mothering.com

Personally? I weaned my kids right before each turned one. Not b/c I wasn't comfortable with it, but b/c they were pretty much self-weaning (well, w/Jacob I was pregnant again, so kind of gave in).

As far as comfort level? I'm not comfortable w/it anymore after the breast is an accompanyment to a meal they can feed themselves at a table. When they can walk up to mom and say "I'm thirsty." ... it just kind of bugs me out at that point.

[pstone]

I should probably not say anything, but holy moly!

People can clearly be insane in every possible way!

18 months maybe, 2 years....starting to be just wacko....2+ and you are a fruit cake in my book...

anyone like fruitcake?

[Flynn]

I weaned between 11 and 12 months because, like Jesher, they were doing it themselves anyway.

One of my best guy friends (from Kindergarten on up), his wife decided not to wean DS #2 until he was about three weeks shy of his THIRD birthday. She gave lots of excuses but she wasn't ready for "her baby" to grow up is kind of the bottom line.

Anyway, seeing her nurse an "almost" three year old was really WACKY. He was this big kid lying down for her breast.

I'm with Peter on this one....

[rainbabies]

i think that at some point it becomes sexual....if i saw someone nursing an 8 yo, i would report it. :!

(of course, what do i know...i was a bad mommy...i pumped and used formula)

[Stella]

i think that at some point it becomes sexual....if i saw someone nursing an 8 yo, i would report it. :!

I totally agree. It's just disturbing.

If they can talk, I think I'd be done. I would say no more than a year, but what do I know, I have a dog.

[migirl]

This is interesting to me. Jack will be 11 months in a few weeks, and has shown no signs of wanting to wean. I'd always planned/hoped to nurse him for a full year, but haven't given any thought to anything beyond that. I don't *think* I'll nurse him past age 2, but I guess we'll see how it goes... :!

[spotty_dog]

Having asked the question myself...

I think that images of nursing toddlers/preschoolers are sweet. It's a poignant reminder of the babyhood they're leaving behind. Although I do think it's possible that some children need that comfort longer than others, I can't shake my discomfiture at the idea of 5-6 year olds, and older, nursing.

The idea of "old enough to ask for it" comes up a lot. But lots of babies who know sign language can "ask" for their meal well before the one year mark...

And I have to say that I definitely don't feel as though my ultimate independence was hampered by my mother's willingness to let me self-wean at about 2.5.

[Sheherezade]

I weaned one after 2 years (when pregnant with #2) and the other self weaned at 18 mos. I had tried to wean the first at 18 mos but gave that up during his protracted illness for 2-3 mos. He needed fluids and I was advised to nurse on demand/often by the staff. No problem there--it was a lot easier than pouring a teaspoon of fluid in to his mouth each minute with a syringe. The result was that he became much more difficult to wean on the other side of the illness. My experience has been that if you want an easier weaning experience - try around a year/year and a half. It becomes a more emotional battle of wills the longer you wait after two years. (Not that I'd do things differently under the same circumstances, JME)

ETA: I get squeamish myself with those 3ish and over. I'm slow to judge, though...and I don't get hardlined until they get real old. I'd think that "emotional damage" kicks in around 4.5 or 5. I'm a liberal gal. :>

The idea of "old enough to ask for it" comes up a lot. But lots of babies who know sign language can "ask" for their meal well before the one year mark...

My oldest was asking to nurse with sign language before she was one and mostly used sign for it. I weaned her a few months after 2yo (fruitcake alert! ) and weaned my youngest around 20 months. They are very different kids and that fit best for each of them and me. I probably could have done it sooner with my youngest. Well, I could have done it at the arbitrary point of 1 yo with either if I really wanted. 99% of the time, they nursed before bed and maybe in the morning. Let's just say that if you met my oldest child, you likely would not be concerned about her desire for independence.

I think the cut-off point into weird territory would start around 3 yo, definitely by 4. At 8 years old? Yes, that child needs to learn some new coping mechanisms.

Washable TP? For adults? Wow, learn something new everyday!

Has anyone heard of these gDiapers? Sounds like a cool idea:
http://www.gdiapers.com/

I saw a documentary on older kids been Breast fed recently, it was horrible seeing 7 and 8 year olds sitting either side of their mother picking up her breasts and helping themselves!! So wrong!

Breastfeeding rates are shockingly low here, something like only 18% are still breastfeeding a week after leaving hospital.
I choose not too because I get Bells Palsy in labour and choose to have the treatment for it in fear I would be left with a paralysed face forever if I didn't. I personally feel I really missed out on something really special and I can't help wonder would DS's asthma have been as bad or even exsist if I had breast fed him.

I can't help wonder would DS's asthma have been as bad or even exsist if I had breast fed him.

I breast fed both our boys until 11 months and they both have bad asthma, so try not to feel bad. Our oldest was only breast fed for 3 months (due to a bad kidney stone) and she has no allergies, no asthma, and is just the healthiest girl. I believe breast feeding has a lot of benefits but is not the end all be all of babyhood.

Boy, they'd hate me at that mothering.com site :!

Thanks for that, I post on a website called magicmum.com and the breastfeeding forum could sometimes hang you for not breastfeeding forgetting that sometimes there are reasons why you can't!

I believe breast feeding has a lot of benefits but is not the end all be all of babyhood.

I agree. It worked well for us but I don't think that it is something everyone has to do.

[Cumberland]

Not to change the subject too much, but there are alot of people on mdc that believe in Unschooling. This was really far out of the norm for me- it is basically the belief that your child will learn all he needs to know from life experiences. So they do not go to a formal school or home school at all. There were women on there talking about how they have 12yo kids who do not know how to read, but they are geniuses in other ways bc of unschooling. Or talking about how their 6yos stay up til 2am watching TV and then wake up at 11am. And of course, those complaining about how dare the truant officer bother them

SCARY! I think that's pure laziness 'excused' by a stupid title.

As far as breast-feeding. I agree w/Nellie and Tara's statements. It worked for US, but I honestly believe that whatever makes mommy the most sane is what is best. If breastfeeding is too much and stresses mommy out, then formula is a healthy alternative that we're lucky to have. I did the occasional supplement ... just so SOMEONE else could feed the kid once in awhile.

By "asking for it", I meant verbally, in complete sentences, in a way that would usually accompany an older (closer to 3 yr old) child. I love the way that sign language allows babies to communicate earlier, and in no way do I think that their ability to indicate hunger means you should wean them.

[mommax3]

I nursed #1 for 13 months, #2 for 21 months, and #3 for 9 or 10 months. I felt *horrible* for stopping with #3 so early, but I kept getting mastitis over and over. Nursing was not easy for me.....the thought of going through it all a fourth time was actually a bigger part of our decision to stop at 3 kids than I would like to admit. I read all the books and consulted *plenty* of lactation gurus, but my nipples cracked and bled all three times, and given that my third slept through the night for the first time as soon as he started formula, I think that the years of sleepless nights I lived through were due to my decision to nurse, as well.
I don't regret having done it, but I am glad not to have to do it again! ETA the following..... I agree that when a child is old enough to ask verbally to nurse, it is probably time to quit, unless the child has some health/nutritional issue that is being directly addressed by continuing to nurse. I didn't have much trouble weaning because I just followed the child's lead, but I did make sure that there was still plenty of cuddle time after we stopped nursing. (For me as well as for them!)

Sally