i consider myself an official blogger now.
i’ve pissed somebody off, and they actually told me about it.
yesssss!!!!!!!! how exciting is that? and it’s on a subject i totally expected to be reamed about as well, so it’s okay!
i know, what a silly thing to get excited about, right? i don’t really want to piss anybody off, but i know there are people out there who don’t like me, don’t like what i have to say, and if they ever found his or her way here…. they wouldn’t hesitate to let me know.
so. i was responding to a comment on my earlier breastfeeding post regarding weaning E, and i realized i was writing either an epic comment, or just another blog. i decided to post my reply in a whole brand new blog post by itself, and limit my actual reply to the comment to a few short and to the point words. keep in mind, my reply is in response to the idea of extended breastfeeding. (past the age of 2) here’s the original post, if you missed it.
sadly, my blog is actually worth quite a bit less than two cents. it’s barely made me a dollar. 
anyways. yes, i do realize that while it’s not common in the US, it’s also not as uncommon as i probably think. if one of my friends decided to BF her child past the age of two, i would respect that as her personal decision and support her for having made the best decision she could make for her and her child.
i’m not one to grab info from a scientific journal and run with it. especially with my parenting style, i just take my instincts and run with them. (the most recent “scientific study” that i read said that swallowing semen decreased a woman’s risk of breast cancer. i don’t take scientific journals seriously anymore)
most children (with exception of preemies and children with growth deficiencies, etc.) have a full set of teeth by the age of two. they have full motor use of their hands, are able to manipulate small objects, speak, walk, run, and are just begining to be very independent. biologically, it just makes sense to me that children aren’t meant to nurse past the age of two. that being said, i *may* have been exaggerating just a bit when i called everyone creepy who nurses past the age of two. but it is my blog, and that’s what came to my mind first, and that’s how i type everything. 
besides, i was writing in regards to nursing E, not nursing in general. despite how it sounds, there is a distinction between the two when i’m writing and thinking about the subjects.
BUT there is absolutely NO denying that at a certain point it DOES get creepy.
my husband used to install security systems for a living. once, as he was explaining to a woman how to work her brand new home security system, her nine year old son came into the room. he didn’t acknowledge my husband, and the woman didn’t acknowledge the boy. he walked right up to her, lifted her dress, and started nursing. NINE YEARS OLD. now that, is creepy with a capital GROSS.
also, i watched a show with a woman on it who was still nursing her whole family. her oldest girl had “self weaned” a couple years back, but she was still nursing her youngest 12 year old. they had video clips of the girl speaking… all she could say about the experience was that she “couldn’t wait until she had breasts of her own so she could suck them and suck them and suck them”. THAT was CREEPY with a capital MENTAL DISORDER.
now, i realize that both cases are pretty extreme, and in most cases of extended breastfeeding the children stop between the ages of 2-5, and that it is nothing more than a beautiful bonding experience between mother and child…. but i personally couldn’t do it under normal circumstances. that doesn’t mean i hold it against other women or that there is anything wrong with it, but i will not be an advocate of it. i breastfed my child until i thought she was ready to go without it. (we’re down to once a night now) i cloth diapered my baby until the inserts fell apart and didn’t hold liquid anymore for more than 30 minutes. (we can’t afford new ones) but i also vaccinate my children, and sometimes i feed them canned food.
do i think less of women who lead a more crunchy lifestyle? of course not. i realize that different parenting styles are necessary. what works for one family may not work for another. plus, i’m a big believer in fate. if someone follows their instincts, and does what’s best for their family, then they will take the path in life that’s right for them… even if it does mean breastfeeding their baby until they’re one year old or three years old.
one thing i love about the world is the diversity of the people in it. i respect and admire anybody who can uphold their ideals, regardless of whether or not they line up perfectly with mine. sometimes i voice my opinions a little harshly… but something i always keep in mind that may not come across when i write it, is that i fully realize my words are nothing more than MY opinions. i am always open to new ideas, opinions, and ways of life. also, i’m a terrible writer, and sometimes my opinions and thoughts only get put down halfway, and sometimes that leaves a lot of room for misinterpretation.
i think that breastfeeding slowly reaches into a grey area at two. 5 years old is excessive. 9 years old is… well, anybody still breastfeeding a 4th grader… okay, i’m trying desperately not to use the word “creepy” here, but seriously???? that really is flat out creepy. i can’t think of a single excuse that would make it okay.
for the benefit of anybody else reading this- if you feel more comfortable staying anonymous in a disagreeable comment, i respect that… but please understand that i will never judge you based on your opinion, unless it physically hurts my family or yours. (like, if you think it’s okay to molest your kid, i will un-friend you on facebook AND call the police. but if you’re breastfeeding your 5 year old i will chalk it up to a healthy “disagreement between friends”, with no hard feelings between us) sometimes things i say are misinterpreted, don’t make any sense, or are just plain wrong.
i’m always up for hearing about it.
Continue reading Breastfeeding! (A Follow Up)
