My toddler’s 20 months old. Yes, I’m still breastfeeding.

It’s been a while since I wrote… anything. Between the quarantine, feeling like I had nothing to write about, not having time to write because I have a toddler at home and am working from home… and… and …. and…. I’m still breastfeeding.

You get the point.

Yes, I’m still breastfeeding.

We haven’t been around people for a long time at this point, so I think I’ve been able to avoid a lot of what I expected in terms of judgmental comments and eyebrow raises (yep, can still see those even when you have a mask on, random person walking past my car). But continuing to nurse past the “socially acceptable” age of 6 months has definitely meant I’ve gotten them.

My toddler’s 20 months old. Yes, I’m still breastfeeding.

RELATED READ :: Breastfeeding a Toddler – How un-American

When I was pregnant, someone asked if I was planning on breastfeeding. My answer was yes, and although I hadn’t done a lot of research on it yet, I knew I wanted to nurse until at least 1 year, because I had read that it was recommended until then for immunity-boosting properties. The response I got from this friend?

“Okay, as long as you’re planning on stopping before he or she can ask for milk — that’s just weird!”

My toddler started signing for milk at about 8 months.

Yep, I’m still breastfeeding.

She started to say “eche” (leche is Spanish for milk, she couldn’t say the “L” yet) at about 11 months.

Yep, I’m still breastfeeding.

She started to lift my shirt and ask for “leche, please” at around 16 months.

Yeah. Still breastfeeding.

Did you know that the World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding up to an age of 2 years… OR BEYOND?

There are so many benefits, and although I won’t get into those right now, you can for yourself at the linked WHO page above.

I want to add that just because I am still nursing doesn’t mean I always WANT to be still nursing. Goodness gracious, have you ever been at home all day with a voracious toddler who does yoga on your chest while she nurses? Sounds fun, right?

Another thing: just because I’m still nursing doesn’t mean I think every mom should nurse this long or that I think poorly of moms who don’t/can’t. You exclusively pumped? You rock. You had to try every kind of formula known to man because your baby had digestive issues/was adopted/you were on medication/nursing was stressful/painful/not for you? You rock.

So, when will I stop?

That’s a great question. We’re already heading in that direction; my toddler has days where she doesn’t nurse for more than half the day. And then she has days where she isn’t feeling great and doesn’t want food and asks for milk 17,000 times an hour. We’ve night-weaned recently, and she’s sleeping longer stretches, which has been wonderful. But I also don’t mind when she wakes up in the morning and gets on the couch with me and sweetly looks up at me and says, “leche, please, thank you!” So for now…

Oops, sorry, had to stop writing because my toddler came over to me and asked to nurse.

Yep. Still breastfeeding.