What I like best about nursing my toddler... - Page 2

[mamaofthreeboys]

Awesome thread

What I like about nursing my 19 month old. That is a great questions! I love while he is nursing on one boo boo he has to wrap his hand into my bra and touch the other boo boo while nursing. I love the closeness. For night nursing I love cuddling in bed and tucking him in. I think what I like most is the fact that I haven't weaned him. He has Asthma and I really feel that through the bouts of it keeping on nursing has really helped.

[Mamabeakley]

Today my just-barely-a-toddler demanded (non-verbally but VERY clearly) to get up on the couch & then that I sit down. And then he laid down on my lap in the nurse position and looked up at me with a proud, mischeivious grin. This is gonna be fun!

[Amys1st]

What I liked about nursing a toddler

What I liked since DD CLW at 31 mos:

Its the best way to calm a tot down
Its the best way to take a breather and sit down w your tot
It keeps you close to your tot and keeps that nice hormone running thru you and making you think everything is great- it is your nursing your tot!

My DH called my nursing our DD, Mommy magic, liquid gold, momjuice,
and when DD was nursing- milkdrunk (asleep at the breast), OC- out cold,
nature's way of calming everyone down,

When DD was weaning we talked and he said "but we are going to loose our weapons of mass destruction when she weans." I guess we were following the war a bit too closely then. If there was ever a problem what it may be- nursing could ease it or stop the problem all together.

But I would remember her pointing at the sofa for me to sit when she wanted to nurse, she would lie on my bed and pat it for me to lie down too, I would remember her rooting in her semi sleep if she woke from a bad dream. That was so sweet.

Nurse you babe/tot as long as possible. enjoy it and realize how much easier it is to do it!

[Rubynellie]

Toddler nursing

I'm not sure if nursing an almost 6-yr-old qualifies as toddler nursing but it is certainly interesting how the older they get, you get to hear more from them about what it means to them.

I have nursed all four of my children--weaned the first at one year (deeply regret it), the next two for 3 years--at which time they weaned themselves, and my last who still wants his "morning nursie" and "night nursie." It lasts for maybe 10 seconds on each breast. This is not every day but somehow he says there's still milk, that it just doesn't "pop out" the way it used to.

He had names for each breast when he was learning to talk, one was "Fitch" (because of asking him if he wanted to "switch") and the other was "Nursie." They don't have names anymore. For years, he has always started nursing on the left first, then the other.

He loves to nurse in front of his brothers because it gives him the power to make them all go "EWWW!" and he laughs hysterically while trying to hang on. Lately he insists on tucking my breasts back in my bra or into my nightgown "I know how to do it, Mom. Let me do it"--dependent, yet independent all at once.

We sometimes talk about how it compares to say a chocolate milkshake, and nursie always is better. He will come up and kiss my breasts instead of nursing sometimes, or kiss each one after nursing, then gives me big hugs and says "I just love you so much, Mom." It's pure affection.

I have no idea when he'll stop but it's up to him. In reading all of these posts, it's just so nice to see so many moms that get it that this is not about food. A plastic bottle just cannot bring out this same affection and bonding. Look at what we get for free!

[Slackermom]

This is such a sweet thread!

My DD is only 15 months, so not as old as some of yours. But as pp said, it's already so different from nursing an infant. I love how excited she gets when it's time to nurse - smiling, clapping, bouncing on the bed. I love how she strokes my hair and pats my face and breasts, and hums as she nurses. I love the smell of her hair and the feel of her little body tucking up into mine. I love when she latches off when it's time for sleep, and she throws her arms around my neck with a kiss and a big, satisfied sigh. It's just the best time of the day.

[MarineWife]

I thought of more. I love when he does the "milk" sign when he wants to nurse and gets so excited when I understand. He smiles hugely and claps his hands. I love when he pulls my shirt up and tries to figure out how to get my bra out of the way. He pulls on the cups and tries to unhook the clasps. I love when we are out in public and he climbs into my lap, pulls on my shirt and makes his "mmmmm, mmmmmmmm" noises and people around me just say, "Oh, looks like someone is hungry."

[mama2plus]

Wow - almost six! I am truly impressed! My DD is 4 and a few months - no sign of stopping in sight.

I love the closeness we have, and the calming effect "runkies" have. She too will kiss and hug each one (she calls breasts runkies as well) and say, I love you, runkies.

When she is sick and won't eat or drink anything, runkies are always there to carry her through.

She may be getting big, but she is my baby through and through and nursing her is just another way of sharing our love.

[Rubynellie]

Runkies--I wonder where that came from. Very cute. I have a friend whose son nursed until he was five and she decided to stop it against his wishes. A year later, I asked if he remembered nursing or ever talked about it, thinking of my own older three who have no memory of it. She said Oh, he talks about it all the time, how he misses it, how it was his favorite thing.

See? A baby has no way of saying this that eloquently. When I think of how abruptly I weaned my oldest on his first birthday, thinking that was enough, he was down to only two times, naps and bedtime (the most important times!!), how we both cried for two days, what was I thinking? A month later, wracked with guilt, I let him try again and when he took to it, I became worried that he would want to start up permanently so stopped it again.

Looking back, I can't imagine where I came up with that logic. After all, I gave him a second chance for a reason. I must have been out of my mind. (I was planning on getting pregnant again so thought he needed to be weaned for that).

And gee, I wonder why that child had sleep problems. He did suck on my neck until he was 4 1/2 "I want neck!!" That's why I will never wean my last son--I learned the hard way that sometimes I really dont' know what I'm doing and not to interfere. It's so nice to see such dedicated moms. I've been doing this for a long time but still feel like I'm learning.

[phoenixoxo]

My little one is not yet an official toddler, but she is rapidly aproaching her first birthday. My favorite things are how she crawles over to my chair, up in to my lab and starts pawing at my shirt. I am afraid I have to teach her manners, but it seems so mean to insist she ask for them when she is hungry. Once she latches on she signs "milk".

The all time best right now is when I am laying on her play floor reading or am asleep in our bed and she stops playing and comes over to nurse. She will nurse on one or both breasts and either resume playing or fall asleep on top of me.

[Chele]

I love that ds tries to zerbert me while nursing, he found out on accident..just playing around, that he can zerbert, so now he tries over and over again giggling all along. I also love when he looks up and smiles at me while nursing and feeling his super soft hands on my tummy. :

[sagira]

This thread is lovely!

What I love about nursing my 17-month-old is the joy on his face when I understand his silent but obvious directive that he needs to nurse and I lift up my shirt.

I love how he cuddles and lays a protective hand or arm on the other breast, as if he's saying "they're mine".

I love how he can feel so distraught about a fall, anything bad, and when he nurses he is so contented and calm.

I love how he drifts off to sleep, satisfied.. I can't think of a better way to meet his needs for nutrition, love, affirmation and physical affection all in one beautiful package

[HelloKitty]

I love how it cheers him up when he is upset.

I love how asking "Do you want nursies?" is the only question that we will always get a "Yeah!" answer to instead of the normal "No!" :LOL

Now that I am tandem'ing - I love how it can sometimes get both of them to sleep at the same time (yee haw!) and how our older one will rub his little brother's arm or head while nursing (that just started yesterday!), it's so sweet.

Oh and let's not underestimate the ability to annoy the MIL with talking about how he is "still" nursing...

Kitty

[MuseMom]

I love how my nursling and I have our own secret language. How a simple look from him can tell me he wants to nurse and I will say "Do you want milkie?" His eyed will light up and he will bob his head with a big smile as if to say "You understood me!!!!!!"

I love how he will often fall asleep and slide off with the most beautiful little smile on his lips.

I love how I have recorded each vein, line, freckle, etc. on his face permanently in my mind from the hours upon hours I have spent gazing down at him as he calmly suckles.

I love how as he nurses he will gingerly play with the heart necklace I always wear. I like to tell him how that necklace saw him before Mommy did (I had an emergency c-section and was put under general - they didn't have time to take my necklace off)

I love how he sometimes strokes me hair the way I have often stroked his as he nurses.

I love that his lovely, trusting, calm, cuddly, personality has a lot to do with the fact he has been breastfed for 15 months.

[MuseMom]

Originally Posted by sagira

I can't think of a better way to meet his needs for nutrition, love, affirmation and physical affection all in one beautiful package

This is so true!!! Perfectly said