Is the sky the limit?

I know I don't often go into parenting 'issues', and I'm sure there is a good reason for that (maybe it has something to do with my lack of writing skills.... or maybe the fact that I avoid any kind of conflict like the plague. I don't know), but I'm going to break my mold a little here a dive into breastfeeding!

I remember when Coralee was just a few weeks old,

talking to a friend (with a slightly older child) about how long

we would breastfeed.

At that point, I had never really though about it,

did I need to have a number of months set in my mind?

I had NO clue, I figured I would just do it until we were done.

My friend mentioned that she was going to try to keep it up for a year.

That's the point when I specifically remember nearly falling face forward

onto my beautiful new daughter.

A YEAR! 12 MONTHS!

My mind was racing...

"this kid nurses non stop,

how on God's green earth am I supposed to do

this for a YEAR! She must be kidding,

No one can really have a kid nursing at their boob for that long.

Are we really 'supposed' to nurse that long, or is she just extreme?"

I don't remember exactly how I answered the question,

I guess it was something along the lines of

"we'll just take it a day at a time".

Now I look at that conversation (or more like my thoughts during the conversation)

 and I get a good laugh.
How was I so clueless?

I really hadn't thought about breastfeeding as having 'rules',

and I guess, in reality, I still don't.

To me it was (and is) just a natural thing you do

until you and baby decide you're done.

Obviously I had NO clue when that 'natural ending time'

would be, as I seemed to think it was well before a year.

{these were taken in March}

 

Since that day, I have turned into one of 'thoes' moms

who delays solids, tandem breastfeeds,

nurses a child who can clearly ask for it,
and nurses past the age of two.
(all of which I said I would never do)

Between the two kids, I breastfed for 3 years, and 8 months.
I know some people go much longer, but that was plenty for me.
I was pretty happy last month when Haakon refused to nurse after falling and getting hurt.
He hadn't been nursing too often anymore, not even every day,
but I took that moment as my que that he was done. done. done.


Now, I'm enjoying a break... kind of.
All the things I could think of doing when I was done nursing,
are probably frowned upon to do while pregnant ;)
I am trying to enjoy the fact, however,
that I can get through a day without my nipples feeling like they're
going to fall off.
(have you ever nursed while pregnant?
if so, you know what I'm talking about,
OUCH!)

I've set (and broke) four limits so far.
I definitely believe that self weaning is ideal,
but considering that the average age for a child to
self wean is 4.2 years, I'm not sure I'm prepared
to continue for that long. Instead, I'm going to go
until it stops feeling like the right thing to do
(I'm thinking this will be between 2 and 3).
'Go with your gut' has been my parenting motto since day one,
and I think I'll stick with it.
So what is YOUR breastfeeding limit?