Extended nursing: How long should you breastfeed?

Choosing to breastfeed your baby is a big commitment. It takes time, energy, planning, and determination. And that’s okay, because you know how important it is for your baby to be breastfed. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of a baby’s life, followed by breastfeeding in combination with the introduction of complementary foods until at least 12 months, and continuation of breastfeeding for as long as mutually desired by mother and baby. Some moms only breastfeed for about a year. Other moms may choose to breastfeed longer, which is often called extended nursing. This approach to breastfeeding involves nursing for over a year, and then gradually allowing your baby to wean on their own. Although the reasons, as well as the overall length of time mothers choose to breastfeed may vary, most moms agree breastfeeding has benefits for both them and their baby.

Benefits of Extended Breastfeeding

Choosing to nurse for more than a year can be beneficial in many ways:

• Breastfeeding will help your baby stay healthy
• Make travel with your baby easier to manage
• Assist in keeping your weight in check
• And, contrary to what you may have heard, extended nursing can actually help your baby become more independent, because it offers them more emotional support.

Best Laid Plans vs. How Long You Actually Breastfeed

We asked our Facebook fans about their breastfeeding plans and what they experienced, and here’s what they had to say:

With my first baby, I planned for around 12 months, but it was more like 26 months when I stopped. Baby number two was forced to stop for medical reasons around the 10-11 month mark. Now with my third baby, it’s been 14 months and we’re still going until she's ready.

I planned at least 1 year and he self weaned at around 15 months. I had enough frozen that he was still able to have breastmilk until 18-19 months.

I planned for 12 months. But now she is 17 months and won't quit.

I had no timeline and still don't really but once he is in school he may need to quit.

I plan on nursing for at least a year.  My baby is 3 months old and I don’t want to stop any time soon. I love it so much I just might go beyond a year. 

I had hopes of 6 to 12 months. With my first we went to 26 months. He only quit when my second arrived and with my second we went 23 months before he was done. I feel proud that we were so successful but sad it is over. I took a great class and read books in preparation so I knew what to expect and that we could overcome anything that might get in our way.

Planned on 2 years for each, actually nursed my first baby for 27 months, my second for 29 months, my third for 30 months and now my fourth for33 months. They all quit when they were ready ... the last two tandem nursed together for 14 months.

The bottom line is, it’s normal and okay to nurse beyond a year, even if other mothers around you aren’t on the extended nursing path. Do what works for you and your baby, and resist caving to societal pressures, or a feeling of embarrassment. Choosing to let your baby wean when he or she is ready is instinctive, and as demonstrated in the above examples, many mothers - or should we say babies - choose to extend their nursing beyond a year.