Just read an article about the furor raised by two Army mothers photographed breast feeding their children in uniform. Also read the Time article with cover photo of a young, fit mother defiantly giving her 4-yr-old son a swig. And a related article about Mayim Bialik (spelling?) "day weaning" her 3-yr-old son, but still breast feeding at night, mainly for her convenience and his comfort because he gets up 3-4 times at night.
Hmm. Breast feeding to comfort a 3 year old getting up 3-4 times at night?
I nursed all 3 of our children. First one abruptly quit on her own around 2 when she had a bad sore throat that caused her pain when she swallowed. Second one quit at 2-1/2 - very gradual and seamless. He started forgetting to nurse as he approached 2-1/2, and I didn't remind him. Nap time was his last nursing holdout, but one day, he forgot to nurse at nap time, too (he did like me to lie down with him, which I did, until he fell asleep). And that was that.
Only our youngest relished nursing and showed no signs of ever giving it up. Like Mayim's son, she was "day weaned" and knew not to ask for "Mommy milk" except at bedtime. Nursing was a convenience for me, as it was somewhat of a guarantee that she would go to sleep at night when I wanted her to. I say "somewhat," because unlike the other two, she didn't sleep easily and would keep sucking indefinitely if I let her. I usually had to "disengage" (there are techniques to avoid getting bitten!) after a reasonable amount of time.
As our daughter's third birthday approached, we bought a bed for her and told her that she would be a "big girl" when she turned three and would have her own bed (she was sleeping on the floor at 2). And big girls no longer drank Mommy milk. We kept reminding her of this in the weeks leading up to her 3rd birthday.
On her big day, we had a little family party with a small cake and candles. She went to bed in her own room on her own bed. Very good. And then...she began to cry. I knew what she wanted, but I was so proud of her. Although she came out into the hallway sobbing (I gave her a hug and brought her back to bed), she didn't ask for Mommy milk. It was tough, but she hung in there, and the next day it was a little easier, and soon she was...self weaned. I did sleep with her until she fell asleep, though, until she was about 6 or 7. She was the most sensitive and emotionally fragile of our children, but also the most self-disciplined.
One more comment: nursing is very pleasurable for mothers. Nature makes it that way. There is a let-down reflex, hormone-driven, that causes your body to release the milk, and it is pleasant, warming, and calming for the mother. This may be why some moms don't want to give it up.
