Hi all. I'm needing to comiserate with other mom's still nursing older kids. My DD turns 5 in a week and there is no end in site for her nursing. She informed me almost a year ago that she doesn't get much if any milk anymore but doesn't care. I've read articles and such on nursing a 5yr old but never actually heard from other people that do it. It seems like one of those things you read about but never "see", YK.

Anyway, please say that there are other actual people nursing older kids out there :)

Chole

At 5 my DS was still going strong, although I've had no milk at all for years - for most of the time it has been comfort/going to sleep nursing. He cut back over the year he was six, down to very infrequently by the time he turned 7 this past May. Once in a while, however, if he's having trouble sleeping he'll still grab a boobie and nurse for a few seconds, and that settles him down (our family bed is still going strong too). When he doesn't need it anymore, he'll stop, and as long as it isn't all the time, I can live with it. Anyway, no, you're the only one with a school aged boobie fiend. :)

I wouldn't be surprised if my 3 year old is still nursing by then. She loves her mommy's milk and won't be weaning any time soon! My dad tells a story of being in Kindergarten and another kids mom would come to school to nurse her son. That was in the late 40's.

:hug: I am proud of you!!!

Our youngest nursed until age five and he decided to stop on his own. We did decide to hold him another year before sending him to kindergarten. (not due to the breastfeeding...he was overall just kind of immature emotionally/socially a year ago)

He is now in kindergarten, and turned six the end of June. What is so great about having breastfed him until he was five years old and self-weaned is that he has such clear memories of it! Sometimes he'll still nuzzle up against me in that same way he use to....only for a fleeting moment, but it is such a special moment!!!

I did have milk up until he weaned....but not a lot because he was to the point where he was only nursing at bedtime by the time he was that old. Honestly, I wished he'd have nursed a bit longer....time is soooo very fleeting and those special developmental stages so very short in a childs life.

You little one will wean when she is ready. Your post made me smile and brought back such fond memories....thanks for doing that. :)

Michelle

thanks everyone. I *knew* there were other older kids who still love their nursies, hearing it from you all has been great. I wouldn't give up DD's nursing for anything. I've always been a believer in child led weaning (I nursed till I was 2 & re-started when my brother was born 3 years later) I would never have guessed that DD would still be so much in love with nursing at 5. She seems like such a big girl in so many ways, yet she is still really a baby inside who just wants to fall asleep smushed up against mommy. I think when she does stop it's going to be more painful for me, letting go of the first thing she ever did in life.

Chole

My dd is 6yrs old and still nursing strong, Her brother is 2 and a boobie monster for sure too....:lol:

I dont' have any problems with her nurisng and beign in school, infact when she is stressed out it is a comfort to be able to nurse her

I think when she does stop it's going to be more painful for me, letting go of the first thing she ever did in life.

Chole

Oh my goodness...yes it was more painful for me! Our son was also our last "baby" so I'll never breastfeed again and that made his weaning sad for me. I'm so thankful he breastfed so long.

Michelle

O thanks to all of you, My dd is 4 and still nursing strong. There are many many days I am ready for her to be done. I will allow her to nurse until she is ready to stop, but there are days that it is hard.
Last night we were laying on the couch as she was nursing to sleep and I was thinking, I have been doing this for 4 years! WOW! a
All of my others self-weaned by 2. I will be gone for two weeks in October, we will see what she does when I get back.
I have been gone for a week 3 different times and she always picks right up as if I was never gone.
:couple: