I'm in no hurry to wean my 20-month-old-son, who's happy, healthy and developing a sense of security and independence. The nursing definitely helps to ease his toddler frustrations, so I prefer to let weaning take its natural course. I am curious though: At what age do kids naturally wean, and what signs should I be looking for?
It's wonderful to hear that breastfeeding is going so well for you and your son. Nursing a toddler can definitely be a great experience.
There is absolutely nothing at all unusual about a 20-month-old continuing to enjoy breastfeeding. Unfortunately, in our country, we don't see many toddlers and older children openly nursing, so many nursing mothers begin "closet nursing" to avoid confrontation with family, friends and strangers!
The natural time of weaning, of course, varies from child to child.
"In societies where children are allowed to nurse 'as long as they want,' they usually self-wean, with no arguments or emotional trauma, between three and four years of age ... The minimum predicted age for a natural age of weaning in humans is two and a half years, with a maximum of seven years." -- Katherine Dettwyler, PhD, Associate Professor of Anthropology and Nutrition at Texas A&M University, and author of "Breastfeeding: Biocultural Perspectives."
When weaning proceeds at a child's pace, most often it is very gradual, and sometimes the decrease in nursing is hardly noticeable. All of a sudden, you might observe that your little one hasn't asked to nurse in the past couple of days. This seems to be very common when a child's "timetable" is followed. If you both remain comfortable with the nursing relationship, it really isn't necessary to watch for signs of weaning. It will happen all on its own, in its own time. My very best wishes in mothering!
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