Nursing

Disclaimer: This post is exactly about what the title states and I always followed my momma when she said "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all". I would appreciate if you would take my momma's advice too.

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Something that has really been on my heart lately, as my nursing days draw to a close, is how taboo nursing a toddler has become in our society. I have never been a victim of any such attacks, but know people that have.

 

Amongst my friends, I have 2 other friends (who I instantly felt connected to) that chose to nurse past what most people consider a "normal" age. It was always such a comfort to be able to hang out with them knowing that I would not be judged in my choice of nursing my little guy a bit longer than most. We can talk and relate on so many levels.

 

It was coming to a point where I was feeling ashamed for my choice to continue to nurse past 12 months, than 18 months and now he will be 2 in December.

 

I was confident with my decision to continue to nurse until the well known "TIME" magazine article was published... if you missed  it you likely live in a cave... just sayin. Not long after that article I had somebody ask me if I was going to be the next person to be featured on the cover.

 

It crushed me and gave me so much insecurity about my decision, that from that day forward I starting lying when people asked me if I still nursed. My answer was always, to chuckle a little first (you know the... trying to act like they were crazy) followed by a, "No we weaned months ago".

 

In a way it is my fault for allowing people to make me feel insecure about doing something that did not affect anyone but me and my child. The past few days it has hit me that I have absolutely NOTHING to be ashamed of. I love nursing my child and he loves it too. Why in the world should that offend anybody?? I am not asking them to watch me nurse or give their opinion on nursing.

 

A conversation I had with my husband last Sunday made so much sense to me, because I used to be the "Ew gross, you nurse and 18 month old" type of person UNTIL my wee one was placed in my arms and our nursing relationship began.

 

 I told him that it was crazy that Crewe was going to be 2 in December and it was still so normal to nurse him. He didn't seem too big or even too old for it, it just seemed like it did was he was a newborn.

 

What my husband said back to me made so much sense, he simply stated "It has been a part of your and Crewe's everyday life since he was a born, so it doesn't seem weird because he has just gradually grown as you continued to nurse. It's not like somebody just handed you a 2 year old one day to nurse". Mind blowing right? I don't know why I had never thought about it like that.

 

There are too many mommas out there who's kids are all grown and one thing I hear over and over is how much they miss nursing. That tells me something!

 

Will I nurse any future kiddos as long as I have nursed Crewe? I don't know, there's a chance that they won't even like nursing, but I for DAMN sure will not have an 1 ounce of insecurity or shamefullness about it.

 

So to any of you momma's who don't feel supported in your decision to nurse past the "normal" age (again whatever that is), NEVER let somebody make you feel ashamed for the good that you are doing. It's mind blowing to me that people will look at you like you are breaking the law if you nurse past a year.