# Extended breastfeeding, how long, how often?



## Jade's Mom (Aug 8, 2007)

I'm curious to know...those of you who have/do breastfeed past the age of 2, how long did you go and how often was/is your child breastfeeding at these ages?

I have a friend whose brother was breastfed until he was 4, and he remembers it! He remembers it as being in complete peace while nursing. I think this is such a sweet thing, and I'd love to give that gift to my daughter. But, not sure we'll both be able to go that long.

I'll go until she's at least 2, and then we'll see where we are with it. I'd love to hear from those who do or did nurse at the ages of 3 & 4.


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## dannic (Jun 14, 2005)

Mine's sort of different, so I'm really posting more just to bump this up.








I breastfed dd #1 til I got pregnant when she was 18 mos. I just couldn't do both. But! I retaught her when dd#2 was about 2 mos old as she was getting stressed with the new baby and getting sick all the time. SHe just barely quit again at 3 yrs.


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## DashsMama (Dec 1, 2001)

My oldest nursed for 5 1/2 years, until I got pregnant with my youngest and started having some problems with my nipples (cracking and bleeding) and asked him to stop. He still would like to nurse, but has forgotten how to (I've let him try a couple of times). My middle child is 4 and 1/2 and still nurses. Somewhere between the ages of 3 and 4, I started to limit the amount of nursing in public we did, so both of them mainly nursed in bed, before sleep and upon waking. They also would ask to nurse for comfort if they got hurt during the day. Corbin mentioned to me the other day that he wished he was still a little baby so he could nurse all the time.









During my last pregnancy both of my older children were still nursing. I would ask them if they were still getting milk, and they would say yes, even though I didn't think they were. They told my husband privately that I didn't have any milk left, but they were telling me I did so I would still let them nurse. They love the comfort and closeness of it.


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## pamama (May 22, 2005)

I nursed my oldest until he was a little over 4. He nursed through my pg with his sister, even though my milk pretty much dried up. I tandem nursed ds and dd1 for 18 months. They were so sweet! They would hold hands while nursing together. They were 2 years 8 months apart and when dd1 was born ds started nursing like a newborn again! He gradually reduced his nursing. When he turned 4 he was down to once a day and when he felt anxious about something. I don't really remember when he stopped nursing it was so gradual. He's 6 now and he remembers nursing. He talks about it with me and how he wishes he could still nurse. LOL! Dd1 will be 4 in April and she nurses 1-3 times a day, but for only a minute or 2 at a time. She nursed throughout my pg with dd2, even though I once again lost my supply while pg. She told me in the beginning of my pg that it used to taste like chocolate chip cookies but then it changed into apple juice. I'm not really sure what exactly she meant by that. When my colostrum came in her little eyes lit up and she she said it was like chocolate chip cookies again. She was so happy! She also used to tell me that she couldn't wait for the baby to come and bring the milk back. She's always been a very verbal child. Ds didn't speak at all until he was 4 so I love how she can describe everything to me. I very rarely nurse the 2 at the same time this time around, though. I imagine that dd1 will nurse for a while longer still. I just realized that I have been nursing non-stop for the last 6 1/2 years! Wow! And I probably have at least another 4 years to go if my 2 month old follows her siblings.


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## Peony (Nov 27, 2003)

DD1 weaned herself when she was just shy of 4y old.







She nursed though my pg with DD2. She is 5 now, and says that she doesn't remember nursing, but she did get really upset a couple weeks ago, and when she finally stopped crying, she asked to nurse.


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## Mum2JocelynAngus (Jun 16, 2006)

I have twins, which has been interesting watching the differences in nursing & weaning. They are now 32 months. One self-weaned last summer, while the other continued nursing. He did cut down & has given up his morning nursing. Now he nurses before his nap & at bedtime, although not to sleep, & he is starting to skip sometimes -e.g. tonight he got into bed without asking to nurse. Interestingly, his twin sister has started to nurse again after not nursing for months. She never initiates it, but if he asks to nurse she will often nurse as well. The nursing sessions are usually extremely brief these days.


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

My dd is 3.5yrs and still nursing. I am currently pregnant and there isn't any milk right now but she still nurses at LEAST 5-6 times a day.

-Angela


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## ayme371 (Jan 5, 2005)

My ds will be 4 next month, wow, that looks weird. Anyway,he pretty much just nurses before bed and sometimes in the am on weekends. There are some times that he does not askto nurse at night but it is rare. He is pretty attached to his milky-milks and loves to give them love especially when he is sleepy or not feeling well.


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## Jade's Mom (Aug 8, 2007)

So, it sounds like in most cases by the time the kids are 3-4, they are only nursing at night and maybe 1-2 times during the day. That's about what I had thought.

Jade is 19-months old. At 12 months she was nursing to sleep and through the night, then during the day only at her nap times. As she perfected the sign for nurse it has increased dramatically, although it varies depending on how busy we are and what we're doing during the day.

I'm a few days into night weaning her, so right now she's nursing all the time, trying to make up for the time we're missing at night, I'm sure.


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Jade's Mom* 
So, it sounds like in most cases by the time the kids are 3-4, they are only nursing at night and maybe 1-2 times during the day. That's about what I had thought.

There's really a ton of variation. Dd is 3.5 and nurses at LEAST 5 times a day... (during the day...) AND I'm pregnant so there's not even any milk right now.

-Angela


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## KimProbable (Jun 22, 2005)

DS nursed until he was just about three. By two, he was nightweaned (went quite smoothly!) and by 2 1/2 he was down to just nursing in bed first thing in the morning.

DD is going on 2 1/2 and she's a totally different little nursling. Nightweaning won't be happening anytime in the near future as she's really not ready for it. She'll only fall asleep nursing, and if we're home during the day she'll nurse frequently all morning and then on and off all day. She tends not to nurse as much when we're out and about. Yesterday she went for 6 hours without nursing which is huge for us!


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## 2girlsand2boys (May 23, 2007)

I nursed my older son for 3 years, 3 months and 13 days. We nursed through the pregnancy of his little brother and tandemed for 8 1/2 months. I was so relieved when he self-weaned, but now I am starting to miss the closeness with him. He has been a weaner for 71 days and he has already forgotten...


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## lilitchka (Jan 19, 2012)

Child 1: 2,5 years
Child 2: 4 years
Child 3: 5 years a and a coyple of months.

Out of the 3, my first would've needed it the longest actually. I was just not confident enough to continue.


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## Patty Pagan (Feb 6, 2019)

My youngest went 4 years with some comfort nursing awhile after


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