did you wean a child before cruising?

[sas80]

Actually, no. Before baby shows any signs of being sick, mom's body is already aware of the illness and is creating the antibodies. It's super cool, actually! In the baby's little membranes in the mouth, tiny little messengers are created that say "Illness on the way! Get to work, Mom!" Then, when the baby is at the breast, that message is literally passed through the nipple and into the mom's system. Then, her body starts creating the special blend of milk to help fight the illness!

 

This only works if the baby actually nurses AT the breast. It can't be communicated through bottle feeding, even of expressed human milk.

 

So how come my kid has a cold right now?

He nurses from me every single morning!

[OnTheBrink]

See, I did cause her to have a seizure...major mommy guilt now. ;) :p

 

Nah! John had a seizure while actually on my breast nursing at that very moment! He clamped that little jaw so tight - on my nipple!

 

So how come my kid has a cold right now?

He nurses from me every single morning!

 

Kids get sick, regardless. But you can feel good knowing that you are doing everything in your power to keep him as healthy as possible. Perhaps that cold he has now would be much worse with out nursing. (Not to say that nursing gets don't get sick or formula babies always do. This is not a judgement - just statements based on reality.)

[Luxuriate]

I still suggest to do what ever feels right for you and your toddler.

 

Cheers and happy cruising!

 

Cheryl

[aimeebd]

I figured I'd join in the debate with the hope that someone might learn something, and to my big surprise, not only does it seem like some people did learn from the whole discussion, but that they admitted it too!

 

I'm impressed!

[crusinmama06]

Nah! John had a seizure while actually on my breast nursing at that very moment! He clamped that little jaw so tight - on my nipple!

 

OUCH! OMG :eek:

[katerkat]

So how come my kid has a cold right now?

He nurses from me every single morning!

 

Sometimes they just do - my son spent his first winter (9 months-1 year old) with a perpetually runny nose. Part of it was teething (he always drips from the nose when teething!) and part was he liked to touch the grocery cart handles and then stick his fingers in his mouth, etc. :rolleyes: My mom just assured me that if I wasn't nursing him, it would have been worse.

 

I don't know if I would wean before the cruise. We weaned from 11 to 13 months, and the day before I went to my college reunion was the last day he nursed. I thought we'd be nursing a while still but he didn't miss it. But he was younger - at 3 I'm sure your son would know what he's missing and want his comfort object! We're struggling with the binkies right now - I want to get rid of them but there never seems to be a good time. With his dad deploying and his own insistence on getting stitches, he still needs the comfort.

 

Oh, and I never plan on making him give up his blankie.

[Nliedel]

I just know that most kids are encouraged to stop the use of a bottle by age one- so I just wondered what the difference is between that and nursing. But obviously there are some good points to be made for nursing longer.

 

Actually, there's a reason for that. Kids are more flexible at about 12 months of age, than they will be for almost another two years. It's a window of time. If kids are on a bottle after one, they will be more likely to use it until they are three. Don't ask me for the hards and fasts on this one, it's in my brain pan and it came from a reliable source, but I'll be danged if I remember what it was.

 

Anyway, the bottle can affect tooth formation, etc. Because of the way the breast fits in the mouth, it's not as likely to have an impact on tooth formation. Wish I remembered where on earth I picked that up. Probably an LLL meeting.

[Nliedel]

Nah! John had a seizure while actually on my breast nursing at that very moment! He clamped that little jaw so tight - on my nipple!

 

 

 

Kids get sick, regardless. But you can feel good knowing that you are doing everything in your power to keep him as healthy as possible. Perhaps that cold he has now would be much worse with out nursing. (Not to say that nursing gets don't get sick or formula babies always do. This is not a judgement - just statements based on reality.)

 

OW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

On the second part. Kids get sick, even with the breast. It does help, though. I was flat told by my NICU doc that Herne got out four weeks earlier than expected, in part, because of the breast milk. This was said in an enclosed room in a whisper. No one wants to upset moms who don't breast feed. It's not for everyone. It's best, imo, to do what makes you the best momb you can be.

[p-mama]

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that this turned into such a debate. It's always curious to me why some people even bother posting a reply when they have nothing but criticism to offer. I didn't see anywhere that the OP asked if breastfeeding a 3yo was acceptable :rolleyes:

 

OP-I would suggest following your child's lead. If your little one is showing signs of being ready to wean before the cruise I think it's fine to help him move along in the process so he's weaned before the cruise. I wouldn't push the issue at all though.

 

We're leaving on our first cruise next week and I'll be breastfeeding my 3yo (who will be 4 in August) At this age he tends to breastfeed very infrequently when we are involved in new exciting adventures so I assume that his breastfeeding will be very limited on the trip...but I will allow him to breastfeed when he needs to.

[Jessy74]

Actually, I think nursing 3 year olds are quite normal!

 

Me too! I just wanted to chime in that I know quite a few people/children who were nursed 3+ years. Including myself and my DD.

 

The decision to wean is a very personal one. Follow your heart and your child's cues.

 

If I were in your shoes, I would wait till after the cruise, unless your child is showing signs that he wants to wean. It would be awful if he associated cruising with weaning and then did'nt like to cruise!

[kiwicruiser83]

BF for 3 yrs...somewhere there is an orthodontist rubbing his hands together and wondering how he could possibly get all moms to be EXACTLY like you!

But my hat is off to you for being so persistant!

[charlies_mom]

I haven't read through this whole thread, but I had a bad feeling about where it would go from the first post.

 

I am *SO* glad to see that many of the posters are breastfeeders. I hope that there are other toddlers being nursed on my cruise so we won't be the only ones!!

[jerin]

You know your child best -- I can see it going both ways. I can see the cruise as being an incentive to wean -- now he's a big boy and doesn't need to nurse so he can go on the big boat --- or I can see the cruise as being a semi-traumatic upheval in his life where the nursing could be a great calming/security thing for him. It really depends on the child, and I think the only thing you can really do is go with your gut. You know him best.

[bethaniesmom]

just a suggestion....and it has been 23 years since I breastfed the last of my four children.....

going on a cruise, remember to keep yourself very hydrated in order to keep your milk supply the same as at home....with the change in temperature in the caribbean or increased activity on your part, hydration is very important and sometimes over looked...this can cause dehydration for you, and your child!

happy cruising to you and your little one no matter what you decide...

 

Beverly

[sgttami]

I haven't read through this whole thread, but I had a bad feeling about where it would go from the first post.

 

 

 

I think this was a very good thread because I for one, was not aware that some women nursed until their children were almost 4(or older).

 

When my son was a baby (29 years ago), pediatricians encouraged weaning before a year old and back then I never saw a toddler nursing. Since that time, I have and didn't know it was quite common. I just thought it was strange!!

 

While some posters may be EXTREMELY opinionated on what's right or wrong, I'd never go there!! I'm glad I learned something new.

 

(And I always read a whole thread before posting once or more!)

[shiriw]

The average age that a child weans (world-wide) is 2-4 years of age. It has been this way since the beggining of time and is completely natural. It is only in Western cultures today that this is viewed as wrong because of issues with sexuality. I am still nursing my 15 month old, and sometimes I get dirty looks from people when I nurse him. When I was pregnant I couldn't imagine nursing - it seemed to weird to me. But then it came so naturally to me, and I intend to nurse my son until he decides to wean himself. I can't understand why people who don't know the real facts and statistics about BF presume to judge others. BF should be a personal choice. No one should have to feel bad or ashamed for something that is so beautiful and natural. Shame on you.

[sgttami]

The average age that a child weans (world-wide) is 2-4 years of age. It has been this way since the beggining of time and is completely natural.

 

Maybe the docs from the 70's didn't know that!!

[Desertbelle]

BF for 3 yrs...somewhere there is an orthodontist rubbing his hands together and wondering how he could possibly get all moms to be EXACTLY like you!

But my hat is off to you for being so persistant!

 

My 4 children weaned at 18 months, 3 years, and two weaned at 4 years old....they are now 32, 30, 26 and 23. Quite the opposite of what you think happened to my children...the two children who nursed the longest have the most beautiful, straight and healthy teeth. The other two had seriously crooked teeth and needed a great deal of orthodontics. Of course, that's just my experiences, but the known facts are that long term breastfeeding is much healthier for oral health than bottles and pacifiers. Nursing is better for the proper development of the soft and hard palates and makes for more room for teeth and better speech.

 

As to my experience with nursing toddlers and my advice to the OP, by 3 years old they are mostly nursing to go to sleep and when they are having a bad moment....like bumping their head or feeling ill. There were days when mine wouldn't even ask to nurse. It might be better to wait on weaning until after the cruise just in case a situation comes up where you might wish you hadn't weaned him before hand.

 

Have a lovely cruise!!

[rebeccalouise]

How interesting about the teeth. My oldest nursed for 10 months and quit on his own. He has lovely teeth.

My second son would not latch on (turns out he has an underbite, which made it difficult). So, I pumped and he was bottle fed. His teeth are a mess but I think it is genetic- nothing to do with nursing or bottles. In fact, thank goodness for bottles- because he just could not get the hang of nursing.

It is always good to hear from people with grown kids- because that is all any of us really hope for- healthy, happy adult children.

[Nliedel]

I've seen several studies that show long term bottle feeding (years) can harm toot development. I have found no such studies related to breast feeding. The breast fits into the mouth far differently, than the bottle. If a good study is out there, I've missed it.

 

We, in the US, are far quicker to quit the breast than many other countries. Sweden, for example, has mandates about breast feeding, and there are no studies that show that there is a higher incidence of later tooth and mouth issues because of it, that I have seen.

[Eclipsepearl]

How interesting about the teeth. My oldest nursed for 10 months and quit on his own. He has lovely teeth.

My second son would not latch on (turns out he has an underbite, which made it difficult). So, I pumped and he was bottle fed. His teeth are a mess but I think it is genetic- nothing to do with nursing or bottles. In fact, thank goodness for bottles- because he just could not get the hang of nursing.

.

 

I had this problem too, twice. My first two wouldn't latch. I had to pump and cup feed the first week with each. I also used those sheilds. Yes, a pain but easier in the long run than washing and preparing bottles.

 

I gave the milk in a cup because bottles can worsen the latch problem so that might have been why you weren't able to overcome it. The cup worked great and they figured it out later on

 

As far as teeth, cancer, intelligence, genetics always overrides any benefits of breastfeeding. But orthodontal work is more common with bottlefed children because of the unnatural way the baby sucks on the bottle. Also, the milk coats the teeth, causing decay while with breastfeeding, the milk is swallowed directly. Hard to describe!

 

In earlier posts, Rebeccalouise, you confused children's developmental milestones with length they breastfed. They are two separate issues. For the record, my kids were weaned at just before their 1st birthday, 2nd, and 3rd. Their development had nothing to do with their breastfeeding history. My son actually got "stuck" on the bottle and I had a hard time separating him from them (nothing but milk or water, no juice, removed milk at 2nd birthday, no bottles outside the house-you name it, I did it!) He was not very independent and weaned the youngest.

 

The second, who nursed to two years, by contrast, (never had bottle) crawled at 5 months (even though born a month early), spoke 2 languages in sentences at 20 months and PT'd just after her 2nd birthday. You could hardly say she wasn't meeting her milestones! As far as independence goes, you can't argue with her story!

 

Weaning doens't make them more independent and breastfeeding doesn't affect their development. If so, our ansecestors would have been in big trouble!