I am also still breastfeeding my 16 month-old daughter twice a day. I thought I would have stopped by now, but I am a working mom and it provides a nice bonding experience for both of us. I am surprised at myself that it has gone on this long as if you had asked me before I had my daughter I would have said I would end at 1 year. I think it is a process that evolves and both you and your son will be ready to stop when it is right for you. As several people pointed out, in most parts of the world breastfeeding goes on until 2-3 years of age so I don't think it is such a bad thing. It seems your main concern is the opinion of your family members, which is understandably important. Maybe you could ask them what specifically has changed for them to make them think it is no longer an acceptable behavior. You could let them know how you perceive it and the benefits for you and your son. Good luck.
Good for you! Girl, if you're not ready to stop and your baby isn't ready don't!! I nursed our baby until she was 19 months old and I don't regret a second of it! You keep at it until you're both ready to wean and don't let ANYONE tell you otherwise! Here's a big hug to both of you!!!!!!
I am mom to an only child, and knowing that when he was a baby, I nursed him til he was 2 1/2 ~
Only at nite at that point, but I caught the same flack from family members...
Hey, it was what worked for my son and for me. It certainly didn't hurt him!
He's healthy, well-adjusted and still loves to snuggle, but of course, not in front of his friends!
Gung Ho, my friend!
And p.s. I do great fundraisers with my business, if your church is in need of fundraising for anything!
I was reading what one of the mom's posted. She said she bet that the 2 mom's formula fed their babies. I breastfed and i think one year is plenty. When they move onto "people food" they get the nutrition that they need. They are plenty of other ways to bond. I may be the rare mom and get plenty of negative comments. I just feel that sometimes people continue purely to make themselves feel better. In the end, it is your choice...
if you are enjoying it, why stop? you may not be satisfying all of his physical needs right now, but you certainly are satisfying his inner needs. enjoy this time. go put your feet up, relax and nurse your son. :o)
Wow, what a great subject for discussion! It's true every person is different, every baby is different, every experience is different, but I think we can all agree that you can trust your motherly instincts that were God-given. You have already made a great decision by choosing to breastfeed your child and you sound like a caring and intelligent person and mother, so I trust that you'll know when the time is right for you both to stop. Weaning usually occurs pretty naturally with the sleepy times and morning being the last to go. You already have it down to 2 times a day. So, just reassure your family that you are letting the weaning process occur naturally and that your friends here at Mamasource say it's moving along perfectly normally! While you're enjoying nursing your last child (unless God has anything different to say about that!), your husband is just waiting to have your breasts and body all back to himself, whether he realizes it or not. He doesn't and can't fully understand the bond between mother and child. Just ask him if he thinks you've done well being a mom so far and ask him to continue to trust your mothering. And reassure him that the breastfeeding will not go on forever, so he can wait patiently and lovingly for you to do what you feel is right. Babies grow up so quickly, just cherish these moments. I enjoyed nursing my son... knowing that God had designed it so perfectly, not just for mine and his physical health, but for so much more than that- more benefits than we could even know or understand. My goal was to wean him by the time he turned 2, but, of course, I wanted it to happen as naturally as possible. I knew I didn't want to go too long with it because they start to develop long-term memories somewhere around the age of 3, and I didn't want him remembering nursing for the rest of his life (or for him to be able to say "Mother, may I please have some milk now?". As long as they're not to that point, you're probably okay!). I just wanted it to be something left in his subconscious and character where it establishes security and love. As he ate more regular foods and drinks, he nursed less and less, and we slowly got rid of the last ones to go, and it did work out for us that he weaned about a month before he turned 2. I think it's each of our own responsibility to do what we think is right for our own children.
My hat is off to you! I breastfed my two for 27 and 25 months and had to remind myself not to say I was "still" breastfeeding. People made me feel like a nut. Now that my kids are 7 and 3, I can see how nuts I would be if I followed everyone else's ideas about how I should parent. You are breastfeeding your baby, period. Like any other parenting decision, those who don't like it (with the exception of a spouse, of course) can do as they please with their own children. More power to you!
Just a note to say that my daughter weaned herself at 18 months, (she's now 20 months) and I miss nursing! Do it as long as it works for you both... that's all that matters. Good luck!
THANK YOU SO MUCH for all the advice. Although much of it is what I expected, I guess I just needed to hear it from other “understanding” moms. PLUS, hoping my husband would read some of the responses and understand that it’s ok to keep nursing our son. He still thinks our son is too old, but that’s all the reason he gives. For those who wondered if it’s cutting into other responsibilities; no, it is not…but nice thought. We still have “time together”, housework gets done, I tend to the older brothers and their school work, etc. I also don’t do it outside the home anymore, just in bed in the morning in the living room at night. I don’t really care what my friends or mother-in-law think, just my husband. Will I keep doing it? Most likely. I would like him to wean himself. Like some of you said, it would bother me more if I weaned him. My older boys weaned themselves, both before they were one. It was more emotional for me, but at least they did it on their own. My second born showed less interest at 7 months, but did all I could, without pushing him, to hang on longer; I did get 2 ½ more months out of him. Thanks also for the resources a couple of you provided. HERE’S TO NURSING!!!