I read an article yesterday, written by a woman who is “extended” breastfeeding her daughter. Her daughter is four years old. See, when I signed up for this whole child-lead weaning thing, I was under the impression that said child would wean around the age of two. I’m going to be honest here and just go ahead and say there is no way in hell I will be breastfeeding River until he is four. No. Way. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying River may not still want to nurse until he’s four, or as this article asserts, six. I’m just saying I’m not letting him. Two, two and a half, fine…. four, absolutely not.
I am all about promoting awareness about extended breastfeeding but I’m not really digging this article. There are quite a few reasons that I don’t particularly like it, one of the reasons is because the author asserts that nipple twiddling is done to help “stimulate the milk.” Now lets just call a spade a spade and admit that the nipple twiddling doesn’t have a damn thing to do with stimulating milk. River is in incessant twiddler and does it even when he has no intention of latching on. Nipple twiddling is fun! Seriously, think about how many grown men still like to play with boobies. Hell, even some women enjoy playing with them.
It actually doesn’t bother me, the idea of people nursing at that age, but of course I’m not faced with having to worry about that. It might be different if it weren’t theoretical!
Oh, it doesn’t bother me in the least if SOMEONE else chooses to do it, to each their own. It’s just not something *I* would want to do.
Oh, I don’t think I would really want to do it, either. That nipple twiddling in particular sounds really obnoxious. Ew. Plus, I like wearing my supportive bras. I can’t imagine going four years wearing crappy nursing bras.
LOL! nipple twiddling – yeah, don’t buy that one either. And 4… well, it isn’t me either but I wouldn’t stop another choosing it. My 4 yr old is heavy though – don’t know how I’d manage it.
kya is a nipple twiddler too.. And I don’t think it has anything to do with the let down, she does it for comfort. SOmetimes she tries to stick her hand in my shirt to play with the nipple while she is sitting in my lap in public. It is def a comfort thing. I don’t see myself nursing her till she is 4. ESP 50 times a day!!!!!!!!!! lol… but I do see her weaning around 2 and a half or so…
I would not want to nurse a 4 year old.
…but, that’s just me. (okay, clearly I’m not alone, so it’s not just me…)