Why I am Nursing Three! :-)
Feb 01 '00
I totally agree with a lot of the other posters that breast is best and that if you are able to nurse, please do so, it is the perfect food for baby! I have found that the most important factor in getting breastfeeding to work is knowledge and support. So read, read, read about it and try to find out who the local experts in breastfeeding matters in your town are.
Now I often get the question, "Are you really nursing *three* ????". Usually I reply smilingly "Yes, but never all at the same time.". People seem to be amazed by it, but it really is not a big deal, it came naturally when we decided to let our kids self wean. And since we had 3 kids really close together over the last few years (within 33 months), the oldest of those three just has not self weaned yet.
We really believe in having the kid self wean. I find that it is very easy and natural, to just let the nursing relationship flow its course and not have to put pressure on ending it. And yes, they will eventually self wean, my oldest two have been weaned for quite a while, without any stress from our side.
Of course, nursing a toddler or preschooler is different from nursing a baby. Where the baby needs all the nutrition from mom, for the toddler it is more an emotional thing, with nutritional and health benefits thrown in for free. But they don't need to nurse all the time any more, actually my toddlers usually nurse only in the morning when they wake up and at night before they go to sleep. It is very rare for them to nurse at any other time of the day.
Even the official AAP advice nowadays is to continue the nursing relationship as long as mutually desired, so we are even doing what every pediatrician should recommend LOL. Although we would do it anyway, it is nice to see that we have official support in this parenting choice :-)
BTW, long ago, when I was pregnant with my second child and my first one was still nursing, I figured that I would tandem nurse, but I would NEVER nurse three, my first one just would have to wean when I would be pregnant again. Well, that was one of the many things I said would never happen, but which still did, and actually nursing three was not that much different than nursing two :-) I guess I just grew slowly into it. I have never been sorry for making that choice.
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Epinions.com ID:
nursing3
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Member: Karen Plomp
Location: New Hampshire
Reviews written: 62
Trusted by: 39 members
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