Annie weaned last month, at 21 months. I hadn't set any specific timetable for her; I had decided to follow her lead. We were down to nursing just first thing in the morning, but she seemed less interested. We went to every other morning for a few days, then one morning I didn't offer to nurse and she didn't ask and that was that. It was very easy and natural. Looking back, the earliest I could have weaned her without much resistance was about 19 months. She was no where near ready at a year. As in many parenting decisions, I don't think there's a single right one about when to wean. I don't know how long I'll nurse the next baby. But I found waiting until Annie was ready to give it up made it is so much easier all around. Besides, extended breastfeeding is healthy for mom and baby. It certainly helped keep Annie healthy. She has only been really sick once in her life, last January. And nursing is a great way to calm down an over-stimulated toddler. If you're on the fence about nursing your baby past a year, I'd definitely encourage you to consider it.
Thank you for posting this! It always amazes me when people ask, “When are you gonna wean him?” or “He STILL breastfeeds?” It’s so RARE today to find a Momma who enjoys the baby stage and all that goes with it. Or one who chooses to sacrifice her wants for the baby. When I was pregnant with Alea, my mom gave me some invaluable advice about breastfeeding:
ReplyDelete“Choosing to breastfeed your baby is a HUGE sacrifice. But you only have that one time to experience the blessing of having your baby be completely dependent on you for their nourishment & comfort. If you choose to see it in this light, you’ll never be disappointed when you miss out on sleep or overnight get-aways with your husband or friends.”
She couldn’t have been more right! Even after 5 children, I am so thankful I haven’t missed a day of Colt’s life so far :)
I love seeing posts like this. :) I'm a huge advocate for breastfeeding as well as baby lead weaning (but I understand that it's not for everyone, and that's fine too!) I plan on nursing Evangeline for as long as she wants; people have just attached a stigma to it and it's piggybacked on the foundation that breasts are strictly sexual - so society has made it hard on mamma's who want to breastfeed. I am starting to see more of a pendulum swing though. :)
ReplyDeleteGood for you!! I'm so happy for you mamma!!! I can't wait to see your newest little one :)