Nursing beyond the first year...

So my second son's first birthday party is this Saturday and it was my goal to nurse for the first year. I can't believe how fast this year went. With my first son it felt like it took 3 years to get to his first birthday and now with my little baby Jonathan it feels like just a few months ago he was born. As you can read on my post "Nursing Strike" I didn't have a choice as to whether or not I should continue nursing my first born, Ben, after the one year mark because he weaned himself at just over 11 months. I think a few family members were hoping Jonathan would quit nursing on his own, but he's still going strong - almost nursing as often as a newborn! The good news is that in the past couple weeks he started drinking water from a bottle and now is exploring the concept of a sippie cup with a straw, but with the recent discoveries of cow milk protein intolerances in my family I'm scared to stop nursing Jonathan. What if my sweet, NON COLICKY, HAPPY little Jonathan turns into a screaming, suffering in pain child with stomach cramping, vomiting and diarrhea issues leaving us both wanting to die?

What are the alternatives to cow milk for a one year old, you ask? Soy milk - which they are beginning to discover isn't so great for you, especially for boys because of the estrogen levels, Rice Milk - which has no protein and very little fat, Almond or Coconut milk - both of which also have little to no protein and fat and may cause nut allergies. Toddlers NEED whole milk, it's suppose to be whole milk from their mother (you know of the same species / animal breed as they are) but there's a reason why the World Health Organization and the American Academy of Pediatrics both recommend breastfeeding until age 2. So why wouldn't I nurse until age two? There are plenty of benefits to keep breastfeeding: It doesn't hurt (it stopped hurting after the first week), it's free, it's always ready / available, will never spoil / expire / be recalled, etc. I don't really have too many concerns with continuing to breastfeed. I don't really have too many concerns with continuing to breastfeed but here are a few: Most people, including close family and friends don't get it. It's very uncommon in our society to even nurse for the first year so going beyond that really rubs people the wrong way, even loved ones who know how passionate I am about breastfeeding! Second, I am a little nervous about all those teeth! Jonathan now has 6 teeth and although he has yet to bite me, I actually received an email from a reader that covers this exact fear of mine, and I will share that story (and picture) in my next post. The only other concern I have is how I'm going to feel lifting my 12, 16, or 20 month old up on my lap to nurse him, especially if I have to do it in front of anyone. Also, if Jonathan starts to become aware and reach / try to nurse in public or actually starts verbalizing that he wants "momma's milk" that's going to be embarrassing. So I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to nurse Jonathan until he's two, but I'm going to try...here's to all the mom's who nurse beyond the first year!

If you are thinking about nursing beyond the first year and want to know you're not the only one, there are actually a surprisingly high number of blogs out there of women who have talked about their experience. Here was one I really liked:

http://happyhealthymama.com/2010/11/my-breastfeeding-story-part-one-the-beginning.html