Here's some info about nutrition in milk and what a small amount can provide: http://www.kellymom.com/bf/bfextended/ebf-benefits.html
As far as how much your toddler gets, his nursing pattern sounds pretty typical. It's hard to know how much he gets; even if you pumped, unless you pump regularly, you don't really know if your body lets down well for a pump and he's going to be better than a pump at removing milk. If you hear swallowing, he's getting milk. And ANY milk provides nutrients for him (should we worry if our children only ate one broccoli floret, or be glad that they're at least getting that much?). Antibodies and immune cells actually increase as children nurse less frequently, so they keep taking in these important living cells even as their nursing decreases.
A pacifier is a substitute for the breast. There's nothing "wrong" with nursing your son for comfort. It's just not what we see every day in our society. Most people wouldn't look twice at a two-year old with a pacifier, but a lot of women get criticised for nursing beyond infancy. Even though breastmilk continues to provide nutrition and immune support for as long as a child nurses, I think most of us who continue nursing do it for the emotional benefits we see on a daily basis. I'd rather my child have a bond with a person (me) than get comfort from a plastic object (pacifier).
As far as how much your toddler gets, his nursing pattern sounds pretty typical. It's hard to know how much he gets; even if you pumped, unless you pump regularly, you don't really know if your body lets down well for a pump and he's going to be better than a pump at removing milk. If you hear swallowing, he's getting milk. And ANY milk provides nutrients for him (should we worry if our children only ate one broccoli floret, or be glad that they're at least getting that much?). Antibodies and immune cells actually increase as children nurse less frequently, so they keep taking in these important living cells even as their nursing decreases.
A pacifier is a substitute for the breast. There's nothing "wrong" with nursing your son for comfort. It's just not what we see every day in our society. Most people wouldn't look twice at a two-year old with a pacifier, but a lot of women get criticised for nursing beyond infancy. Even though breastmilk continues to provide nutrition and immune support for as long as a child nurses, I think most of us who continue nursing do it for the emotional benefits we see on a daily basis. I'd rather my child have a bond with a person (me) than get comfort from a plastic object (pacifier).
