breastfeeding my 2 year old

Amen, sister! You would think they would want to save the money and have YOU give the child the superior milk. We have actually made some progress in IL. But it depends on the individual WIC office, and to be honest, whether or not those who work there breastfed their kids or not. The ones who didn't, or didn't do it for long, are the very toughest to work with. Outright contempt for BF mamas in some cases.

Other offices are great and really helpful. One would be client actually called me, screaming and UPSET because the WIC officer tried to talk her out of asking for the formula and losing her extra food coupons. Man, was she barking up the wrong tree.......then she had the nerve to ask me for a "free" breastpump rental to make up the "difference."

 

Contempt is such an accurate word to describe the non bf'ers. I think they feel jealousy, and feel like we are threatening their egotistical parenting side. Somewhere in there they really know the truth... That is exactly how the WIC woman was. After basically putting me down, she then tried to make me feel bad by saying that Gaea was slightly anemic (10.3 compared 11.0 which is the norm supposedly). We are mostly a vegetarian family, and I have feeling that her iron level is healthy.

 

Her iron level seems fine to me. 7 10ths of a point off of some chart isn't "pathological!" Her irons were higher than my dd Moon's at her age. I think hers were a 9.4. I treated it with food. No supplements. It went up. No problems.

I am sorry you had to deal with a WIC officer like that. Maybe call the County office. The officers are supposed to be "supporting" breastfeeding. Not only for superior infant health, but for the fact that it save the state MILLIONS! I'd say something, if you can.

Blessings.

 

Hi all love this thread, glad you can discuss things close to you without name-calling, though it's getting close sometimes.
In my state WIC gives carrots, tuna and peanut butter to BF moms until baby's 12 months, then extra cow's milk. They also give beans, which are good for baby's iron.
Cow's Milk is so unnecessary for bf and baby-- it's all about eating a healthy balanced diet but if you're veggie you need extra protein and iron sources like beans, green leafy veggies and soy, though I guess not too much soy (I listen to Maggie, you know, sometimes! )
And for the record, I'm still nursing the going on 20 month old. Strange you mentioned your toddler saying love, love cause mine just tonight was crying for the boob and when rubbing her back and murmuring wasn't working (it sometimes does and she'll fall asleep) I put her back on and before she started to suck she said "dang doo" with a mouth full. Way too cute, that means thank you btw. But I still hold out on weaning for mama's sake-- oh, I took cold medicine for the first time in years, I was like trippng, passed out, and baby seemed groggy, maybe I should have taken something less strong than Alka Seltz but that was all we had around the house. Since it has been almost ten years since I last fasted more than 2 meals I know there's got to be toxins, and getting rid of them is why I want to fast cause I've got too many and I could be waiting a year if I let her get more and more snuggly with the boob. at least she doesn't favor only the one side like I thought she might, turns out I may have projected my worries about that onto her and was only trying to always give her the smaller side first-- but the biggest reason my son weaned at 27 months was he completely stopped on the one side and only did it on the other and so I actually switched to a bottle to give that up. *sigh* I'm just a really sensitive-skinned person and the nursing gets to be too much for me, and yes it's me not her mostly. But since I can't look myself in the mirror and say "we can stop now" without feeling guilty I am still giving her what she needs, and trying to tip the love/hate scale of it more to the love side. I should be thankful I even can, and the milk's good. But I'll be celebrating when She's done, that is for darn sure!!!!! Taking substances then fasting away, LOL
'till then I
Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

 

Soy is OK in moderate doses. My kids drink soy milk, and we eat soy cheeze but I didn't give it before a year, due to allergies (proven as allergenic) and other more unproven things (like the maybe estrogen connection.)

Beleive it or not, I really wanted to wean a while before Sage did. I was just really Tired of it. I felt clung on, like I couldn't get away, you know. But, I she still needed it so badly, and I knew we had to continue. I can't say I hated it at all (although by 4 adn a half my dh was pretty tired of it, oh well, it wasn't his call.) I just got tired. Eventually she cut back, then only a few minutes at a time, and then when we had gone a week without "nummy" I was afraid to even mention it. She was weaned. I think my dh wanted to slaughter a fatted calf and have a Biblical proportion weaning feast!

Becca, I had soreness in the last months, too. An older child has a longer jaw and this can cause some friction, where there wasn't any before. If it was too much, she was old enough for me to say "Mama's nummies are really sore today, can we stop in three minutes and I'll hold you and then we can have more nummie tomorrow?" And as she was old enough to reason with, she usually was OK with that. On the occasion that she wasn't OK with it, I knew she really needed it, badly, so I would do my labor breathing, keep nursing, and she would be done soon. This usually happened right before my period.

I felt really good that I had allowed her to self wean. No doubts, I knew she had gotten as much as her body and mind needed. I see more womyn in my practice doing this, with the result of a group of really physically and emotionally healthy kids. (However most of the womyn in America still don't continue until the recommennded 12 months. )

I have no regrets about our long nursing experience. I would do it again in a minute. Sage (as well as all my other kids) remember nursing, which is so cool.

I have had to make much harder choices and sacrifices for my kids during the teen years, so although long term nursing can be a challenge, it only prepares us and strengthens us for what lies ahead!

 

omg are you serious? what is wrong with that place?!

 

When she turns into a cow. I love it. I'll have to remember that come back! Good job, Cosmic.