So I recently “broke” the news to my mom that I plan on nursing my son past a year. She was less than thrilled about this, spouting out the usual…(“If the kid can ask for it, he shouldn’t he nursing, etc.) She’s worried I’m going to be corrupting her grandson I guess.
Any advice for dealing with the family, and could you post some good links that I could e-mail my mom? Thanks! 
Translate Post: 
Here’s some links for you…
http://www.llli.org/NB/NBextended.html
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/bfextended/ebf-benefits.html
http://www.parenting.com/article/Baby/Feeding/Ask-Dr.-Sears-Extended-Breastfeeding—-Handling-the-Criticism
~~~~
My baby’s still under a year old, but I plan to go past that. I know my family won’t care, but I am sure someone on the other side of her family will have something to say… I’d like to know how to handle it, too. Good luck!
http://www.KellyMom.com has EXCELLENT links and articles about this!
Don’t worry about “dealing” with your family. It is your decision about what is best for you and your baby.
This one has several articles:
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/bfextended/ebf-benefits.html
I nursed my son for 17 months total. When he reached 14 months I pretty much had him weened to just a bedtime feeding only if he asked for it. It was part of his bedtime routine, story books read while he nursed. At 17 months he stopped asking.
Really, the nursing relationship is no ones business but yours and your baby’s. Whatever makes you comfortable is what you should do. My son and I are very close and I attribute that to the nursing as well as other nurturing acts. He’s 24 now and far from a pervert. Not even really a “breast man” as far as a mother can know! LOL!
Enjoy your baby and your special bond. Just smile and nod at people who have noses that wander into your business and do what you want.
I liked amazing’s comment the best and I totally agree. Even if he breastfed til he was 3 years old, it’s not going to make him a “pervert”. It’s the most natural, healthy, wonderful thing in the world to breastfeed and if that’s your choice you should stick to it.
Well, you can pull all kinds of info off Kellymom but in all honesty, you don’t have to.
You probably won’t be changing anyone’s mind so really what you just have to do is practice saying:
“I am the mom, I will decide………..”
It will come in handy when she wants to do things later on that you disagree with or you want to do things that she disagrees with.
I had to buck the trend on circumcision and I spouted off all the factoids I could but I didn’t change anyone’s mind except my husband’s thank goodness.
I just had to say:
“I am the mom. I will decide.”
My mom isn’t too excited about my plans to do baby led weaning with my son either but I am the mom, I will decide.
Check out http://pediatrics.about.com/cs/breastfeeding/a/bf_toddler.htm
It is an article about the benefits to the child on breastfeeding a toddler.
Being a Grand-mama myself, I learned to ask questions and do some research for myself. Things really have changed, and some of us do not know know all that we think we know.
In other words – your son – your call. Follow your heart. You sound like a good mom. Keeping peace with all puts you in the middle to much of the time. Give yourself a break.
My first four children self-weaned at 16, 15, 17, and 13 months. I really wanted to nurse them to 18 months because I think breastmilk would still have been better for them than cow’s milk. Personally, I think the age of 2 would have been when I’d have wanted them weaned.
My mom made a couple remarks with my first that it seemed strange to see a baby that old (a little past a year) nursing, and that it would seem odd when they could ask for it. In her case, I don’t think she meant to be being critical, just sharing how she felt. She nursed me as a baby, but I was weaned before a year, and I think at that time (early 80s), there wasn’t seen to be as much value in nursing even to a year.
If you think your mom is the type to be made to feel better or convinced by reading some solid info, then by all means send her http://www.kellymom.com/bf/bfextended/index.html You know her best. Some people are the personality-type that they aren’t very factually oriented. If this is probably just an emotional response, that it just doesn’t seem right, and she didn’t do it with you and you turned out fine, etc, then more info may not help at all. In that case, if it comes up again, you might just be better off saying, “I know that you love ____ and are concerned. But, I need to do what I feel is best.” If your family doctor is supportive of breastfeeding past a year, you could consider mentioning that if it’s likely to help.
Even though I personally don’t agree with it, its YOUR choice as his mother! No one has the right to tell you what you can and can’t do. If I were you, check out La Leche League. They offer support groups, information, etc all about breast-feeding and NO ONE in La Leche League will tell you not to breastfeed after a year!
Well, first of all, the kid probably can’t “ask for it” till he/she is more like 2 years old!
Don’t worry about explaining yourself. YOU know what’s best for your baby.
It’s no one’s busness but your own. Your mom is just going to have to get over. I find it’s best to handle these situations with as little debating as possible. Just ignore when speaks negatively about it and eventually she’ll just learn to shut up about it. If you’re apprehensive about whipping it out in front of them keep using a cover up. But if they give you dirty looks or make snide remarks just say, you’re wasting your breath, and keep on truckin. That’s what I’ve done. And it works.
As long as you give them facts or debate them at all you are indicating to them that this topic is open for discussion -and that’s fine if that’s what you want. But realistically this is a personal decision and you aren’t going to change your mind so it doesn’t need to be discussed.
American Academy of Family Physicians
http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/policy/policies/b/breastfeedingpositionpaper.html
NURSING BEYOND INFANCY
As recommended by the WHO, breastfeeding should ideally continue beyond infancy, but this is not the cultural norm in the United States and requires ongoing support and encouragement.69 It has been estimated that a natural weaning age for humans is between two and seven years.70 Family physicians should be knowledgeable regarding the ongoing benefits to the child of extended breastfeeding, including continued immune protection,71 better social adjustment,72 and having a sustainable food source in times of emergency. The longer women breastfeed, the greater the decrease in their risk of breast cancer.73 Mothers who have immigrated from cultures in which breastfeeding beyond infancy is routine should be encouraged to continue this tradition. There is no evidence that extended breastfeeding is harmful to mother or child. Breastfeeding during a subsequent pregnancy is not unusual. If the pregnancy is normal and the mother is healthy, breastfeeding during pregnancy is the woman’s personal decision. If the child is younger than two years, the child is at increased risk of illness if weaned. Breastfeeding the nursing child after delivery of the next child (tandem nursing) may help provide a smooth transition psychologically for the older child.19
American Academy of Family Physicians
http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;115/2/496
# Increased duration of breastfeeding confers significant health and developmental benefits for the child and the mother, especially in delaying return of fertility (thereby promoting optimal intervals between births).196
# There is no upper limit to the duration of breastfeeding and no evidence of psychologic or developmental harm from breastfeeding into the third year of life or longer.197
A Natural Age of Weaning
http://www.kathydettwyler.org/detwean.html
Extended Breastfeeding Fact Sheet
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/bfextended/ebf-benefits.html
Are You Still Doing That?
http://www.mothersover40.com/extendedbreastfeeding.html
Breastfeeding and Cancer
http://www.prematureoptimism.com/linkBlog/?p=14
DOnt worry about them I plan on doing the same thing it’s ur child and ur life!!