. I tried everything I could think of to get him to keep nursing but he would have nothing to do with it. I then pumped for him and mixed it with milk for as long as I could but my milk had dried up with my pregnacy. when the baby was born I pumped milk for him but he didn't like it.

My third child is going to be 3 in a week and a half and he still nurses and he will wean on his own as well.

I personally follow child led weaning and my children are allowed to nurse as long as they want. I have absolutely no upper limit in mind.

For others though I completly understand when the mother has had enough (generally at the 2-4 age range) and gentley weans.

so I would say I believe in natural weaning after age 2.

[Meiri]

When my child stops asking, or forgets how.

For DS that forgetting happened about a month after he'd turned 5.
For DD, that hasn't happened yet, but I can see it aproaching as she goes through days without asking, then asks morning and night, then goes for a couple of days.....