Any Extended BFers on?

sabloja

My daughter will be 18 months soon and still wants to nurse. I am not sure she will ever want to wean! I work full time so I am not home most of the day but she demands to nurse as soon as I get home and if I am home wants to nurse throughout the day as well. Is there a way to get her to wean? I kind of want her to do  it on her own, but I don't really want to be nursing her still when she is in K! Lol. Any suggestions? I know this is pretty jumbled and kind of rambly but I guess I just want to see other peoples experience. If it were up to everyone in my life she would be cut off, but she doesnt seem to want to give it up and I kind of dont either (most days!)

tokenhoser

I was talking to my sister last night... her second baby self-weaned at 16 months, but her first was going strong when she was 2 years old and she caught a bug that gave her a sore throat and made it hurt to nurse. My sister chose to wean then. It was a bit opportunistic, but she also had a kid that loved to nurse so it was the right moment for them.

I wouldn't be worrying about kindergarten yet! Most kids self wean between 1 and 3, so if you do want to go that way, it will happen. Eventually.

nosoup4u

Aw, well, if you're okay with nursing her still, then it isn't anyone else's business, which I'm sure you know. Nursing when she first sees you and you're around all day is just how she connects with you right now.  I can understand wanting to cut down a session or two, though.

DS1 nursed until 2.5, and I weaned him bc I was pg with DS2. He probably would have kept nursing, but I didn't want to tandem nurse. One thing that helped me cut back sessions was offering him a really small cookie when he wanted to nurse (this was a late afternoon session), and then I'd distract him with a toy, etc. when he was done eating it. It took some time, but he did stop asking at that specific time. Another thing that helped was changing the routine of usual times he nursed. He was used to nursing in bed, when he and DH would come wake me up in the morning, so I started to get out of bed and meet them in the kitchen instead.

 hth in some way!

ILoveRunning

I'm a newly extended BFer

I still want to nurse DS and he is still very eager, so I don't have an end date in mind.  I do want to wean off the pump at work at some point (after cold/flu season), and also intend on night-weaning eventually.  However, there are no firm dates and I will continue to play it by ear.  In my ideal world, I would let him go until he self-weaned (or I felt tired of nursing), regardless of age.  However, the reality is that I am finding limited support, and am not sure how much of a "fight" I want to make out of it if we go beyond the age of two.

ETA: You could try don't offer, don't refuse.   

rosiemomma

I have days when I feel like weaning! My dd is 27 months, and overall I am very happy that we still have a nursing relationship.

Regardless of what other people think I do nurse my daughter almost every time she asks. I can see how much it has benefited her and I don't plan on nursing her when she is 5, most likely until she is 4, unless she decides she is done.

I encourage you to continue, you won't regret it!!! I know how tough it can be! 

Katieh6

I nursed ds1 nursed until 2 and some of myfamioy thought it was weird but I didn't care. He was still a baby. I weaned him because I was preggo with ds2. I am nursing him and he is almost 18 mos and plan to go to age two and wean him then. I wouldn't want to nurse much past age 2 but that's just me. If you and your LO are still happy nursing then there is no reason to wean.

12PinkBeach

Lo is 15 months old and we nurse 3x a day everyday and more if ds is sick or teething. There are times I'm so ready to stop and others I'm def not want to. So I'll keep holding onto great moments and keep going.