Looking for Support with Extended Breastfeeding

Good for you. I am a prenatal yoga teacher in san diego and support your brestfeeding for 24 months and beyond. Do what suits your family and the advise you are reading or getting from your doctors. I am a mother of a 13 (thought would be my only one) and 3 (decided to have another at 42)...2 girls. Do not be too hard on yourself....do what you can and ignore the the people who do not agree...BFing is a personal choice....also lived in Hawaii for 3 years...aloha

Hi there, I breastfed all 3 of my children until they were two. I don't think you can go wrong with mommies milk! On another note, you should think twice as many others should about not vaccinating your child. Look into the illnesses that your daughter might become sick with & consider what you are doing to the rest of the population. This is why we are seeing polio again as well as other childhood diseases. My mother suffered polio & post polio syndrome and believe me you wouldn't ever want to subject this on a human being. I understand this has become, for lack of better words, a fad. I suggest getting the advice from professional, highly educated scientists/physicians rather than people who are fear based on this issue. I don't intend to sound harsh. I just want you to consider the potential for serious illness that your daughter might end up facing.

Take care

Congratulations on making it to breastfeeding for 20 months! You are doing a wonderful thing for your daughter. I have 3 beautiful healthy children that I breastfed, (the first for 13months, the second for 23 months, and the third for 2 years and 2 months!). My advice for you is: If both you and your daughter feel the need to continue for a period longer, then it should be easy enough. If you have made it this far, then you know what it takes! Nursing your child can be very demanding on your being as a whole and so it is also good for you to move on as soon as the child shows signs of weening. I found as the child gets older, it is something of a mutual unspoken agreement, you must still be whole-heartedly willing to breastfeed and the child must continue to do so only out of true physical/psycological need (careful-not to let them take advantage). If your goal is 24months...take a week at a time and see how it goes..watch for signs, and you be the judge. Enjoy every day with your daughter!

I TOTALLY understand what you are going through. With my first child I only made it to 20 months although my goal was 2 years. I was pregnant with my second and very sick (nausea).
At the advice of my midwife, I stopped nursing to hold onto any extra calories I could for myself. I really wish I could've made it to 24 months. All that said, now I am nursing my second child who is 7 months and I am ready to throw in the towel. Never thought I'd say that! I will continue on to a year and then probably re-asses my goal again, because in reality, the long term pay off for them is so much greater than the short term convenience of ceasing breast feeding for me. It certainly isn't easy though, and I am so empathetic about what you are going through! Additionally, I have limited most vaccines for my kids. P.S. You are a GREAT mom and I don't know you, but am so proud of you for seeking help/support and advice. Good luck!

Hi A.. Just wanted to give you my encouragement. The 20 month age can be a challenge. They get so caught up with exploring you might think the nursing doesn't matter any more. But kids this age needs their safe home base more than ever as they make their brave bold jumps into the world. I nursed my son until just after his third birthday when he decided he didn't really need it any more. I remember around 2 years old seemed crazy with latching on and popping off and then the playing. There were times I just wanted to call the whole thing off! What I found was that I could put some discipline to the nursing and let him know that if he did certain things (like anything that hurt) "booby time" was over. And with everything else, after a couple of months he changed again back to the calm, loving nurser he was before. The third year is more about comfort than food but it is still so important as they take on the world and learn they are separate from mommy and the milk still helps them physically as the best nutritional supplement in the world.

Hi A.,

YEAH for you! I am still nursing my almost 1 year old, but only produce enough for 2 feedings a day. I really really wish I could nurse until 2. That is so awesome and it is to bad there are not enough mothers who are willing to go through the sacrifice and sometimes pain of nursing. It is not an easy job, I was just thinking the other day that I can't beleive for the last 300 plus days I have had this wonderful child on my breast everday of her life! Our children need more mommies that nurse. Not sure of nay advice to give you execpt keep doing what ever you are doing, it is obviously working. The other mom did make a good suggestion though about setting boundaries regarding the nursing. That way you and baby are still bonding but not allowing it to become a chore for you.

On another note I am very interested in hearing more about your Holisitc group! I also did not vaccinate and just sent out a request last week looking for some support groups that are more alternative and holistic. If you can send me some info that would be great. Also, I think in my past life I either lived in Hawaii or was Hawaiin. I am able to go to such a peaceful place when I am there. My friends even through me a Hawaiin theme baby shower. Trying to go there this labor day weekend but the tickets are $700-900, so crazy!!!!!!!!!!! Hope to hear from you soon. ____@____.com
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