I breastfed for a little over 2 years.  It took a long time and lots of patience to establish, but we got there and kept it going.  She's rarely sick and I believe their diet has a lot to do with their overall health, just like with adults, and breastfeeding was part of her diet for a long time and she's still got a really good diet.

Great point - trust your instincts! If it feels right to co-sleep...do it...if it feels right to breastfeed an older baby....do it! We shouldnt doubt ourselves so much or worry so much about what other people think (easier said than done).

I hope that our society and culture changes its attitude toward breastfeeding so that breastfeeding a toddler is seen more as the norm than something that is taboo.

As a mom and now grandmother, I breast fed my 3 children till they weaned on their own terms. My daughter has breastfed her 1st child and loves it. He is now 2 years old.

Excellent for providing antibodies and protects against colds and wogs.

I encourage all moms to BF as this is so natural and better for baby and keep in mind that is a learnt art and does not always come natural, so get good support from Lactation clinics and don't let people have negative attitudes, after all it is the most natural thing to do. 

Keep it going moms.

Great advice, I am still breatfeedinh my nearly 17month old and quiet frankly am sick of people pressuring me to 'give it up' alot of people that dont fully understand the benefits of breastfeeding think theres no reason to breastfeed this long.

I don't offer but i dont reject either.

xoxo

What encouraging advice! I wish I'd read it a couple of months ago! I only BF my first baby for 8wks partly because I completely lacked the confidence to do it in public. By the time my 2nd arrived I didn't care and BF her whenever, wherever! However, I felt pressure to stop at a year so started weaning her off the boob. Last week, on her 14 month birthday she had her last feed. I would love to still be feeding her but felt so many people judging me for doing it for so long. I wish I had the courage not to let their views bother me. Next time I don't think I will and will BF for as long as baby and I want to!!

id like to feed tobias till 2 if he wants to :)

great advice

great advice.  I breastfed my son for 2.5 yrs

How true the comment about hiding co - sleeping is. Our little man is 13 months old and we are aften subject to comments about when will he be in his own bed, especially from my in-laws!!  I refuse to hide the fact that he sleeps in our bed but I am often asked to justify it! I am still breastfeeding pretty much on demand although I am hoping he starts to demand less soon as I am heading back to work part time in the new year!  I am intending to keep feeding till at least 2 unless he self-weans earlier and when ever I am questioned about it I mention the World Health Organisation recommendations.  It frustrates me how so many people know what is best for OUR child and its never co-sleeping or full-term breastfeeding!!

This comment is needed, Breast feeding is the best way for baby till they decide they do not want it, I breast fed my children till they weand themselves and now my daughter is grown up with a baby and she is breast feeding after good support in the first few months. As parents with grandchildren we are able to support, suggest and help encourage, I did for my daughter otherwise she would have stopped in the first 2 months. Breast feeding technique  is a learnt art, it does not naturally. Best for baby, best for mum.

I am so happy to have found this article just now.I only just asked a question on when too long to breast feed.My Dr this morning made a comment to me that it was probably about time to finish up feeding my daughter Myah who is not quite 15mths old.Upset me as his next comment was" who are u feeding her for? you or her?" I found breast feeding very hard right up until she was nearly 9mths old and tried weaning her onto a bottle several times,and thank god she wouldnt take to the bottle.I have formed a great bond with her now and we both enjoy our cuddle while she feeds every night and every morning.I was ready to give up tonight after coming back from the Dr and thought i would just take time out to read through minti and see what other mothers have done.Thank u so much!!! as i am now going keep feeding until my little sweet Myah is ready to give her mummys milk up!! THANK U!!!!

Hey, I was extreemly lucky, my mother breastfed me for five years.I can remember being breastfed and I am very probreastfeeding due to having memories for being breastfed amoung other things, it is so special.I just turned 18 and my son is nine months old, I breastfed him exculsivley for 6 months and now he is breastfeeding very often and having solids as well.My son will be breastfed until he wean's from the breast.I am hoping to get as many years as possible in, aiming for a minimum of 2-3 years here.I have done alot of reading about full term breastfeeding, and any one who wants to know more feel free tom contact me, but one site I reccomend is kelly mom, just google it, they have info on breastfeeding the toddler. Good luck

Thank you MumKim for putting the link to this article up. I have been told by many people that i should not continue breastfeeding past 12 months, even thou i was breastfed myself til i was nearly 2... I have always thought i would do the same for my child, until all the advice you get points to 6-12 months. Thank you for this article, i will be doing whats best for me and Austin.

I was also co-sleeping with Austin up until about 2 weeks ago, we still have an afternoon nap together every day. I dont care what other people say about that. I love feeling him next to me, and i love even more when he wakes up next to me smiling. What is more beautiful than that?

I can totally empathsize with this article.

As a first time mother who has felt that co-sleeping with and nursing her 18 month old son is failing as a mother. I am truly happy to have found this article. I know I cannot feel ashamed that I am comforting my child and furthering our bond. I have enjoyed nursing thus far and plan on ending our nursing when he is emotionally prepared to pleasantly end our nursing relationship. Thank you.

Great article and thank you for writing this matey....

I'm going to admit that i was one of these people who would shake their head and think, why do this?

Reading this however has opened my eyes to why and also made me realise that because I didn't have a positive experience with breastfeeding it is hard for me to accept breastfeeding as such - let alone for his long....I do get it a little more now, so thank you...

Artilce works for me!!

Cheers

Lavinia

Thank you for dispelling the myth for all those mums out there who want to keep feeding.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting that closeness with your bubs.  Before we know it they have grown up so the longer we can spend with our special time the better ...... at least that's my opinion. LOL.

I would love to have kept feeding my little ones but they decided otherwise, however my girlfriend kept feeding her son until he was nearly 4.  She decided she had better stop because he was going to go to school.   She didn't think it would be appropriate if he tried to have a feed at drop off!!!!!    But even now at the age of 6 he still likes to have a try.  So all those who want to keep going - go for it your very lucky if you can.

Just had to say I love the shirt from the pic. I've always wanted to get one for my son. I have the ABA one that mums milk 4 me.