You are an extended breastfeeding mama in the...

CRUISING ALTITUDE STAGE

This means you are currently nursing a toddler and loving it! It's the sweetest spot you can be in - enjoy the ride.

Read on for answers to the 3 most common questions regarding extended nursing and weaning

Welcome aboard!

The captain has turned off the fasten seat belt sign. You are free to move about the cabin.

Watch this short video for a summary of your results!

Okay, so you’ve successfully nursed for a year… now what?

Every nursing journey looks different.

The path that has led you here may have been smooth, or perhaps you had some turbulence in the first months with engorgement, clogged ducts, and maybe even mastitis.

You have managed to introduce solids, survive months of red eye nursing sessions, and have celebrated a birthday (or two… or three!).

And now you are in what is in my opinion the best phase of nursing!

You are most likely no longer pumping, your body has regulated itself to nursing a few times a day with your nursling, you don't feel overwhelmed by the demands of nursing, and you are happy with the connection you continue to have with your child. It's pretty amazing, isn't it?

At this point, depending on how old your child is, you may or may not be thinking about weaning.

Below, I have answers to a few common questions I get from other moms like yourself in the cruising stage of nursing. I hope they ease any concerns you may have about the future of your nursing journey!

You have accomplished a lot!

And it is something to celebrate.

You may have heard...

that in 2022, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics changed their breastfeeding recommendation to align with the World Health Organization’s guidance that nursing to 2 years and beyond should be encouraged for as long as both mom and baby desire.

This was great news because it means you should now be less likely to get pressure from your pediatrician to begin weaning if you are not ready to!

And if they do, you now have resources to back up your decision to keep going anyway ;)

Now, does this recommendation mean that if you do not make it to 2 years you have failed at nursing?

Of course not -

- because contrary to what some think, you cannot make a toddler keep nursing if they don’t want to.

And does it mean that you should start weaning after their 2nd birthday?

Not at all!

You do you boo. And don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise.

Below are 3 answers to the most common questions regarding extended nursing and weaning:

I love it, but people keep telling me to wean.

It can be so hard to be proud of something others just don’t understand. Maybe it’s your mom, or mother-in-law, partner, bestie, or stranger on the street who have made subtle or not-so-subtle comments like:

“You’re STILL nursing her?”

“Aren’t they getting a little old for that?”

“Do what you want, but I just don’t want to see it”

“I didn’t breastfeed and you turned out fine”

If you haven’t yet gotten these comments, then that’s awesome - hopefully that means you are surrounded by loving, supportive family and friends who have your back.

If you have a younger toddler, then this may be the case. As your toddler gets older, especially as they pass their second birthday, be prepared for some well-meaning, but not helpful, comments. Knowing they’re coming may help you to be less defensive.

Just take it in stride and know that there’s no reason to land the plane until you’ve reached your final destination.

How do I know when we're ready to wean?

Did you know that the weaning process actually began when you introduced solids?

At that point, your milk was no longer your child’s sole form of nutrition and slowly from that point on, your child reduces their milk intake until their very last feed.

But how do you know if you should continue to have the plane on autopilot or turn off cruise control and take over as captain?

There are two ways to look at weaning: child-led and parent-led.

Up until this point, you have most likely followed your child’s lead - perhaps following the saying “don’t offer, don’t refuse.”

This style of nursing is actually still a form of on-demand nursing, and is totally fine to use as long as it works for you.

If you choose to stay on this course, you will very gradually over months notice your child skipping a nursing session every now and then, or maybe they start to sleep better through the night and so cut out those feeds.

They may begin to ask for food instead of milk, or to play with you, or to read a book instead of asking for milk.

And then the next week they may be back to wanting to nurse 5 times a day to get your supply back up.

This is child-led weaning. It is not linear, and as long as you are okay with the process, then it can be a beautiful relationship until the very last nursing session.

At some point, you may decide that this flight is taking much longer than you expected. You’ve been circling the airport but never managing to make the full descent down.

If that happens, then there are gentle strategies you can begin to implement to take the lead in the nursing relationship.

A great place to start is with setting a nursing schedule that works for you, rather than nursing whenever they desire.

I know that’s easier said than done, so if/when you get there, you know I’ve got your back!

How do I know if they're getting too much milk?

I’m guessing at this point, you are not pumping (because who loves to pump, am I right??)

… which means you probably don’t know your child’s exact daily milk intake. But that’s fine!

The exact amount isn’t as important as how it is impacting their relationship with food.

Here are two indicators that don’t have to do with measuring ounces that you may need some breastfeeding boundaries:

1. They eat little at meals but want a full nursing session immediately after.

2. They are waking in the early morning hungry, getting a fully nursing session, and then not wanting breakfast.

Basically, if milk intake is impacting their desire to eat food, then some adjustments should be made to their nursing schedule to ensure they are continuing to get nutrition from both food and milk.

And if they look at the meal you’re serving like it was last week’s stale airline crackers? You know I’m just a click away to help you figure it out too.

Meet Erin

Hey there! My name is Erin Harris and I am a virtual lactation educator and creator of Nursing Mamas. I combine my two Master's Degrees in Health and Family Communication, lactation knowledge, and personal nursing experience to focus on the parent-toddler nursing relationship.

Specifically, I help extended breastfeeding parents who are struggling with the transition from on-demand infant nursing to the demanding toddler breastfeeding phase.

I live in Costa Mesa, CA with my husband Scott, and 2 children, Avery and Luca. Last, I am a veteran chestfeeding, tandem nursing, pumping, and supplementing mama of 4 ½ years!

AND NOW FOR THE ENCORE...

If you want to learn more about extended nursing right now, then put in your headphones and listen to my interview on Failing Motherhood Podcast!

I discuss more about the unexpected (and mostly not talked about) emotional cycle of the extended breastfeeding mom.

Trust me, I know up until now you have had plenty of emotions about nursing; but it does change in the toddler years, especially if you feel you're ready to land the plane and your child is refusing to hand over the controls.

We also discuss nursing a strong-willed child, and how that can influence unexpected power struggles in the nursing relationship.

LISTEN HERE

WHERE TO GO FROM HERE

I am glad to have you with us on board this flight. Thank you for choosing Nursing Mamas - I am happy to be part of your extended nursing journey!

I’m not just gonna tell you what type of extended nursing mama you are, give you a few tips, and peace out. I’m here to help you have the smoothest transition possible so you can keep on cruising.

Keep an eye on your inbox (including your spam/promotions tab) because I’ll be coming at you with more of my best tips, tricks, and practices so that you can feel confident - and even excited about toddler nursing.

And if you just can’t wait until then, jump on over to Instagram and follow me @erin.nursingmamas. I love hearing from quiz takers - DM me your results!

You are an extended breastfeeding mama in the...

CRUISING ALTITUDE STAGE

This means you are currently nursing a toddler and loving it! It's the sweetest spot you can be in - enjoy the ride.

Read on for answers to the 3 most common questions regarding extended nursing and weaning

Welcome aboard!

The captain has turned off the fasten seat belt sign. You are free to move about the cabin.

Watch this short video for a summary of your results!

Okay, so you’ve successfully nursed for a year… now what?

Every nursing journey looks different.

The path that has led you here may have been smooth, or perhaps you had some turbulence in the first months with engorgement, clogged ducts, and maybe even mastitis.

You have managed to introduce solids, survive months of red eye nursing sessions, and have celebrated a birthday (or two… or three!).

And now you are in what is in my opinion the best phase of nursing!

You are most likely no longer pumping, your body has regulated itself to nursing a few times a day with your nursling, you don't feel overwhelmed by the demands of nursing, and you are happy with the connection you continue to have with your child. It's pretty amazing, isn't it?

At this point, depending on how old your child is, you may or may not be thinking about weaning.

Below, I have answers to a few common questions I get from other moms like yourself in the cruising stage of nursing. I hope they ease any concerns you may have about the future of your nursing journey!

You have accomplished a lot!

And it is something to celebrate.

You may have heard...

that in 2022, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics changed their breastfeeding recommendation to align with the World Health Organization’s guidance that nursing to 2 years and beyond should be encouraged for as long as both mom and baby desire.

This was great news because it means you should now be less likely to get pressure from your pediatrician to begin weaning if you are not ready to!

And if they do, you now have resources to back up your decision to keep going anyway ;)

Now, does this recommendation mean that if you do not make it to 2 years you have failed at nursing?

Of course not -

- because contrary to what some think, you cannot make a toddler keep nursing if they don’t want to.

And does it mean that you should start weaning after their 2nd birthday?

Not at all!

You do you boo. And don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise.

Below are 3 answers to the most common questions regarding extended nursing and weaning:

I love it, but people keep telling me to wean.

It can be so hard to be proud of something others just don’t understand. Maybe it’s your mom, or mother-in-law, partner, bestie, or stranger on the street who have made subtle or not-so-subtle comments like:

“You’re STILL nursing her?”

“Aren’t they getting a little old for that?”

“Do what you want, but I just don’t want to see it”

“I didn’t breastfeed and you turned out fine”

If you haven’t yet gotten these comments, then that’s awesome - hopefully that means you are surrounded by loving, supportive family and friends who have your back.

If you have a younger toddler, then this may be the case. As your toddler gets older, especially as they pass their second birthday, be prepared for some well-meaning, but not helpful, comments. Knowing they’re coming may help you to be less defensive.

Just take it in stride and know that there’s no reason to land the plane until you’ve reached your final destination.

How do I know when we're ready to wean?

Did you know that the weaning process actually began when you introduced solids?

At that point, your milk was no longer your child’s sole form of nutrition and slowly from that point on, your child reduces their milk intake until their very last feed.

But how do you know if you should continue to have the plane on autopilot or turn off cruise control and take over as captain?

There are two ways to look at weaning: child-led and parent-led.

Up until this point, you have most likely followed your child’s lead - perhaps following the saying “don’t offer, don’t refuse.”

This style of nursing is actually still a form of on-demand nursing, and is totally fine to use as long as it works for you.

If you choose to stay on this course, you will very gradually over months notice your child skipping a nursing session every now and then, or maybe they start to sleep better through the night and so cut out those feeds.

They may begin to ask for food instead of milk, or to play with you, or to read a book instead of asking for milk.

And then the next week they may be back to wanting to nurse 5 times a day to get your supply back up.

This is child-led weaning. It is not linear, and as long as you are okay with the process, then it can be a beautiful relationship until the very last nursing session.

At some point, you may decide that this flight is taking much longer than you expected. You’ve been circling the airport but never managing to make the full descent down.

If that happens, then there are gentle strategies you can begin to implement to take the lead in the nursing relationship.

A great place to start is with setting a nursing schedule that works for you, rather than nursing whenever they desire.

I know that’s easier said than done, so if/when you get there, you know I’ve got your back!

How do I know if they're getting too much milk?

I’m guessing at this point, you are not pumping (because who loves to pump, am I right??)

… which means you probably don’t know your child’s exact daily milk intake. But that’s fine!

The exact amount isn’t as important as how it is impacting their relationship with food.

Here are two indicators that don’t have to do with measuring ounces that you may need some breastfeeding boundaries:

1. They eat little at meals but want a full nursing session immediately after.

2. They are waking in the early morning hungry, getting a fully nursing session, and then not wanting breakfast.

Basically, if milk intake is impacting their desire to eat food, then some adjustments should be made to their nursing schedule to ensure they are continuing to get nutrition from both food and milk.

And if they look at the meal you’re serving like it was last week’s stale airline crackers? You know I’m just a click away to help you figure it out too.

Meet Erin

Hey there! My name is Erin Harris and I am a virtual lactation educator and creator of Nursing Mamas. I combine my two Master's Degrees in Health and Family Communication, lactation knowledge, and personal nursing experience to focus on the parent-toddler nursing relationship.

Specifically, I help extended breastfeeding parents who are struggling with the transition from on-demand infant nursing to the demanding toddler breastfeeding phase.

I live in Costa Mesa, CA with my husband Scott, and 2 children, Avery and Luca. Last, I am a veteran chestfeeding, tandem nursing, pumping, and supplementing mama of 4 ½ years!

AND NOW FOR THE ENCORE...

If you want to learn more about extended nursing right now, then put in your headphones and listen to my interview on Failing Motherhood Podcast!

I discuss more about the unexpected (and mostly not talked about) emotional cycle of the extended breastfeeding mom.

Trust me, I know up until now you have had plenty of emotions about nursing; but it does change in the toddler years, especially if you feel you're ready to land the plane and your child is refusing to hand over the controls.

We also discuss nursing a strong-willed child, and how that can influence unexpected power struggles in the nursing relationship.

WHERE TO GO FROM HERE

I am glad to have you with us on board this flight. Thank you for choosing Nursing Mamas - I am happy to be part of your extended nursing journey!

I’m not just gonna tell you what type of extended nursing mama you are, give you a few tips, and peace out. I’m here to help you have the smoothest transition possible so you can keep on cruising.

Keep an eye on your inbox (including your spam/promotions tab) because I’ll be coming at you with more of my best tips, tricks, and practices so that you can feel confident - and even excited about toddler nursing.

And if you just can’t wait until then, jump on over to Instagram and follow me @erin.nursingmamas. I love hearing from quiz takers - DM me your results!

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