Jane68

Ruth_Baldock Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Obviously I don't have first hand experience, > because Baby Baldock is only 8 months. HOWEVER, my > Mum was an extended breasfeeder with my sister and > brother('till she was 3.5, a year of this she > tandem nursed with my brother). She nursed my > brother for a very, VERY, VERY long time (I think > he was still at it when he was almost 6(!!!!), but > he has ASD and Mum thinks this has a lot to do > with it...). I remember her 'weaning' my brother, > J. She did it cold turkey, and said it was 1-2 > days of utter misery but on the third day he said > 'Nursings?' and she said 'No, darling. Lets have > some moo milk and an orange instead...' and he > obliged. From time to time after that, he asked > but when she said no, he would accept it and move > on. ASD - acute stress disorder - won't be due to the extended feeding, but may not have been helped by the abrupt termination. I wouldn't say that even 6 years is excessively long. In some parts of the world, especially where clean water is scarce up to 8 or 9 is not unusual, and it doesn't seem to do any harm. Extended feeding seems to go along with availability. If the mother dries up then weaning naturally happens earlier.