breast feeding

[Kathy goodman]

I bf all my children,it was a way to go any where with only diapers and wipes. I bf for a lot longer than anyone in my family thought was proper!They could all talk. They could eat table food. Would I do it any different? No.

[Marta Jespersen]

I think that, when it comes to breast feeding, it is a personal issue and choice. I tried to get my first son to latch on but, becuase he was born with a severe tongue tie and they didn't remedy it immediately after he was born, he couldn't latch on. Unfortunately I couldn't breast feed him directly I had to pump, which as soon as I got back to school became inconvenient so I stopped very shortly. With my second child I stopped as soon as I knew he was going to pop his first teeth. He was about five months old. I personally could never justify breast feeding my children for as long as you did because there is just no need for that in our prosporous society. Never-the-less I can still respect that you felt it was necessary. To me, though, it's more of an issue in terms of their psychological development because at that age they start to remember things. My son, although he's only 26 months, remembers things that happened 5/6 months ago. I do truly believe that there is a point (in terms of the childrens age) where breast feeding turns from nurture into something a little odd and quasi-sexual. But, that might be just simply the way that I was brought up and the way that Canadian/American culture has sculpted my beliefs. My father would argue against me seeing as he was bf until he was 2 or so. If it works for you then that's the important part. It really doesn't matter what others think of you when you're nursing. In the city where I live a woman was reported to the authorities for indecent exposure because some 30 something childless woman was insulted by the nursing baby. The mother of the child took all appropriate measures to be discreet. That is just simply ridiculous, no?

[Erin C]

My son will turn one in February and we are still happily nursing. He is about 25% solid food, 75% milk and we are slowly incorporating more solid foods into his day. Breastfeeding works for us because:
- Simon is a great nurser
- my milk production is steady (and sometimes a little too productive)
- it's helped Simon's immune system, which he needed after a near-miss illness the week after his birth
- I'm home with him
- and it is much easier for me to eat 500 extra calories a day on a college family budget.

There are many extremely pro-nursing people who will try to make women feel guilty for using formula. While I do think that breastfeeding is best when is it comfortable for the family, I think a sane, happy mother is much more important.

Don't worry, Kathy, my family thinks I'm wacky for breastfeeding past three months!

- Erin C.