When to wean

[l_Kimmie_l]

My son is 9 months and does not sit still either. I plan to wean when he is ready or I dry up. Hopefully not the latter.

[Computermama]

I believe the WHO's recommendations run that you should exclusively nurse until ~6 months, nurse as a primary source of nutrition (as in, introduce solids, but keep them more as play/experimentation) until a year, and then over the course of the second year shift the balance between solids and nursing until solids are the primary source of nutrition and nursing is a suppliment by their second birthday. Then after that to wean when mom and baby are ready.

For me personally, I'm hoping ot keep up our nursing relationship until I go back to work in March - she'll be 11 months. After that, because my hours are kind of erratic, we'll see how things go. We'll probably at least partially wean at that point. My work is ideal for pumping, as I'm largely alone and can do most of my work seated and with one hand so I can keep that up for a while.

[mommy24babes]

Originally Posted by September The right age is whenever mom and baby (or toddler or preschool) feel it's the right time.

This.

That said I nursed all of mine until about a month past their 4 th birthday. I found nursing during the toddler years invaluable.

[mommy24babes]

Originally Posted by MommyTephanie I weaned my daughter at 1 yr- she was a great nurser but I slowly dropped a feeding every few weeks and replaced it with a sippy if she needed. I personally could not keep nursing much past that- I would not want a child much older than that to still nurse as then they're able to demand it and I wouldn't be comfortable anymore. I see it as its for babies- any older than 1 year and they should be on table food and whole milk. Those are the recommendations, right? I have no problem when others nurse longer but I do think that by 2 it is then simply an emotional attachment. It's good to be attached, obviously, but I replaced that attachment with more cuddles and snuggles. My son is now 9 mos so we will see how it goes with #2.

In the second year (12-23 months), 448 mL of breastmilk provides:
29% of energy requirements
43% of protein requirements
36% of calcium requirements
75% of vitamin A requirements
76% of folate requirements
94% of vitamin B12 requirements
60% of vitamin C requirements
– Dewey 2001

[Connor]

The WHO states 2 years as the minimum, then as long as mutually desired by mother and child. I strongly believe in child-led weaning. There are just so many benefits of nursing for both mother and child. Not to mention that there are over a million living antibodies in a single drop of breastmilk. No matter the volume they are getting, they are benefiting immensely! My DS is 3y3m and currently nurses about 4x a day on average.

[MommyTephanie]

Wow, I didn't think I had said anything way off. My opinion is just that- my opinion. I think that once a baby is 2 then they have attached emotionally to the breast to the point where it is tougher to wean them. I believe that my opinion is valid, whether it mirrors others' or not.

I did not realize, though, that it's recommended to nurse up to age 2- my pediatrician advises to switch to whole at 1 year.

[BeccaSueCongdon]

Originally Posted by MommyTephanie Wow, I didn't think I had said anything way off. My opinion is just that- my opinion. I think that once a baby is 2 then they have attached emotionally to the breast to the point where it is tougher to wean them. I believe that my opinion is valid, whether it mirrors others' or not. I did not realize, though, that it's recommended to nurse up to age 2- my pediatrician advises to switch to whole at 1 year.

The WHO recommendations and the AAP recommendations are different. I haven't heard any good explanation for the reasoning behind the discrepancy. I have heard it suggested that the recomendation for up to 2 years is especially beneficial in undeveloped nations where water/nutrition is sparse and a extended breastfeeding can have a protective element against common diseases. ::shrug::

I nursed by DS until he was 30 months when my milk dried up during pregnancy. He was sad to be done. My dd nursed until 15 months when I weaned her (cold turkey) for medical reasons. She was really REALLY sad about it. I still miss her being able to nurse and wish there was a way I could make it work. But we make up for it with lots of extra snuggles. :-)

[Connor]

Originally Posted by BeccaSueCongdon The WHO recommendations and the AAP recommendations are different. I haven't heard any good explanation for the reasoning behind the discrepancy. I have heard it suggested that the recomendation for up to 2 years is especially beneficial in undeveloped nations where water/nutrition is sparse and a extended breastfeeding can have a protective element against common diseases. ::shrug:: I nursed by DS until he was 30 months when my milk dried up during pregnancy. He was sad to be done. My dd nursed until 15 months when I weaned her (cold turkey) for medical reasons. She was really REALLY sad about it. I still miss her being able to nurse and wish there was a way I could make it work. But we make up for it with lots of extra snuggles. :-)

Extended breastfeeding is protection against common/all diseases in every part of the world.

[sh0rtchica]

I never really had a plan other than "make it work!" with my first. After a super rough start I was in no way ready to wean at a year even though there was outside pressure. He fully weaned the week after his second birthday, I was 7 months pregnant at the time. DD is 20 months and still nursing a lot. I've kept her safe from all kinds of diseases, bumped her immune system, and have a very special bond with her. I foresee us nursing for a long time coming.

[Connor]

Originally Posted by MommyTephanie Wow, I didn't think I had said anything way off. My opinion is just that- my opinion. I think that once a baby is 2 then they have attached emotionally to the breast to the point where it is tougher to wean them. I believe that my opinion is valid, whether it mirrors others' or not. I did not realize, though, that it's recommended to nurse up to age 2- my pediatrician advises to switch to whole at 1 year.

Actually, that's not what happens. Most nurslings gradually go longer and longer between nursing sessions the older they get. Most moms that breastfeed past age 2 practice self weaning, and you never "wean them," they wean themselves. And it happpens in a very gradual, natural process. With my 3yo, up until 18 months he nursed 12+ times a day. 18m-2.5, 8+ times a day. Now at 3y3m, 4x a day on average. Sometimes on a busy day it may be 2-3 times. Sometime over the next year it will likely fade out to once a day, until one day I realize, he's weaned! I'm in no rush.

Btw, most peds know little to nothing about breastfeeding, and many share the same views as yours. If a mom chooses to wean at a year, awesome, that mama nursed for a whole year. But there are definitely a huge number of benefits to both mom and baby to continue nursing, and to continue as long as they wish. The benefits never stop no matter the age of the nursling.