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Not Now!
Delaying Your Breastfeeding Toddler By Teri Brown
Bruce says the important thing is to not put yourself and your child in a position where the child is exhausted and unable to show the patience he would in most situations.
Heather LoBue of Portland, Ore., breastfed her son till he was about 4 years old. She began teaching him appropriate breastfeeding manners as soon as he became old enough to verbalize his needs.
"Somewhere between 1 1/2 and 2, he began to predictably follow simple directions and communicate," LoBue says. "I taught him that just lifting my shirt up to drink at will, in public or private, was uncomfortable for me, and that it would be more comfortable for me if he would tell me verbally he would like to nurse. This simple lesson evolved as his verbal abilities grew."
It's never too late, though. When you are home or in a relaxed nursing environment, use that time to convey nursing manners that you feel comfortable with, such as having the child whisper a request to nurse in your ear and discussing how reaching into or pulling up your shirt isn't OK.
- Sometimes using a sling can help you breastfeed a toddler more discreetly in public.