Wish ListBreastfeeding After the First Year
Congratulations on reaching the milestone of one year of breastfeeding. When your baby was born, you may have had a very clear idea about how long you would give breastmilk, or you may have been uncertain. Perhaps you have made it further than you thought you might, or maybe you are only part way to your goal.
As you approach breastfeeding after the first year, the questions you are asking yourself are likely quite different from those you had in the early days. Concerns about attachment and supply are probably gone and replaced perhaps by thoughts about how long you will give breastmilk to your baby and how to balance it with life changes, such as returning to work or having another baby.
You may also be experiencing opinions and comments from others eagerly wanting to know when you will wean your baby. The important thing to remember is that breastfeeding after the first year is your choice and yours alone – a journey and bond between you and your baby. This section is designed to provide both reassurance and helpful information about breastfeeding after the first year. Articles in this section include The Pleasure of Extended Breastfeeding and Breastfeeding a Toddler.
Do you have a story about your experience after the first year that you would like to share? We are always looking for new content, and nothing is more supportive than the words of someone who has been there (or is there). If you have a story to share or would like to suggest a topic you’d like to read more about, please email Pregnancy Birth and Beyond.
Breastfeeding After the First Year Articles
The Pleasure of Extended Breastfeeding
My first-born, Emma, was 14 months old. I had enrolled in a course, and, with the feeling of my life opening up again, had begun to wean. It was at that time that I read a book called Mothering Your Nursing Toddler. Starting with the assumption that extended breastfeeding is satisfying for both mother and child, the author, Norma Jane Bumgarner writes of the security, confidence and self-esteem that we give our children when we allow them to nurse,
Breastfeeding a Toddler
Breastfeeding was always something I was determined to do with my babies, and for as long as possible. I remember a few hours after my first baby was born. The midwife came and asked me if he had suckled yet. When I replied no, she gave his head a firm push in the direction of the nipple, he immediately latched on, and it was the beginning of my breastfeeding career! I’ve since had four more children, and have breastfed