You are an extended breastfeeding mama in the...

BOARDING THE PLANE STAGE

This means your little one is nearing one year old and you are preparing to make the exciting transition from infant to toddler nursing!

Read on for answers to the 3 most common questions regarding how toddler nursing differs from infant breastfeeding

Welcome aboard!

We ask that you please fasten your nursing bras at this time and secure all pump bags underneath your seat or in the overhead compartments for takeoff

Watch this short video for a summary of your results!

Okay, so you’ve nearly 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 most likely introduced solids, survived months of red eye nursing sessions, and have either spent 24/7 with your little boob lover, or learned the art of pumping while away for work.

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 is 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? Not at all

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

…(think of this as your first lesson in letting go of control over your kid - they will soon develop a mind of their own and let you know it).

If you see your child losing interest in nursing, follow their lead. And if your sweet snuggly baby turns into a boob obsessed toddler with no end in sight? I got you then too.

Below are 3 answers to the most common questions regarding how toddler nursing differs from infant breastfeeding:

You can wean from the pump!

Once your child hits 12 months and is getting a steady intake of foods multiple times a day, you can begin to wean from the pump and only nurse your child when physically with them.

I highly recommend doing this slowly. Start with one pump session at a time, and if you become engorged (yep, all those fun physical issues can come back with weaning), try shortening the pump session first before cutting it completely.

There is not a specific time frame for how long this will take. It depends on how often you are pumping and how your body responds to the weaning process.

Just remember, slow and steady and your body will regulate to your child’s needs.

And I know you might be wondering, “Okay, but what do I replace those bottles with?”

You can continue to increase food and water intake at meals and snacks, and introduce a milk alternative at this time (but also know, if your child doesn’t like cow’s milk, that’s fine! It is not a requirement to have it in their diet; just try to add additional foods high in protein and calcium like cheese and yogurt.

On-demand nursing is no longer necessary

Up until now, you may have felt like a flight attendant constantly having to jump up every time a passenger pushed the little button, signaling they need something from you NOW.

You have perfected watching and listening for your child’s cues…

“Oh, they did that cough; they’re getting hungry,”

“He turned his head to the right and looked up at the ceiling, I need to feed him now.”

And while that intense tuning in has made you the fantastic mother you are, it can also lead to breastfeeding burnout if not managed correctly into the toddler years.

And of course I am not saying that this will change overnight as soon as their first birthday comes.

But if you find yourself in the upcoming months feeling more like a buffet than a mom, that’s a signal that breastfeeding boundaries may be appropriate.

Breast milk will no longer be your child's primary form of nutrition, but will continue to be a valuable parenting tool

One of the most amazing realizations I had as I transitioned from infant to toddler nursing was that the weight of being the sole provider of nutrition for Avery started to lighten.

And let’s get real, we are still primary nutritional providers if we are the ones grocery shopping, cooking, chopping, pureeing, and cleaning up the inevitable mess on the floor; but at least your body will begin to feel a bit more like yours again.

That said, we of course know that children nurse for way more reasons than to fill their bellies.

You will continue to nurse for comfort, when they are tired, sick, hurt. It will still be the ultimate form of connection to bring you back together after being apart.

And this is perfectly fine! As long as it works for you...

And if you start to find yourself feeling resentful of nursing, it may be time for self-care and additional parenting tools - which I can help with!

If you have any questions or concerns about these things in the upcoming months, just respond to your results email! I'm just a click away.

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...

BOARDING THE PLANE STAGE

This means your little one is nearing one year old and you are preparing to make the exciting transition from infant to toddler nursing!

Read on for answers to the 3 most common questions regarding how toddler nursing differs from infant breastfeeding

Welcome aboard!

We ask that you please fasten your nursing bras at this time and secure all pump bags underneath your seat or in the overhead compartments for takeoff

Watch this short video for a summary of your results!

Okay, so you’ve nearly 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 most likely introduced solids, survived months of red eye nursing sessions, and have either spent 24/7 with your little boob lover, or learned the art of pumping while away for work.

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 is 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? Not at all

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

…(think of this as your first lesson in letting go of control over your kid - they will soon develop a mind of their own and let you know it).

If you see your child losing interest in nursing, follow their lead. And if your sweet snuggly baby turns into a boob obsessed toddler with no end in sight? I got you then too.

Below are 3 answers to the most common questions regarding how toddler nursing differs from infant breastfeeding:

You can wean from the pump!

Once your child hits 12 months and is getting a steady intake of foods multiple times a day, you can begin to wean from the pump and only nurse your child when physically with them.

I highly recommend doing this slowly. Start with one pump session at a time, and if you become engorged (yep, all those fun physical issues can come back with weaning), try shortening the pump session first before cutting it completely.

There is not a specific time frame for how long this will take. It depends on how often you are pumping and how your body responds to the weaning process.

Just remember, slow and steady and your body will regulate to your child’s needs.

And I know you might be wondering, “Okay, but what do I replace those bottles with?”

On-demand nursing is no longer necessary

Up until now, you may have felt like a flight attendant constantly having to jump up every time a passenger pushed the little button, signaling they need something from you NOW.

You have perfected watching and listening for your child’s cues…

“Oh, they did that cough; they’re getting hungry,”

“He turned his head to the right and looked up at the ceiling, I need to feed him now.”

And while that intense tuning in has made you the fantastic mother you are, it can also lead to breastfeeding burnout if not managed correctly into the toddler years.

And of course I am not saying that this will change overnight as soon as their first birthday comes.

But if you find yourself in the upcoming months feeling more like a buffet than a mom, that’s a signal that breastfeeding boundaries may be appropriate.

Breast milk will no longer be your child's primary form of nutrition, but will continue to be a valuable parenting tool

One of the most amazing realizations I had as I transitioned from infant to toddler nursing was that the weight of being the sole provider of nutrition for Avery started to lighten.

And let’s get real, we are still primary nutritional providers if we are the ones grocery shopping, cooking, chopping, pureeing, and cleaning up the inevitable mess on the floor; but at least your body will begin to feel a bit more like yours again.

That said, we of course know that children nurse for way more reasons than to fill their bellies.

You will continue to nurse for comfort, when they are tired, sick, hurt. It will still be the ultimate form of connection to bring you back together after being apart.

And this is perfectly fine! As long as it works for you...

And if you start to find yourself feeling resentful of nursing, it may be time for self-care and additional parenting tools - which I can help with!

If you have any questions or concerns about these things in the upcoming months, just respond to your results email! I'm just a click away.

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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