Breastfeeding, still...

Well folks, the rumors are true, momma is still breastfeeding!  Can you believe it?  My child is over a year old and I am still nursing her.  Wild!  Sometimes I feel like an oddball because I didn’t cut it off immediately at age one.  I know I’m not, but sometimes it feels that way.  There can be a stigma around nursing a toddler.  “So your kid can just walk up and request milk from you?!?”  With all this pressure to nurse and then to not nurse, the message is confusing and seemingly rigid. Each family and each child has different needs and we need to support their varying needs without judgement.  I’m writing today to encourage nursing as long as you’d like and providing my reasons for nursing beyond age one.    

Here are my 7 reasons for continuing to nurse beyond the one year mark.

1. I didn’t have any problems with my milk supply.  My milk continued to produce and be fruitful for my daughter so it was easy to continue nursing. This is an important point, because sometimes weaning is not a choice, but it just happens when our body tells us. 
2. My daughter and I prefer, enjoy, and cherish nursing.  It’s our special time together.  It helps us to feel tender, connected and loving toward each other.  This is especially useful as she becomes a more demanding, emotional toddler.  Nursing relaxes both of us.
3. It’s nutritious. It’s made uniquely for her and it provides her with necessary vitamins and minerals. I remind myself of this point often, specifically on the days when she will only eat bread!
4. It provides immunity.  Children’s immune systems work at 60% of adult level at age one and their system doesn’t function at 100% until they are 6 years old.  (Dettwyler 1994). Breastmilk contains antibodies that help ward off and fight illnesses.  The immunities in breast milk have been shown to increase in concentration as the baby gets older and nurses less, so older babies still receive lots of immune factors (Goldman et al, 1983).  Anything to reduce the severity of those colds!
5. It helps prevent allergies. It is well documented that the later that cow's milk and other common allergens are introduced into the diet of a baby, the less likelihood there is of allergic reactions (Savilahti, 1987).
6. Cow’s milk isn’t better.  In fact cow’s milk is made for…surprise…cows!  It’s milk to help them grow FAT fast.  It contains lactose which is often not tolerated well by humans. (About 75% of the world’s population is genetically unable to properly digest milk and other dairy products.) What about Calcium?  Interesting fact - Countries with the lowest rates of dairy and calcium consumption (like those in Africa and Asia) have the lowest rates of osteoporosis.  In fact, the animal protein it contains may help cause bone loss!
7. Breastfed infants have added protection against bowel diseases such as Crohn's disease.  This is a HUGE factor for me!  I want to give my daughter every opportunity to avoid Crohn’s that I possibly can. 

So if you are a mother like me who decided to nurse beyond the year mark – more power to you!  I think it is important to know and understand your own “list” of reasons why you nurse.  If you get flak about nursing your toddler you can be prepared to answer questions about why it matters to you and to your child.  The gift you are giving is immense and lifelong! I have loved and continue to enjoy nursing my daughter. :)