You're Invited To Cadence's...Weaning Party!

Actually, I have no idea when Cadence will decide to wean. But I got the idea of having a weaning party when she DOES decide to do so by reading this totally awesome article in the Boston Globe* about how more mothers are choosing extended breastfeeding with their children, and how a lot of these moms are not "earthy mama" granola types like some might expect. Cuz who else would be crazy enough to nurse a toddler/preschool/kindergartener/etc? (*gasp*! Did she just say KINDERGARTENER?!) Well, as it turns out,

"Those who stay with it [breastfeeding], particularly beyond 18 months, tend to be highly educated."

Now, I love my crunchy mama friends, don't get me wrong (I think I have at least a bit of a granola streak in me), but I also don't want women to think that they can't keep nursing their babies because they're NOT so granola. Extended breastfeeding is for hippie and non-hippie alike. I especially think any mom who works full-time outside the home can benefit greatly from extended nursing because it is a great way to reconnect to your child after being away all day long.

Anyhoo, if you're curious about or disgusted by the idea of nursing a child over 12 months old, please read the article. It's very informative. I bet even Jesus wasn't weaned until he was at least of preschool age.

*In case the Boston Globe pitches this article, I'm saving a copy here.

out of the EB closet

...it's hard for even a toddler to resist the aroma of gloria jean's coffee. here she is making coffee for her mama!

...we got those beans on monday when we visited ted's parents out in the burbs. we stopped in at the local mall to see the fountains, which cadence had enjoyed in the summer when grandma and grandpa were babysitting.

speaking of grandma and grandpa babysitting, ted's mom asked us when we thought they could keep cadence for, oh, 2 or 3 days or so. i have to admit the question caught me off guard. on the one hand, i would LOVE a couple days with just ted and me. i mean, i'd be happy with just a few HOURS, so 2 or 3 days is something i couldn't imagine at this point. on the other hand, cadence is still nursing a few times a day, and i don't know how she would react to being separated for that long from both of us. some people may think that a getaway trip would be the perfect opportunity to wean a toddler as old as cadence. it's true that i feel totally fortunate to have been able to nurse this long, and if cadence WERE to wean right now, i'd be okay with that but ONLY if cadence would be okay with it as well.

believe it or not, i actually still ENJOY nursing. i really believe that extended breastfeeding (in combination with co-sleeping) has helped cadence and me to maintain a close bond, even though i work full-time outside the home. the first thing cadence asks for when i come home is 'ma-ma-ma' (her word for boobies), and it gives me a chance to slow down for 15 minutes and get reconnected with her after being separated for 11+ hours. i'm not saying that extended BFing or cosleeping is necessary to stay connected w/ a child if the mom works outside the home, but it's what works for our family.

...although it seems that more women are breastfeeding these days than, say, 10 years ago, extended breastfeeding (breastfeeding beyond baby's first year) is still viewed by many as strange, weird or even revolting. in other cultures, however, it is common for children to continue nursing until 4 or 5 years of age. i know some people would say that's probably in countries where clean water and food are in short supply. and while it may be true that in the U.S. and other developed countries where nutritious food and safe water are abundant that toddlers and young children don't have a PHYSICAL need for mama's milk, that doesn't mean that they don't have an EMOTIONAL need to continue the nursing relationship. in fact, some research has shown that

"In societies where children are allowed to nurse 'as long as they want' they usually self-wean, with no arguments or emotional trauma, between 3 and 4 years of age."--Kathryn Dettwyler, PhD

also, i know i've mentioned this before, but the World Health Organization actually recommends extended breastfeeding, up to two years of age or beyond.

i'm not saying that extended breastfeeding or child-led weaning is for everyone. all i'm saying is that i don't want to be ashamed or embarrassed about continuing to nurse my child. i don't want to feel like this is something i have to keep secret from my friends and family, or from strangers for that matter, because they might think i'm some kooky crunchy hippie mama. i'm really not that granola--i don't even use cloth diapers. i just happen to have a toddler who loves to nurse, and i happen to be totally okay with that. i just wish everybody else was okay with it too...