How old is too old? - Page 4

[Firemom]

I practiced child lead weaning

Now that she is not nursing, will she be independent? As far as I can see nursing has nothing to do with her independence. She's been a very opinated and independent girl for along time now. She stopped nursing last week. She is now 5.4 years old. the only thing different about her right now is that she no longer nurses before bed.

As far as diapers. She has been dry during the day since she was 2 1/2 years old, but continues to wear pull-ups at night. She's soaked in the morning, and everything I've read about bedwetting and what my doctor has said, tells me that this is just as normal as kids who are dry at night.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinions but now that I've nursed so long I'm very tolerant of others who nurse much longer than I did.

[DebAdams]

My vote is a mixed vote!! :)

While I plan to let my 20 month lead the way on when to stop... I would honestly like to stop after he is 2 yrs. I love to breatfeed but it does have it inconvience sometimes... Standing in the checkout line trying to get your wallet out of your purse while your little one is tuging on your shirt yelling Ba, Ba! :

We joke that we will telling our 3rd grader... Now Jaden the other mommies dont come in and feed their kids do they?

[Precious]

Well, guess who's back to full time nursing (except through the night). My daughter kept asking me for it, and she would ask so sweetly - Doo Doo? When I first stopped, she started to use a pacifier we had hanging around the house, she NEVER used them since the day she was born (although we tried to get her to). So that made me start to think that she really needs the BF and I really do believe that she knows what's best for herself, most of the time. (Obviously, not when it comes to safety).

I'm going to let her lead the weaning now, (just hope it's before she starts school)

I don't know if this should be in another thread elsewhere but I'll ask anyhow.

Does the calcium issue play a part in anybody's decision to wean or not to wean?

That was also a factor in my deciding in continue with the nursing.

We are not big on cow's milk, I eat some feta, yogurt, but nothing in excess. It doesn't make sense to me to stop giving her my milk just to turn around and give her a cow's milk.

[Firemom]

My daugter nursed for almost 51/2 years and has never drank cows milk. She will still get the calcium from your milk and you can over cheese and yogurt and leafy greens

[Precious]

Firemom:

I'm curious, if I may ask, does your daughter drink cow's milk now that she is weaned?

To clarify, I wasn't afraid that my daughter would not get enough calcium from my milk, I'm confident that she will. I was worried that if I stopped nursing, would she THEN get enough from the foods that she ate.

But it's not really an issure now, because I am continuing to nurse but it will be an issue in the future, hence, my reason for asking the above question.

Thanks.

[Firemom]

No, she still won't drink cows milk. She will have it in her cereal or in any dishes I may prepare with milk. My son doesn't drink much either. Only in school with his school lunches.

I do offer both of them chocolate soy milk once a day. They like cheese, mac and cheese, ice cream and yogurt. My son will also drink calcium fortified OJ. My daugther also loves leafy greens which have calcium.

Their ped knows they don't drink milk, but is satisfied with their diets that get enough calcium

[Precious]

That sounds good, thanks for the reply.

Marie

[sanna]

Not quite as die-hard as you all are, although it's quite an accomplishment what you all are doing!

For me, I nursed my ds until 2 1/2, my milk dried up (pregnant), and he self-weaned. I wish that it could have been longer for us. With dd now, she is 27 months and weaned at night. But she is lusty for it during the day! And she is a BIG girl, easily 3 year size.

I have to admit.. after 5 years of combined nursing, I am ready for some peace. I find my nipples not being so thrilled. Yu know that feeling when you are pregnant and trying to nurse.. Not so great. But, I am not pregnant, it is just that I feel done.

Well, convince my dd of that.. I am trying to work with it all though. Don't put to much negative emotion out for it. But, you know how Mama cat starts to bite and claw her kittens when enough is enough? That's kind of how I feel, minus the claws!

[pie]

sanna, I feel like that sometimes, the cat thing. I am getting nowhere weaning ds though. He is 32 months now. I guess it's for the better.

[Greaseball]

I voted for as long as the child desires, although I suppose if dd were still nursing by first grade, I would take steps toward weaning.

[Ruth]

"Alaskan Natives will nurse for quite awhile....some even into puberty!!"

No way, Abimommy? Really? I think then that that is going to be me and my dd. I am nursing my 4.2-year-old (4.2 is the worldwide average for weaning) and she doesn't even know that one day she won't nurse.

I read that in the non-human animal world animals nurse their young between 4 to 7 human years.

Power to all of you who believe in baby-, uh, child-led weaning.

[Threefold]

My heart wanted me to vote, as long as the child desires, but I decided to be honest, so I voted 4-5 years. 4 feels fine, but after having taught kindergarten for 4 years before ds, I just can't see bf'ing a 5 year old. Who knows, I may change my mind by the time ds gets there! I know I'm in no rush to stop and neither is he

[pie]

Well my mind is changing since my first post in this thread. Spanky is getting nearer and nearer to three, and the idea of forcing him to wean is getting harder to fathom. He is healthy and happy and turning into such a sweet little boy. Why would I do anything like wean him? We will see how I feel in a few months, but you ladies need to know you are a very good influence on the world....

[Ruth]

Mamapie, I changed my mind several times in the last years too.

First when I was pregnant I read that women should nurse at three months (yes I was reading the WRONG things.) Then I learned that the American Pediatric Society recommended one year and I said OK I will do that. Then I read that the World Health Organization recommended 2 years and that the American Pediatric Society changed their recommendation to 2 years. I can do that. Then La Leche League told me that that the average age was 4.2 and that non-human animals nurse 4-7 years.

Now I changed my mind again, thanks to Abimommy and to the rest of you who say that prom is a good time to stop.

[mother_sunshine]

I remember when my daughter was nursing at 2yrs I had only one friend who was nursing her dd at 2 also, everyone else either didn't BF or weaned early, so we felt like our dd's were "so old"! My friend and I had talked about how long we would nurse and we both had planned on our dd's weaning at 2yrs...well, she weaned her dd at 2 like she had planned, but dd and I kept going (I actually believed she would magically wean herself at the age of 2!). I remember being heartbroken when my friend told me she weaned dd, I felt so alone! She told me about someone she knew who nursed until 4yrs and we both thought that was crazy.

So...here we are nursing at 5yrs! :LOL

I am just SO GLAD I let dd (and my heart & instincts) lead the way. I recently talked with her about one day not wanting to nurse anymore...a gentle hint hint (but definitely not a push, I just wanted to throw the idea out there to see what she would say) and her response was "No way Mama!" and she got tears in her eyes. She loves nursing and I am absolutely 100% okay and supportive with that. I am a teacher (though I have put my career on hold for the past 5 yrs) and I never would have fathomed the idea of any of the students breastfeeding, but I also wasn't a mother at that time. Situations (and opinions) adapt. It's one day (or year) at a time...

[Firemom]

It's funny how we think the same mother sunshine. I figured I nurse until my dd was 18-24 months. I just thought at 2 she'd be done just like that. Mine has been weaning. I thought she weaned, but she's nursed already a few times this month and is 51/2 years old

[Threefold]

I've been thinking about this since I posted last night and I think I've changed my mind too. . .
ds will know when it's time to stop, I feel like we're gonna have to go underground when he's 3 though .

[mother_sunshine]

Now if only we all lived in the same town

[Greaseball]

illegal?

I know that NIP is legal anywhere for an infant, but what about a toddler? A preschooler? A grade school child? Does anyone know what the laws are there?

[pie]

Oh oh oh I know how you feel about going underground dalai mama. I can take the heat from people about how I am nursing too long, all the criticism, but the baby is starting to understand what people say, and I don't want his self esteem damaged by the 'well meaning' mainstream.