The Milky Way
My son is almost 17 months old and he still drinks milk. Not cows milk but Mummy milk. Ok, the cat’s out of the bag, I’m firmly out of the closet, singing “I am what I am” in my showtune voice: I’m still breastfeeding my toddler.
I never planned it to happen like this. It just happened and, believing in the laissez faire approach, I didn’t take any steps to change it and if I could go back to the ‘one-year-cutoff’, I still wouldn’t go along with the crowd.
However, it’s come to the point now where I think maybe it’s time to slowly and painlessly end little P’s love affair with my breasts (the love affair with breasts at large is likely to be a life-long thing) ….ooooh the puns….. This is a very scary prospect since breastfeeding is of course so much more than just nutrition. Well, watch this space….
After a comment or two on this post made offline, I’d like to be clear and say that I am NOT ashamed that I am breastfeeding my 17-month-old child.
The opening paragraph is less to do with shame and more to do with irony and the fact that not many people know that I’m still breastfeeding. It was also meant to underline the pressure that I as a mother feel to go along with the crowd and stop breastfeeding once my child has teeth/can walk/eats real food (delete as appropriate).
If I enjoy it and P enjoys it then why change it? Some people might say that extended breastfeeding is ‘spoiling’ a child or robbing it of its’ independence. Well poppycock! You sitting on your couch indulging in a cheeky glass of wine or a bit of chocolate in the evening after a hard day doesn’t mean you’re spoiled, does it? Nor is lying in the arms of your beloved robbing you of your independence!
My reasons for wanting to slowly phase out the boob can be discussed personally with me, upon request