 | I could not resist responding to this one. Up to this point, I am not, nor have I been a part of La Leche League or any other breastfeeding advocate group.
To Mommyme -- you may want to get with a breastfeeding advocate group (like La Leche League). They could probably support and assist you in this better than a general message board like this. I will say that breastfeeding should be something you both enjoy, when one of you is really ready to stop, weaning is probably best.
Also, I encourage you to marry a man that will love you and that child as much as you obviously do. My husband has been a great support and breastfeeding advocate.
To Chasmom --
I am assuming that we all reside in the United States. I say this because in some areas of the world it is common for the children to be breastfed well beyond the age of three. My understanding is that in some areas of the world, where food is scarce, the mother eats most of the food and breastfeeds the child/children so that all receive the life-sustaining nourishment needed. In those circumstances, it is more a matter of NEED than of choice. Is this normal? For them, it's reality. (And formula may not be a good option where the water is bad).
Here, in the U.S., we have lots of options, and I recognize that a 3 year old nursing seems a bit beyond our grasp culturally. I commend Mommyme for nursing her child at all. I think that has to be difficult especially for a single mom who may have little support around her and may work outside the house, etc. *APPLAUSE FOR MOMMYME*
I am a mother of a 22 month old. She is still nursing. My personal goal is to nurse to 2 years and then we'll see (if I become pregnant, I may wean sooner rather than later). My daughter is !!!EXTREMELY!!! independent and social (I'm not sure I put enough exclamation points there, ha, ha). When a child feels confident and secure with the parent, they feel more confident and secure in the world -- breastfeeding provides prime one-on-one time to help establish those feelings.
I also know that if I nurse for at least 2 years, I am significantly reducing my chances to get breast cancer. And it gets better the longer a mother nurses her child. Personally, that matters to me, I had surgery to remove something suspicious from my breast DURING my pregnancy. It makes you think...
One last note -- my experience is that we get more support to formula feed than to nurse, formula companies mail out free formula to homes, hospitals give out formula sponsored diaper bags, WIC provides formula to the mothers who qualify, etc. I am not aware if WIC has breastfeeding support policies.
Just my thoughts.....
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