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mama-beans, that is exactly what I am talking about. Those nasty nips are in blatant dissregard for the way natural nips function. Has anyone read "The Complete Book of Breastfeeding"?

I have not read it, but I have been recommended it from others as well, so will be picking up a copy. My DD needed a bottle 1 day a week as I helped out at my families office, I would be gone for MAYBE 5 hours.. and this was starting when she was 7 months old. Well, by 8.5 months, she had weaned herself from me, refusing to b___stfeed AT ALL. She just preferred those bottles! Ugh. I tried pumping for a month, but no matter what I did I could not get a let down ( and I was using a Madela) so could not get more then .5 oz each session, and it would take 20 minutes to get that much... very sad. We had to go to formula. I am really aiming at getting baby #2 to b___stfeed at least that first year!! I hated giving my DD formula bottles!

I b/f till she was 2yrs 2 mths 2 days, She was ready and so was I. I think cows should drink cows milk and baby's should drink human milk.

according to the WHO it should be 2 years or longer. To me, it should be when my child doesn't want it anymore

So why not pump and serve in a cup?

Yeah, I was checking out that post too. some people got real nasty! we nursed till i got pregnant and my milk just wasn't there anymore...my daughter was 15 months at the time. i miss it so much! she does too, every once in a while she'll want to, but i don't let her because i'm afraid the nursing will cause contractions and baby number two isn't ready to see the world yet. I'd have gone longer. how long? don't know...but 2 years isn't a problem for me. i agree with the other poster above me who said if baby is gonna drink milk, then it should be human milk, not cow milk. cow's milk is for cows. and they do benefit from all those antibodies! and to d - pumping is NOT as easy as it sounds, you don't just plug yourself in and watch the milk squirt out. for some of us it's hard and trying work. if all i had done was pump, i would have been exhausted and dried up by the time she was 13 months old. pumping doesn't help produce as much milk either - it's a supply and demand thing, you know. besides, babies like to pacify themselves. i see kids sucking on pacifiers still at age 3 and 4 - why suck on a plastic nipple when they can have my God-given one? well, ones. i do have two. :)

oh, and to add to my post, after baby #2 is born, i will pump what i can when he's through and let my daughter have that - in a cup if she likes. i can't wait to get that immune boost back in her!

lol D...you and I seem to continually disagree on comfort stuff like this...the time spent cuddling while b___stfeeing is a huge comfort that the child would be deprived of if served in a cup.

Jamie - again - I think it's more of a comfort to YOU, why can't you just give them extra hugs and kisses - or hell, you can still cuddle and snuggle up with them.....minus your b___b being in their mouth.

I think everyone is different. Nutritionally, once they start solids, the benefits of b___st milk decrease in comparison. I think once they are on solids, the biggest reason th bf is bonding, as I think the immunity benefit has been realized in the first 6 months. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends one year though.

Gina, how does it affect you whether I b___stfeed my daughter for 1 year or 20? How does it affect you if my daughter sucks on a pacifier, her thumb, or my b___st for comfort? That's what I thought...it doesn't affect you in any way. So why the catty comment?

Because it's an open forum, and I really want to know. Comfort can come from a billion other things that are as free as your b___st.

I b___stfed my first child until she was 2 years 3 months. Her choice! I tried to wean earlier but to no avail. It was a bond she needed, enjoyed and it comforted her unlike anything else. I plan to b___stfeed my new baby (now 13-weeks) until she is one...but I will revisit that decision when "we" get there!

If you wanted to know, why didn't you ask? You don't HAVE to be a b___h, you know. I believe that my daughter derives a comfort from b___stfeeding that you can't get from hugs and kisses. It's cuddling and a sense of safety, security, and well-being. It is bonding. Sure, I could let her bond to a plastic pacifier, but why? I'll love her back. When she no longer needs the comfort of nursing, she'll know, and she'll let me know. She could wean herself at 6 months, a year, 2 years - it doesn't matter. When she no longer needs it, she will tell me. Yes, I do get comfort out b___stfeeding my angel, and knowing that I'm giving her something no one else can. I do get great comfort out of the fact that there is some tangible thing that makes me "mommy" and I will always be mommy, no matter what. Chances are, she will wean herself whenever her solid food diet provides her with all the calories and nutrition she needs - from what I can tell of her personality at 3 months, she is going to be an energetic and friendly toddler, who will be much too busy running around to bother with sitting down and nursing. But, I will always be there for her if she decides she wants to curl up with me and have a comfort nursing session. Can't you remember curling up with your mother after a bad dream or during a scary storm, cuddling with your security blanket and sucking your thumb? I certainly do - so what is the difference if, instead of sucking her thumb and cuddling her security blanket, she nurses and cuddles me? That's a level of comfort for BOTH of us, that hugs and kisses can never replace. So, tell me, Gina, why does the thought of extended b___stfeeding bother you so badly, to the point where you have to hara__s others about it? Or is it just pregnancy hormones?

Jamie, everything you describe can still be given without the b___st in the mouth for older kids. This cannot be denied. My 8 month son and I, we have a lot of skin to skin contact during feeding, taking a nap etc.. Last night I was telling my husband that I'm always singing to him and hug him and kissing him on his cheek, his head, his hands so much before falls asleep and I don't think I can ever stop this behaviour for many years to come because I love him sooooo much. I mean really giving b___st milk to a baby is very important for infancy to get what they really need but after that, I think by 1 1/2 or close to two, that's enough! I think "separation-individuation process" is also important to the child's psychological well-being which affects the persons personality and behaviour throughout adulthood. In my oppinion, its not up to the child to decide how to start being independent in the process of indiviudation. Who's the adult here? For extended b___stfeeding over 2 years, I mean honestly, who really has the separation-anxiety here? I've tried pumping with Avent manual pump and I would get tired but the electrical one is so much easier and its done in 10 minutes and it works excellent. You can supply and demand using that said the nurse to me.

Wow, Jamie, calling people b___h for having an opinion different than yours....maybe you need comfort, - go suck a b___b, and lay off everyone!!!