Why I Practice Extended Breastfeeding

Editor’s Note: Lately there have been a lot of questions about the how’s and why’s of extended breastfeeding. In the US, “extended breastfeeding” generally means breastfeeding past a year. Here at Breastfeed, Chicago!, we recognize that mommyhood is not a race, and there is no such thing as the perfect length of time to breastfeed – every mother/child pair is different. Christine does an excellent job of exploring the many benefits to mom and child when breastfeeding goes past infancy. No matter how long you breastfeed, you can rest assured that *every day* that you breastfeed your child, you are giving them something really awesome. Rock on.

The American Academy of Pediatrics currently recommends that “breastfeeding continue for at least 12 months, and thereafter for as long as mutually desired.”  The World Health Organization and UNICEF recommend that babies be breastfed for AT LEAST two years.

While my daughter enjoys eating and drinking regular food, we have chosen to continue our breastfeeding relationship.

The health benefits of breastfeeding are so numerous: immunities and vitamins, better teeth and speech development, significant increase in intelligence, stronger eyes and bones, lower rates of ear and respiratory infections, allergies, asthma, meningitis, pneumonia, diabetes, obesity, ulcers, Crohn’s disease, colitis, constipation, urinary tract infections, cancer, multiple sclerosis, high blood pressure and heart disease.

These benefits are increased the longer the child is breastfed.  Past infancy, into childhood, adulthood, and even in old age, people who were breastfed demonstrate better health.  So why WOULDN’T I continue?  Do I no longer want the best health for my child just because she’s had another birthday?  Or because we’re out in public?  Of course not!  (Oftentimes, I will wear my daughter in a baby carrier while nursing in public.  Most people don’t even realize that we are also breastfeeding!)

Yes, my daughter has been sick on occasion, and nursing was a great comfort to both of us. In fact, a toddler with an upset stomach may be able to tolerate nothing but mother’s milk.

I’m continuing to breastfeed for my health too.  Women who have breastfed for many months have significantly lower rates of breast, ovarian, cervical and uterine cancers, urinary tract infections and osteoporosis as they age.  Breastfeeding mothers also have lower occurrences of postpartum depression.

I breastfeed to save my family money.  One year’s supply of formula is between $1300 – $2800 per child, per year.  Then factor in the savings from in medical costs.  It is estimated that medical expenses for breastfed infants are $200 LESS per child for the first 12 months of life than those for formula-fed infants.

I also breastfeed for ecological reasons.  Breastmilk is delivered without pollution, waste, unnecessary packaging or processing.  Therefore, I am contributing to the conservation of our planet.

By continuing to breastfeed, our lives are much less stressful.  When we go out, I never have to worry if I brought enough food, if the drinking water is clean, or if I’ll be able to buy healthy snacks.  My milk is always fresh, clean and warm.

Finally, breastfeeding is about SO MUCH MORE than just nutrition, health benefits, cost savings and the environment!  This unique relationship with the mother facilitates a child’s emotional maturity, independence and self esteem.

Breastfeeding makes parenting so much easier!  Anytime my daughter is hungry, tired, overstimulated, bored, has her feelings hurt, has a hurt finger, or any of the other million things that can go wrong in her day– mama’s milk makes everything better!  It’s soothing for both of us; she gets a healthy snack, some cuddling from mom; and then we’re off again to conquer the day!

Christine Sheets Nutile lives in the southwest suburbs of Chicago with her husband and their three children.  Much to her surprise, she’s been breastfeeding for almost nine years – through two pregnancies, hyperemesis and despite the numerous food allergies in her nurslings.  She’s a co-founder of the APChicagoSouth parenting group and offers private consultations and group workshops on babywearing.  Her family practices autodidacticism, also known as child-led learning, a form of home education.

Our Unexpected Journey: How I become one of those “toddler nursing moms”

Brand-new baby girl!

I always planned to breastfeed my children.  I remember my mom nursing my brothers.  It seemed the logical choice. It was cheap and easy.  But, I didn’t go into nursing with a real plan.  I figured I would nurse at least until my daughter needed solids and go from there.  Then I did some research and learned that the recommendation was to nurse for a year.  So, that was my goal.  I could do a year of nursing, right?  Sure, it seemed like a long time but if that’s what’s best for my daughter then I would take a stab at it.

Fast forward 12 months.  My daughter was now a year old, the magical age of weaning.  She loved solids, but didn’t actually ingest a large quantity of them.  She still liked to nurse, A LOT and honestly, I liked it too.  I loved the quiet time it brought.  I loved how it helped her go to sleep.  I loved that it was a near-instant fix to anything wrong in her world.  And really at one year old, she was only a day older than 11 months and 29 days.  And the day after that, she was only one day older.  She didn’t suddenly transform into from a baby that depended on my milk for life into a child who didn’t need or want it in a single day.  She wasn’t ready to wean and I wasn’t either.  By this time, I knew that the World Health Organizationrecommended nursing for 2 years and then as long as both mom and baby wanted to.  So, I changed my goals and aimed for 2 years.

One year old!

I never intended to be a “long term breastfeeder”.  I mean, really, moms that nurse their toddlers are weird.  But my little girl wasn’t a toddler, she was my baby.  Even as an independent 18 month old who preferred to run off and play rather than snuggle with Mama, she was still my baby.  And when she was nursing at my breast, I didn’t see some child that was too old to be there.  I saw my baby right where she had been from birth.  It was familiar and comfortable and not at all weird.  But you couldn’t have convinced me of that a few years ago!

Along the way during the second year, we discovered that we were pregnant again.  Nursing became much less comfortable for me. We ended up doing some night weaning in order to gain more sleep, preserve my sanity, and give me patience for the more important (in my daughter’s eyes) morning, daytime and bedtime nursings.  Then we had a miscarriage.  Nursing was no longer painful and in fact the tables turned.  What I once did to comfort my little girl was now a huge source of comfort to me.  As I healed physically and grieved emotionally, my daughter’s patience and love and nursing were such a blessing.  We relaxed on the night weaning, although not completely since we had made great progress.

Two year old!

Fast forward to her second birthday and oddly, she was only one day older than the day before.  We still nursed, but not as often.  She had more important things to do.  It was still our morning ritual and I knew that morning nursing will be the last one to go.  A few weeks later, we found out that we were expecting once again.  We nursed on and off and I was thankful that she was old enough to understand when Mama needed a break.  She moved happily out of our bed and into her own and nursing decreased even more.  Then all of the sudden, we went a whole 24 hours without nursing.  Then it was a few days.  And then a week.  And then I looked back and realized that my sweet little baby, now an active 2 year old, had weaned; all on her own.  There were no tears, it was just a natural step.  I’ll admit, while I am excited to have a little break before I have another babe at the breast, it is bittersweet to know that chapter of our relationship as mother and daughter has come to a close.

3 years ago, I would never have guessed, admitted or otherwise thought that I would nurse my daughter for 27 months.  But I have learned that it is a journey; one that you take a day (sometimes an hour) at a time.  There is no real need to look forward; they will only be a day older tomorrow.  I am already looking forward to the journey I will take with our next child.  Perhaps it will be longer, I hope not too much shorter, but I’m sure it will be filled with snuggles, precious moments, times of frustration and exhaustion, funny stories and above all, it will all be worth it in the end.

Big girl!

Jayme is a former elementary music teacher and now stay-at-home mom.  She lives with her husband and daughter and is expecting another little blessing around Christmas.  She loves exploring natural living, attachment parenting and all things early childhood.  When she’s not playing with her two year old, she occasionally finds time to work on her child and family photography business, Jayme Lynn Photography.