Who gets to say when the right time is to stop nursing our young?

There is pressure in every aspect of every avenue of every situation we find ourselves in. Pressure from ourselves, our friends, our families, society, and then expectation.

When is the right time to stop feeding our young? Is there an appropriate time? Who gets to say when that time is?

A nursing partnership is just that – a partnership, one that is between a parent who has milk and their young. It is not for anyone else to weigh in on.

That partnership will calm the fears on a stressful day, wipe the tears when pain and injury occurs, soothe cheeks of teething, steady anxiety of the first day of preschool, of primary school, of a parent returning to education and or work. That relationship is built on unconditional love, warmth, unity, and strength.

Some say they’ll only nurse until an infant cuts their first tooth, but human milk provides pain-relieving properties to ease that teething pain. Some say until their small takes a first bite of solid food.

The World Health Organisation recommends nursing until “2 and beyond” with no definition given to the beyond. Why, you ask? Human milk is incredible. Its benefits are not just exclusive to the one whom nurses but by providing human milk a lactating parent is helping their own health – so far reaching that words alone do not do justice to.

I never hid that my daughter fed until a point of which she was ready to wean, I never planned that time to be when she was 7years 4 months but I am honoured, proud and privileged to have had that journey with her.

I never hid that my daughter fed until a point of which she was ready to wean, I never planned that time to be when she was 7years 4 months but I am honoured, proud and privileged

Plenty of times I was touched out. Sometimes it felt that she was going to start university with me visiting to offer the comfort of my milk,

We had questions from certain people as to how long I planned to feed her and each time I pointed out “it is me feeding her not you, does how long actually impact on you?”

I trusted my body to provide for her and that it did in abundance.

And now she is nearly 9; when she is upset and or unwell, how I wish I could give her my magic milk once more to make things calmer and better once more.

I trusted my body not to let her down; do you trust yours to provide for yours?