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VBAC

Only a nursling for a short while
by Teresa Howard

I am amazed at the pressure women still feel today regarding nursing an older child. Twenty years ago it was a very hush hush thing, but somehow I thought with more time passing, it would become something that was considered more the norm. I wish people would view the breast as a natural element of comforting a child, as do many other cultures, rather than a sex object.

I guess everyone may have the fears running through their heads when they nurse a toddler. Will they go off to school still nursing?, will they ever wean?, will I make my child overly dependent on me?, will my child be normal- what we really mean is like every other child? I am not sure we come up with these questions on our own, or if these are the questions others place into our minds.

There is something very special about nursing an older child. when an infant nurses, they look very angelic. Nestled in to the breast and dozing on and off. But when there is a toddler sitting in your lap, holding a cookie with one hand and wanting to nurse with that mouth full of cookie, there is some unpleasantness. But with time and tenderness, these can be worked around with a few rules.

There is nothing so special as to have a child crawl into your lap and ask you if they could please nurse. And then at the completion of one breast let you know it is empty and they would like the other. There is nothing so satisfying as for that sweet child to then let you know how warm and good it tastes, how special they feel and how much they love your milk.

I wish that others could experience this without the haughty comments from others who have no clue what this relationship is like. Don't let other's opinions rob you of the joy that having an older nursling can bring.

Remember what your grandmother told you, they only stay little for a little time! My children are all weaned now and only one is left at home for a short while longer. Hopefully I will have nursing grandchildren to cuddle in a few years. But I hope that my children will remember to let a little one be little for that short while. And also that the nursling will be off in running quicker than they think.