What Is Wrong with Nursing a 14 Month Old????

Nothing is wrong with it. You will get lots of support on this website. Tell those naysayers to mind their own business.

Since it is time that a bottle-fed child would be weaned, you should probably at least wean her from the breast and provide her a cup w/ breast milk. Then you can later wean her from the breast milk and onto milk and other liquids.

I didn’t even have to read your question. My answer when I read your title is = absolutely nothing wrong with it. You are meeting the needs of your child. How is that wrong?

If you ask me those other moms are jealous that you’ve been able to continue BF this long. I certainly am! =-)

You go Mom!

There is absolutely nothing wrong with nursing a 14-month-old. That's still just a baby! There is no reason you should wean before you are both ready. And I'm sorry, but at 1, a baby DOES technically need it! Until a baby is 2 years old, they need either breast milk or some substitute for breast milk (most people choose whole milk). At 2, it becomes unnecessary and you can then wean straight to 2% or skim or whatever milk you prefer. Weaning to a sippy cup rather than from the breast is totally unnecessary. At 1, 2, and even 3, how many kids do you see that still have their comfort item of a "binky" (pacifier)? For some reason, this is totally socially acceptable, but it's not okay for a 14-month-old to still need her comfort "item" of breastfeeding? How is that fair?! Personally, if someone told me to "watch out" or I would be nursing a 2-year-old, I would say "So what?!" I did nurse my son until he was 26 months... Both the World Health Organization and American Academy of Pediatrics recommend supplemental breastfeeding (that is, breastfeeding along with providing other appropriate foods) for AT LEAST one year, and up to two years or more. This means that one year is THE MINIMUM, not the MAXIMUM. Until you feel ready to wean, you should continue to nurse that baby as often as you/she wants to!

There is absolutely nothing wrong with it.

Lisa

There's nothing wrong with nursing a 14mo. or a 2yo. or a 3yo. That's between you and your child. People can be so rude.

Ummm... I guess I didn't "watch out" because I DO nurse a two year old! And I totally don't care. I never ever thought I would nurse past a year or maybe 18 months, but here we are, 27 months! Just quote the Academy of Pediatrics or the WHO... They both recommend nursing for at least 2 years. That should shut people up if you're worried about it. :)

I breastfed both my kids.
I let them self-wean
I did "extended breastfeeding" which is what it is called. If you look it up on online, you will see many articles on it. As 'proof' of its benefits. Many Pediatricians themselves, did extended breastfeeding.

Next, ignore other people's comments to you.
YOU are the Mom. Not them.

My daughter self-weaned at about 2.5 years old.
My son self-weaned at about 1 years old.
Both my kids, are totally fine and confident and independent kids and very healthy. They are very self-assured kids.

Each Mom is different. It is not up to other family members, what you do with your child.

My Husband, totally was "proud" of me, that I breastfed for as long as I did and that I let our kids self-wean. He even bragged about it to his friends. My other friends, ALSO did extended breastfeeding. It is common.

You also do however, want to encourage her to learn to drink from other things and sippy cups. Drinking from sippy's or cups are different from 'drinking' from a breast... it is a different mouth/tongue coordination. So... your child probably has to get used to that and it is developmental.
If anything, ask your Pediatrician... about it, since she is not taking in other liquids.... at her age.

Is she drinking whole milk yet? From 1 years old it is recommended... BECAUSE the 'milk fats' are an essential nutrient for brain development.

My kids, they were drinking other things and whole milk... and still breastfeeding, until they self-weaned. So breastfeeding was NOT their only liquid intake.

Leave cute sippy cups out and about wherever she is... several of them. Leave it on a table etc. wherever she is. That is what I did with my kids. They have to get used to seeing it and even just playing with it. And so they can grab it at will on their own too and get used to it. Don't only offer it to her at meal times. Make the sippy cups just available all day... placing them where ever she plays or is hanging out.

Next, is she eating solids as well?

Next: Though my eldest daughter was still nursing until she self-weaned at about 2.5 years old... I got pregnant. You CAN still get pregnant even if breastfeeding. AND... I too, was an 'older" parent... meaning, I was older than 35.
Your family members... are telling you things based on opinion.... NOT fact. Just their own hang ups.

Ultimately, ask your Pediatrician your concerns. Don't go by what judgmental family members are telling you.

all the best,
Susan

What is wrong with it? NOTHING! From a mom who nursed her daughter for 21 months. Just cite the World Health Organization's recommendation of 2 years of breastfeeding and end the conversation. You don't need to answer to anyone on how long you nurse your child!

There is nothing wrong!
World Health Organization recommends nursing until *AT LEAST* 2 years old, if not longer if mutually wanted by mother and baby. There are plenty of cultures that nurse until 2 and beyond. It is not uncommon in some cultures for a child to nurse until 4 or 5. It is the attitude in the United States that is wrong and outdated. American Academy of Pediatrics only recommends 1 year. There is work going on to try to change that attitude and recomendation.
I nursed my first until he was 3, through my pregnancy with #2 and 2 months I nursed both of them. I nursed #2 until he was 2 months shy of his 5th birthday. I found out I was pregnant with #3 a week or so after #2 last nursed. #3 will be 15 months in a few days and I'm not making her wean.
An older child does not nurse the same as a newborn. They do begin to cut back on how often they nurse as they eat more table foods and get busier. There is still health and nutritional benefits to the child from breastmilk as they get older.
Ignore the naysayers. Do what's best for your child and yourself.
Good for you!

Technically, nothing. But social norms usually play a role in what's appropriate. It's a subject people have strong feelings about. I admit, I get a little uncomfortable when I see a kid walk over to thier mom and lift her shirt and pull her bra up. Right or wrong, I get a little uncomfortable. That's how I've been socialized. If it starts to affect how people treat you or her than you might do a benefit analysis and ask yourself, is it worth it? Is it worth alienating yourself and her from your circle? Aside from that - and who really cares what other people think! It would be a good time for her to start learning to self soothe.

Absolutely nothing. Ignore those people cause they don't know what they are talking about. Only you and your daughter know what is best for your nursing relationship because you are the only ones involved in it!

There is nothing wrong with nursing a 2 year old either! So many older people esp these days don't know/aren't comfortable with babies nursing period just because back when we were babies everyone was pushing bottles and formula. I nursed both my boys to 2 1/2, and let me tell you, weaning is the easiest thing in the world if you let it happen naturally. I would say by like 18 months both my boys were probably only nursing 2x a day, first thing in the AM and at night before bed. Then at some point they stopped the morning session and we were only doing before bed. Then both of them about the time we got them "big boy beds" they were ready to be done with the night time nursing...and they decided all on their own.

You will be extremely grateful that you are still nursing next time she gets sick and won't eat anything but will still nurse. Breastmilk at any age has HUGE benefits for children....these benefits don't magically go away at any certain age. The immunity boost, all the great nutrients etc. Don't discourage her from eating/drinking other things, and just practice don't offer/don't refuse. She will let you know when it is time. Congratulations on making it so long! In our society it is hard to overcome all our anti-nursing taboos and do what is best for our babies, especially if you have alot of people around you that are not supportive/educated on the subject. Rest easy knowing it's completely normal and recommended to continue as long as you are both comfortable with it.

A great read on this subject http://www.amazon.com/Mothering-Nursing-Toddler-Norma-Bum.... Really helps reinforce your decision and help you know that you are not alone, you just don't see it alot in our society since everyone has to hide to nurse your children. Once my kids hit the morning/night only no one else really needed to know or ever saw it happening anymore and I just never brought it up. None of their business, really. Ignore the pumping suggestions too.....there should be no stigma associated with the actual act of nursing and once you have past the 12 month mark most moms don't get much from pumping anyhow....the time and effort you would have to spend for two ounces...it's just silly.

It sounds like you still have your child on an all liquid diet? I would suggest trying to introduce things like applesauce, veggies and some ground up meats.

Every child's experience is different. Mine were about that age when I weaned ,(probably around 18 months when we totally stopped)... and yes, I had to force it, b/c they were starting to try and unbutton my shirt in public and grab my breasts and it was more of a demand and comfort thing than a hunger thing. They also starting biting and hurting me... really hard!

I'm sure about keeping her hydrated, she would drink more liquids if she weren't nursing as often. Breast milk starts to lose some of it's nutrient value around this time, so encouraging more liquid intake, such as whole milk, or dairy substitute like rice or soy milk would be great as well.

My pediatrician told me I was pretty much just a human pacifier, and to teach my kids to seek comfort from me in other ways, like hold and rock, read a story, cuddle... so they still get that physical contact. Better yet, cuddle her while giving her a sippy cup. You can still nurse at night or throughout the day too, but this way, you are helping her wean comfortably, and you can get some rest at the same time.

I know some people just love to nurse all day long, but for me, I started to really not enjoy it anymore, and I found other ways to comfort my kids and that that was why we stopped when we did.

About the sippy cup... mine never really took one. I gave them regular little cups without the lid and held it for them as they drank. Then, they eventually took on to the sippy cup, like a year later.

My daughter nursed until 2yrs 4 months, my son until age 2 and a bit. I agree that 14 months is still a baby! As your child gets older, they can understand rules around nursing if you choose to make them: only at home, or only in the morning, or only if you eat/drink something else first. I waited to officially wean my daughter when my husband finished a several month stretch of out-of-town consulting work. She knew that she would be done with nursing when daddy got home, and she could choose a weaning present -- which turned out to be an Ernie doll. In order to break our routine, we all took a weekend trip. And that was that.

Congrats for nursing so long I applaud you. There is nothing wrong with nursing a child past one year. You are providing a great service to your child both through nourishment and physical bonding. If you feel your child is not ready to be weaned then do what is best for your child. And besides what's wrong with nursing a 2 year old? I know many moms who weaned after 2 and I saw nothing wrong with that. If you want her to drink from the sippy more try offering it at every meal, snack, whenever you feel like she might need a drink. Maybe try a different cup. Some children don't like the hard spouts so try a soft one or one with a straw.

Nothing is wrong with it. You're the mama. You make the decisions that are best for YOUR child. Period. And, that is your response to anyone who has anything to say about it. (If they do have more to say, you can point to them to many educational/medical journals that support it.)

Good luck with the nay sayers and remember you are your only child's advocate. That is your job. There will be many more obstacles (and idiots) out there. :)

Nothing is wrong with nursing longer. It makes some people less comfortable, but I would not let those people bother you. Doing what is best for your child is what is most important, in Denmark and other countries it is not unusual to nurse children until ages 4 or 5. Have you tried pumping and offering her that in a sippy?

Ha! I started laughing when I read this because my family is the same way. She is a year old now and everyone keeps asking when I plan to stop nursing her. I just find that funny because seriously, why does anybody care how long I nurse my daughter? She LOVES nursing and I'm just not ready to pull the plug on something she finds so comforting without good reason. I just tell them I'm hoping to stop before she hits high school and then change the subject. =)

I don't see anything wrong with it. However...I will say, I have many friends who DID regret not weaning before two. Their two year olds became very needy and actually regressed to nursing all day. One friend desperatly needed a job, but couldn't send her child to mothers day out, because she was nursing so frequently at two. Your daughter, is probably not interested in liquids, because she is getting it from you. If you gently wean her off the frequency of the breast and encourage her to drink more liquids (I'm not saying completely wean), you are not pressuring her. There is a gentle way of going about making feeding changes. If you really DON'T want to be nursing a two year old, you might think about encouraging other liquids and changing the frequency of her nursing.

Hi 1little1,

Kudos to you for nursing your daughter for this long. There is nothing wrong with it and as a breastfeeder that chose to exclusively breastfeed for close to 12 months and extended nursed until my children self weaned, I think it's wonderful! I have 4, my oldest is 11 and my youngest will be one tomorrow. I can tell you, that the youngest is the only one that is nursing, all others self weaned between 18m-36m. None of them were exclusively nursing at this age, they nursed at various times throughout the day then only before nap & bed. I can also tell you your child won't be going off to college nursing....LOL!

I offer/ed mine a sippy cup with water and sometimes diluted juices as they got older. The youngest loves to play around with the sippy cup and I don't discourage it. She rarely drinks enough to sustain or hydrate her so most of her nourishment is from breastmilk and the little solid food that she eats. Try to stand firm in what you believe/feel.

If you need support, you may find it through your local La Leche League. I can remember attending my first meeting with my best friend. Our babies were 4-6 months at the time. The majority of the moms at our first meeting were moms of toddlers, 18m-older. We joked on the drive home that we would never nurse our babies past 12m...little did we know that we would be one of those LLL mommas that chose extended nursing for our baby. It's certainly not for everyone but if you feel the need to continue nursing her well into her toddler years, then go for it. Remember, do what works for your family. Not everyone will agree but it's not about what everyone thinks. You're doing what you think is best for your daughter. She's lucky to have a momma like you!

Peace & Light,
J.

first one nursed 3.5 years, second 3 years. both kept at it more for comfort than nourishment. i loved every minute of it except towards the end with my second one. they are happy healthy babes (one is 13 the other 6). i find discussing ANYthing regarding my kids with ANYone other than hubby usually invites commentary or criticism. i support you in whatever choice you make.

Feel free to tell those you're getting vibes from that the World Health Organization actually recommends continued breastfeeding up until age 2, and that babies up to age 2 have been proven to get significant nutritional and immunological benefits via breastmilk. :)

I just don't talk about it with others, but that may be easier for us, because I only do it at home, in the baby's room mostly, so it's out of sight/out of mind.

Another poster said that when she was ready to wean her baby (who was 2 & 1/2 if I'm remembering right...), she started saying that they could only nurse in specific places & times and held to that, and then gradually weaned over time by narrowing the places & times. You can also do the don't ask/don't offer, if you want to try cutting back. If the baby doesn't ask for it, don't offer (unless you want to).

My little guy was so/so about his sippy cup, until we put ice water in it--he loves ice water. We also let him sip out of a small plastic juice glass (like the grown-ups), which he loves. You could try doing a straw with a cup with a lid--she might like that more.

I keep close tabs on many young families in my religious community. Some have nursed past a child's first year, and none of those apparently had any more trouble weaning than if done earlier. In fact, at least a half dozen of the littles I've most recently known self-weaned before their second birthdays. I can think of only one holdout, and in that case, the mom is genuinely happy to still be nursing, so it's not an issue.

There's nothing wrong with continuing to nurse for however long it continues to work for you both. I'd just keep making the cup available (sippy cups are optional – I didn't use one when my daughter was small), keep modeling how big people drink and eat, and she'll gradually want to do that more and more.

there is nothing wrong with it, although i personally didnt do it in public anymore. my second daughter nursed until just 2, and i think it was great since i explained to her that she was a big girl. of course, prior to weaning, it was much less by 2, like once in the morning and at night.

i hate when people say something like "watch out". its only a problem if you decide its a problem, but people put it in your head that your wrong for NOT thinking something is a problem. you have said "i also dont belive in pushing a child prematurely" so that is what you believe. dont let others push you to change you thoughts. as for breastfeeding, i read a wonderful article once and it was medically written for benefits of breastfeeding. at the end it was discussing nursing past 1 year. it said that because breastmilk is clearly the most beneficial food for a child, and provides benefits, there is no reason to think that suddenly at 1 year, those same benefits are not continuing. at 2, it still is the most healthy choice when comparing to anything else. its just, at that age, the child isnt solely dependent on milk. im not saying to breastfeed till 2+, im just saying there isnt anything wrong with it if you do.

as for others, i had three friends come to visit me in the hospital when i had my first. i was the first to have a baby, and know one was really there to guide me, so i decided i was going to bottle feed(which i did). well they stood there all saying "why dont you just try" and each one claimed they were going to breastfeed and didnt understand why i wouldnt. well, the two did breastfeed but didnt like the way they had to feed closer together than bottle feeding, had to be the one to feed at night, and that they couldnt really leave the baby for long periods. one lasted 2 months, the other 3 months, and they both stopped cold turkey. the 3rd tells me she doesnt want kids anymore. they then couldnt comprehend how i EBF the entire time. the bottom line is people always want you to do what they do to make them feel secure in their choices. so those who dont breastfeed or stopped right at one want you to make the same choice they did. i really believe this when comments like "watch out" are being made since there is nothing positive and usually the people who say it DIDNT do that themselves. are the moms saying "watch out" the ones who breastfed a 2 year old and completely hated every minute of it? usually not. good luck and remember, they are only this young for such a short time in their lives. sometimes i think people forget or rush that.

I think some people just do not understand, some children and mother find it comforting.. There is nothing wrong with it..

Our daughter was drinking from a sippy at 1 years old, so the breast to her was like a bottle. She "wanted to be a Big girl".

There was a mom on here last night asking how to wean her 3 year old off the breast since she is about to have a baby and wants to wean her daughter.. Her child still needs it.

I had a neighbor who allowed her daughter to breast feed till she was 4. We were are a meeting in a park and her daughter walked up, pulled up her shirt and STOOD there and fed. I thought, "good lord, If you can walk up to the fridge and open the door and pour the milk, why are you still BF'ing?"

Our daughter took a psychology class this last semester and she said that she learned that "children generally should not have any memories of breast feeding once they are an adult for a healthy mental state". A child "usually" does not have memories of anything before their 3rd birthday..

Be careful or you will hav ea nursing 2yr old? Seriously? Thats like saying 'be careful reading to your child or someday your child will read too!' People are so ignorant.

She's old enough for you to put some limits on nursing. By 15/16mos my boys knew that nursing was for sleep times... upon waking, before and after nap, and before bed. I didn't DENY them if they asked but I did try to busy myself some because as soon as I sat down I would have them asking to nurse.

go with her flow, tell anyone who opposed it to shove it. :)

There is nothing wrong!! Giving her a cup of breast milk would not provide the same amount of comfort which you mention she needs. If you don't feel too strongly about weaning (so that you don't resent the nursing) and your child is not ready, then keep nursing. I nursed my daughter until 20 months at which point it was just twice a day, before nap and bed (but with teeth brushing after the bedtime nursing). My daughter did not comfort nurse though or demand to nurse. I would maybe take her to the store and let her pick out a special sippy cup and start giving it to her with water in it. Or how about a cup with a straw? If she's nursing more often than you would like, then try distraction or giving her a solid snack instead. And seriously, what's wrong if you are nursing a 2 year old, as long as you both still want to do it and she's eating solids well! In most other countries children are nursed for much longer than in the US. Plus it's great for their immune systems! A great book about nursing is The Nursing Mother's Companion and they address this issue (other people being critical of nursing an older child).
Good luck!

Uh oh - I breastfed mine until she was 27 months and the only reason why we stopped was because I was pregnant and my milk was drying up. I think its great that you continue to breastfeed. My Pedi always comments about how healthy my daughter is and I attribute some of that to the breastfeeding. I had the same issues with family, friends, strangers making comments but I ignored them and continued until she and I were ready.

When they make a comment about nursing a 2 year old, why don't you say "Oh really, hmmm I was thinking of weaning her when she started kindergarten" with a nice innocent smile =)

Honestly, there is nothing wrong with it. If you do it in public, it does catch people off guard since technically, the baby does not need it and it is not a norm in our culture. I still nurse my son before bed (he is almost 2 1/2) and although I never thought I would be doing that (its the only time he gets it) I actually don't mind. I don't boast about it but if people ask, I don't lie. I understand it seems a little wierd to most people. You don't say how often she nurses. I think, since you don't love the frequency tha she is nursing, you should try redirection when she wants to nurse and you know its for comfort. Keep the before nap/sleep ones because they are the hardest. You can use toys, videos, fun snacks, ect. Also, you may want to have a privacy rule where you can only nurse her when its just the two of you. I think as long as you are consistant and make the rules clear to her she shouldn't have too much trouble. You may also be more lenient if she is sick or teething. The issue arrises when you go full on cold turkey. That is just not fair since you haven't given her the opportunity to develop other coping mechanisms. But now is a good time to start this important life skill.

Don't listen to them! You know your own child and just listen to your instincts. There are people that are wierd about nursing at any age. I, unfortunately, was not able to nurse my kids for that long (my longest was my son for 4 months) but it was hard once I went back to work full-time. However, I have good friends that have nursed their kids for over a year. I think one of them went as long as 20 months.

As a mother who was never able to nurse her children (I was never able to produce any milk, or at least not enough) I think as long as you and your husband are OK with it, then continue....

However, as a mother of a clingy little boy, I can tell you, that the sooner you can break that dependance on just you for comfort, the better..

2 is a pivitol age for growth.. by then they need to have learned to have other methods to calm and relax themselves. So until then, I say enjoy your bonding time with your child...

My son is 15 months old and we are still nursing. I dont see anything wrong with it. I think its between you and the baby. We are in a similar situation with nursing before nap time and bed time.

As far as not getting enough liquids, I let my son drink water and milk from my cups as well as from different types of sippy cups. He still isnt the kind of child that will sit down and drink a whole cup of anything but I always have a drink on hand to offer him and we are down to nursing about 4 times a day.

Also at bedtime if I can nurse him without letting him fall to sleep, then I will put him in his crib with music and sometimes he will fall asleep on his own. I also find that if he wakes up in the middle of the night, the easiest thing for me to do is breast feed him, but what i have been trying is to just hold him and rock him back to sleep and then he is fine.

Another thing I do is give him lots of snacks. I dont know if it's the right thing to do but it seems to work and keep him more independent. He likes crackers and baby cheetos and yogurt melts, toast, dry cereal and with all of those i give him a drink it usually ends up on the floor, but he will have drinken a little before that happens.

So what's wrong with nursing a two year old? NOTHING!! I didn't wean my oldest until he was 2 1/2yo and my youngest will be 3yo in a week and I just stopped nursing him three weeks ago.

It's only in our modern, developed societies where this is seen as abnormal. It's NOT abnormal. The global average age of weaning is 4yo! And that's the AVERAGE, it figures in all of the western mothers that wean at 1 MONTH as well as the mothers in other places that don't wean until the child is 5 or 6 YEARS old.

The longer you can nurse her, the better off she'll be. Period. And besides, this is between you and your daughter and NO ONE ELSE! Next time someone says something like that to you just give them some rudely uber-personal advice right back like "When are you going to see your proctologist again? You need to be going for a check up every year you know! You don't want polyps to go unnoticed after all!" If they have any brains they'll get the point you're trying to make. If they don't get it, then who cares what they think anyways because they're obviously dim-witted.

Good luck to you and keep nursing that baby mama!

Breastmilk, coconut milk and kefir? You are giving your daughter such a healthy start.
Do you have any stored breastmilk? You could try that in a sippy cup and see how she does.

I will say this......it's easy to say 'don't let other's opinions affect you' but the truth is......we do take people's opinions to heart- even if they are the STUPIDEST opinions in the world!!! I have to remind myself, often! :) that I will not let other people's attitudes, actions or words affect the way that I live or parent. It takes work.....but what FREEDOM!

Enjoy every part of your little one on YOUR time. No one else will value each day with your child like you will.
Blessings and great job!

Dont listen to a word anyone says. That is your child and you make the decisions. Man, this topic really gets me upset bc people just dont realize how IMPORTANT breastfeeding is to a baby/toddler! It is the best thing you can do for her!!! I nursed my daughter until she was 18 months old and I had the same problem.. My family telling me that I needed to stop, rolling there eyes when I told people I was still nursing. But again, you do what you want bc that is YOUR child and dont let anyone else influence you and your decision to continuing nursing! Good for you for nursing this long!!! :)

Your answer is in your post. You know your child and what you want. What you really want is a strategy to deal with inapporpriate and intrusive comments from others. Assumning you don't want to make enemies, I would just say, "We both enjoy it, and I am happy to do it as long as we are both happy."

I nursed my older daughter for 13 and wish it had lasted longer. I nursed my older with 18 months and wish it had lasted longer. I don't know the "right" age - some people woudl say a year, some might say 5 years. For me, it tbecame apparent fhat that she didn't need to nurse and that it was becoming more for me than for her. Don't get me wrong, it is iokay to enjoy those moments, I felt like it was time for us to be on our own a bit more, and when it was time, my girls did great and I had time to plan for the end and follow through and mourn it a bit. And I miss it still, but I am happy to hav emy body back too.

Short answer – absolutely nothing.

Longer answer – The length of time a baby spends breastfeeding is between the baby and her mother. In our culture, many seem to be squeamish about breastfeeding in general; and long-term breastfeeding in particular. I personally think it’s because breasts in our country are primarily considered sex toys for men. I read a book once, which I believe was called “Our Babies Ourselves” that discussed this issue across cultures. It stated that there are some tribes in Africa where it isn’t unusual for a child to come to his or her mama’s breast for a snack up until the age of 7! No big deal! You are giving your child a fantastic start in life. Just ignore the meddling, rude comments and do what your mothering instincts tell you is right.

My personal advice to you is try not to listen to others....listen to your gut and what it is telling you! I nursed my son til he was 17 months, my one daughter til she was probably 14 months and the other daughter til she was 12 months. There is NO rule book here and if others don't like what you are doing maybe you should say that you are doing what YOU feel is best for your child! All kiddos are different and this is such a "special" time in your life and I would encourage you to just really enjoy it because it won't last forever.

Good luck to you and ENJOY~
A.

I don't think there's anything wrong with nursing a 14 month old. My husband and I agreed on 18 months and sadly, I had to cold turkey my son at 15 months because I had to go into the hospital for an operation.
My daughter self weened before a year so I was really glad to nurse my son as long as I did. I wasn't worried about him losing the breast because he was such a healthy eater and drank other liquids just fine. As far as nourishment, he didn't really need it. He wasn't happy at all for a few days, but by the time I got home from the hospital, it was all over and he was no worse for wear.
In my case, I couldn't help it, it was what it was and I certainly didn't need anyone making me feel guilty about it. Seems you have the opposite issue.
My point is, if something happened and you HAD to give up nursing, your baby would be just fine. But, I don't think you should cave in to outside influences if this isn't the time you have chosen to be the RIGHT time.

Hang in there and best wishes.

You are the mother, so do what you think she needs. I'm always confused by this subject to be honest. Do children with a full mouth of teeth and starting to say words NEED to be nursed? I don't know? Why do pediatricians say off the bottle at 1 year, but mothers who bottle feed hand their 2 year old child a bottle of milk? Why do 3 year olds walk around with a paci? It's because it is what the mother has decided for the child. If you honestly think your daughter isn't ready, then go for it.

nothing wrong with nursing for 14 months, and even nothing wrong with nursing till 2. In fact, the board of pediatricians are changing the recommended age to nurse until at least 2 years. Their are so many benefits! If you and your child are both happy with breastfeeding, I don't see why you should stop. And just so you are aware, you CAN get pregnant while breastfeeding. :)

I nursed my son until he was 16 mos. HE quite cold turkey one day and never looked back.

There is nothing wrong with what your doing. She is your child and thats that! Forget what everyone else thinks! My best friend nursed her daughter till she was 18 months! I nursed my last daughter till she was 10 months, I got really sick and had to abruptly stop nursing due to meds and let me tell you it was a rough few weeks till I could nurse her again! I worked ft so a bottle was fine but only when she knew she wasnt supposed to get it! She wasnt ready to stop nursing and it was hard, I am currently nursing my 3rd baby and have every intention of going until he is ready to stop, as long as its before he starts school! lol......dont let anyone else guilt or shame you into doing something with your child you dont want to do! Good luck!

My mom nursed me until I was 22 months. I don't think there is anything wrong with that. I don't remember nursing at all. I don't even remember her nursing my younger brother when I was 3 1/2. Fourteen months is still a baby in my opinion. Why hurry? I did not breastfeed my three kids as long (11 months was the longest) just because it really wasn't my "thing". I had a lot of problems ie: low libido, low blood sugar, back problems from large breast size, etc. I did enjoy nursing, though. It's a great connection between mother and child. Just try to see where they are coming from even if you don't agree with them. That way you won't resent them as much because, in their own way, they want what they think would be best for you.

Good for you! I nursed my twins until they were 15 months old, and I started getting some of the same reactions (I even posted a question about it on here similar to yours!). You do what's best for you and your child. Don't worry about what others think. When we have baby #3, I plan to nurse until he/she is ready to stop.