Comments on: Thoughts on Weaning and Extended Breastfeeding

By: Heather

Heather — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:39:27 +0000

I know this is an old post, but I just wanted to say that it really spoke to me. I am breastfeeding my 8 month old daughter and dont plan to stop until we both decide. I love breastfeeding and even though I am only on my first child, I am already dreading when I am done breastfeeding all my babes. Goog job for sticking with your mommy instinct

By: Maegan Dougherty

Maegan Dougherty — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 05:50:46 +0000

Why I am up reading posts tagged with breastfeeding on your blog instead of packing for Imaging or sleeping is beyond me, but since I’m here, just want to give you a big thumbs up! Xander is 20 months now and I just recently stopped breastfeeding. I loved everything about it.

By: Wendy

Wendy — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 15:59:48 +0000

Mrs. Brown is very right about needing to express to get things going. Your milk will dry up if you aren’t nursing or expressing a few times a day.

By: Wendy

Wendy — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 15:55:44 +0000

I breastfed my first baby until she was 18 months old, weaning her just 6 weeks before delivering my second baby.

In European countries, people are much more comfortable with breastfeeding toddlers and breastfeeding in public. People in the US feel it’s creepy because our culture over sexualizes breasts and has forgotten their main purpose.

Breastfeed as long as you like. It’s good for your child. Boobs have a purpose beyond pleasing men.

By: Besma

Besma — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 19:11:42 +0000

Hey, I just stumbled upon your blog as I was googling ’switching from breastmilk to cow’s milk’. I’d like to tell you that I breastfed my son for 2 years. I never thought at any point that it was getting too weird as he was growing older and larger. He’s 5 now and we have a great bond that I owe to breastfeeding. You see during the first year your baby really needs your milk for development. But during the second year, I believe, we continue the breastfeeding for the bond. When your baby is one year old he is completely aware of your body and specifically your breasts. He understands that the warm, sweet, comforting milk is coming from your insides. And he can only get that milk if his mouth comes in close contact with your soft breasts. And he knows that only you can give him this comfort. This is a very intimate act that he will forever ‘remember’ in his subconscious. I can’t imagine the same experience can be replicated with a hard bottle, a latex nipple, and milk that came from a cow. Honestly, I think that mother who do try discourage you from nursing are just feeling guilty for not attempting to feed their babies. But hey, you have fed your baby for over year.. and that’s great. So if your body has stopped producing milk, then maybe it needs to take a break. So don’t be too harsh on yourself and listen to your body. By the way, did you abrubtly stop producing milk? As in did you wake up one morning and found your breasts dry of milk?

By: Mrs Brown

Mrs Brown — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 02:28:28 +0000

Here’s a video.

http://video.about.com/breastfeeding/Hand-Expression-Technique.htm

By: Mrs Brown

Mrs Brown — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 02:24:28 +0000

Umm… neither exactly.

http://parenting.ivillage.com/newborn/nbreastfeed/0,,42sn,00.html

http://breastfeeding.about.com/od/breastmilkpumpingcare/ht/handexpress.htm

If you are just squeezing, it doesn’t work worth poop. Also, using a little (very little) lanolin helps your fingers move without causing skin irritation. My lactation consultant helped me get this to work.

By: ariana

ariana — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:43:46 +0000

Mrs Brown, do you mean pumping first or just “squeezing”?

By: Mrs Brown

Mrs Brown — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:33:58 +0000

Sorry I’m late in responding. I’m not even sure if you are still checking the comments. I had problems with let down and had to express a little milk to get going before latching my DD. I don’t know if you have tried that, but it made a big difference for me. DD just turned a year and I’m still aiming for two.

By: mandoo

mandoo — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 05:25:38 +0000

I’m a few days (weeks?) late here, but I wanted to chime in and say: don’t wean until YOU and JASPER are ready to wean.

DS is five months old and we weaned two weeks ago. A combination of: moving to a new house, the end of maternity leave, DS catching the flu, DS getting some kind of bacterial infection (don’t ask!), and me basically being too exhausted to pump during the day at work and/or at home in the mornings or after DS went to bed. Our situation was different, of course, as our little guy was already getting 1-2 bottles of formula a day and had just started eating rice cereal, but still… there’s a piece of my heart that died when we stopped breastfeeding and I’m still full of regret.

So until YOU and JASPER are ready: your body, your boobs, your baby = your decision.