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Did I stop breastfeeding my almost 1 year old to soon?

Jennifer - posted on 06/22/2012 ( 1 mom has responded )

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0

Can anyone help me, i breastfed my daughter till she was almost one, and she weened just fine, never missed it!, well i stopped breastfeeding my son the same way, and now that i am almost completely dried up he still tries to lay down in the nursing position to feed when he upset or tiered... I feel very bad, and i am not sure if i stopped feeding him to soon, i stopped because nursing was starting to hurt to bad, no matter what i did he kept biting me, and pulling on my breast, and he favored only one side to the point where my other side almost dried on its own. Any advice is welcome, please.

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Lori - posted on 06/22/2012

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I think weaning is an emotional time for a mom no matter what age her child is. It's a new chapter in your relationship. Doesn't matter if it happens at 2 week, 2 months, 1 year, 3 years, or later. And if you've done parent led weaning (your choice rather than babies choice) I think it makes us doubt ourselves. I weaned my oldest at 2 years old, and I questioned my decision because she'd still ask for it. But I was pregnant with my 2nd and it HURT every time I nursed her. Even though I knew I could continue to nurse her throughout my next pregnancy, I decided to wean her. When her sister was born it broke my heart to hear her whine for some Mommy milk. I ended up pumping milk for her for 6 more months.

Anyhow - how long has it been since he last nursed? Do you really want to be done, or do you want some tips on getting him to not bite and pull on you so it doesn't hurt while he nurses?

The WHO (World Health Organization) recommends breastfeeding at least until the age of 2. The AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) recommends breastfeeding until the age of 1, and then as long as mutually desirable. If you wish to continue nursing him it can still benefit him.

And though you may feel lopsided, there is no reason he can't nurse on only one side.

As our LO's get bigger, you'll need to re-evaluate the position you're using to nurse them. Many times as a baby gets bigger and heavier the mom isn't holding the baby as high up as she was when baby didn't weigh as much. This can cause the baby to tug and pull at the nipple while nursing and can be quite painful.

http://kellymom.com/ages/older-infant/nu...

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