According to the most recent CDC Breastfeeding Report Card, almost 72% of babies born in Georgia are breastfed at birth. But by 6 months, only 10% are still exclusively breastfeeding, and only 18.5% are still breastfeeding at a year. Most mothers in this state initiate breastfeeding, but most don’t continue it.
Now, I realize that the vast majority of (non-parent) people in our culture hear the recommendations of “minimum age of weaning” (12 months according to the CDC) and think that means “absolute oldest age when breastfeeding must stop.” A lot of us mothers hear that, too. Most of my mom friends initiated weaning as soon as their babies turned one, because, you know, they’d reached the recommended age. It’s a milestone, like turning the carseat around or using fluoride toothpaste. Time to make the switch. And I really can see the arguments in favor of that–for one thing, it’s a lot easier to wean a one year old than a stubborn 2.5 year old, so if you miss the early window then you might be stuck with the long haul.
Honestly, I might have weaned then too, if I hadn’t had a child who was so obviously and utterly unready to wean at 12 months. Or 24 months. Or heck, even 36 months. Now at 40 months she’s starting to think about it (right this minute she’s going to bed with daddy, after insisting that she “doesn’t need mama milk tonight”!), but pushing it sooner just wasn’t a fight I was prepared to face. I know for a lot of moms breastfeeding is a lot of work, but for me, it was the easy way out.
Would you consider nursing your child past his first birthday? Here are ten things I did that should have clued me in that I had extended breastfeeding in my future.
You might be ready for extended breastfeeding if…
1. You’ve ever walked around your house or sat on your couch with one breast completely bare for more than ten minutes before you realized you were half naked.
2. Bonus points if you answered the door before you realized you weren’t covered up.
3. Your nursling can ask for milk (sign language counts), and that doesn’t bother you.
4. Your nursling can latch himself on without needing your help, and you actually kind of like that because it means you can type with both hands while he eats.
5. If you’re cosleeping, you sleep through the night even when your child doesn’t, because when he wakes he just helps himself and goes back to sleep without bothering you.
6. Sometimes, when you’re nursing on one side and really engorged on the other, you think that nursing two at once might be more comfortable.
7. You don’t mind nursing in public places like restaurants, coffee shops, and playgrounds. Bonus points if you nurse in front of extended family. Triple bonus points if you’ve ever nursed in front of your father-in-law.
8. You’ve found a happy medium between enjoying your food and eating for your baby. Either you don’t mind giving up alcohol and caffeine indefinitely, or you’re comfortable with indulging occasionally without stressing about what’s going into your milk.
9. You’re comforted by knowing your baby is getting the nutrition and liquids he needs even when he’s not interested in solids, and that knowledge outweighs any inconvenience of breastfeeding for you.
10. Your husband or partner is completely supportive. He’s pleased that you’re working so hard to provide nutrition for your child. He doesn’t resent the fact that the baby often prefers you–he’s excited about all the other ways he can bond with the baby. Oh, and it doesn’t hurt if he thinks your breastfeeding body looks amazing.
Lol, I love the bit about having both hands to type. I’ve thought about going past a year with this baby. It’s still quite early, but my breastfeeding experience this time has been totally different than with my 1st. The main difference? I actually like it. We got the right latch on day 2 instead of finally after 2 weeks of extreme pain. My kids’ personalities are quite different as well. R didn’t look at me while nursing until he was 2 or 3 months old; it seemed like he didn’t connect that I was the one feeding him until then. G has looked at me from 3 days old or so, seeming to make a connection between the milk and the face. G also sleeps better, I believe in part because she is getting more milk than her brother was (I have been VERY careful about feeding frequently and building up my supply this time). Plus, when I had to start supplementing with R, I felt like a huge failure, and the whole experience was just full of angst. It was kind of a relief to wean him when I got pregnant again. I’m committed to doing better this time. Before G was born, I was determined I would get to that 12 month mark, and then probably wean. After almost 2 months of nursing her, though, I can totally see that I would want to keep going after a year. We’ll just have to wait and see!
Kristen, that’s awesome! I hadn’t thought about the baby seeming to connect you with feeding, but that’s a really good point…I’m sure that makes a huge difference! And I’m so glad you’re enjoying nursing this time. It’s amazing how fast the time can go when nursing isn’t hard…and suddenly you find yourself going way past when you planned to. 🙂