Anyone who thinks it’s weird or gross or wrong to have a conversation with your nursling about breastfeeding is totally missing out! Being able to talk about breastfeeding with my almost 3 year old is awesome. I love hearing what she thinks about it and how much she enjoys it. It’s also pretty handy knowing when she wants to nurse.
The best talks are always the ones initiated by her. Believe me, there have been times I’ve tried to express how magical, interesting and wonderful it is that mommies can make milk, but to her breastfeeding and lactation are about as mind blowing as sleeping or breathing. She’s been nursing her entire life. I’ve only been lactating for 5 years. While it’s still pretty novel to me to be able to spray milk and nourish life, she’s a heck of a lot more interested in talking about princesses and playing with jigsaw puzzles. So when she does bring up the milkies I’m all over it.
Do you remember the first time your nursling was able to tell you he or she wanted to nurse? Wasn’t that cool? My oldest said her first words quite young and by the time she was one she was asking for “annie,” her name for breastfeeding. My youngest let me know she wanted to nurse by signing “milk” around 10 months.
Then as they grew they learned to communicate their needs in other ways…
“I WANT AN – NEEEEEEEE!” (okay, okay!)
“Meowk. Meowk. Meowkieeees!” (as she pulls on the neck of my shirt).
When my oldest daughter was approximately two and a half I started talking to her about weaning. We spent almost 6 months leading up to it before she stopped. I credit our weaning success with the fact that she was so verbal.
My youngest daughter will be three next month. I don’t have any plans to wean her anytime soon because she’s my last baby and we both really enjoy breastfeeding. Therefore, we don’t have conversations about weaning too often, but other breastfeeding related conversation? Oh, yes!
Just the other night as I was dressing for bed, she looked at me and pointing to my breasts, counted:
“One. Two. You have two milkies mommy!”
“Yes, I do,” I told her. “They’re mommy’s breasts.” (A little body part education thrown in for good measure).
“Yes, and I drink them!” she crowed.
The other day she put on one of my bras and told me, giggling, “I’m a mommy. I have milkies.” It was pretty halarious because the bra was on sideways. She told me that when she grows up she wants to be a mommy and give milkies to her baby. “Because babies love milkies, mommy. And I’m a baby too, and I love milkies too!”
Of course when I spoke with her about this today this today she had completely changed her mind.
Now when she grows up? She wants to be a mermaid.
Do you talk about breastfeeding with your nursing toddler or older child? What do they say about it?
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I love this – my two and a half year old asks for ‘Mummy milk’ and is very clear about the distinction between this and other types of milk. He thinks he has ‘boobies’ too and ‘feeds’ his baby dolls which is very sweet to see! I hope he remembers feeding when he’s grown up – I think if more children did, perhaps nursing toddlers would be more normalised. I also think it’s much easier to introduce limits and weaning when children are able to talk, but I don’t see him as being ready to wean anytime soon – I like your idea about talks gradually leading up to the event!
My daughter has, once, said “yummmy!” when she popped off after nursing. Mostly, she just says “Mup! Yeah! Mup! Yeah!” nodding her head vigorously, or saying “Baby – Daddy. Mup – Gwen.”, asking me to hand the baby over to her dad (or put him in the bouncy chair, or ay him on the couch, etc.) so she can have some milk. I love it!
.-= Kim´s last blog ..More thoughts on trusting kids … =-.
I’m starting to get this with my 16 month old. She signs “milk” to tell me she wants to nurse, and when I say “milk? You want some milk?” or “you want the other side?” she says “yeah!” and then if I don’t make with the milkies fast enough, she’ll keep saying “yeah. Yeah… Yeah.” in case I wasn’t sure
sometimes she’ll sign and then say “yeah.” before I even ask 
We do talk about it! He’s compared it to ice cream before, he always says how much he loves “mama milk” (while giving my chest a big hug), he sometimes incorporates them into his play (mama milk play hide and seek!).
It’s awesome
Hey Melody – I’m starting a series (next week I think) about “the joys of breastfeeding toddlers.” I would LOVE to share one (or more!) of your stories! Nothing long – I think my first post is like a paragraph. More like little anecdotes. Let me know if you’re interested
.-= Dionna´s last blog ..Gardening with Little Helpers =-.
that is so cool! I nursed my son for 14 months and I don’t really remember much asking. Just tugging on me. lol. My daughter is 8 months and you are making me look forward to nursing her much longer!
.-= Alexandra´s last blog ..He said =-.
How cute! Baby is just starting to say “nuh nuh nuh” when he wants to nurse
.-= Maman A Droit´s last blog ..Silly Saturday: Decorate Water Bottles =-.
So funny. My son came in my bedroom tonight as I was getting ready for bed and he saw me take my shirt off. He said “Dino used to drink mommy’s boobs when he was a baby!” So funny. And yes, he still speaks in 3rd person. He’s only 2 1/2.
.-= Pure Mothers´s last blog ..The Story of Bottled Water =-.
Thanks so much for sharing, Melodie and other Moms. I think if more people were willing to talk about the joys of nursing older children, more moms would try it. I’m hoping to nurse my now-4-month-old for several more years and always appreciate success stories from other moms. I think chatting about mama’s milk is great incentive to keep breastfeeding!
All right, I need to have a conversation with my 2-and-a-half-year-old. He’s verbal, but not quite as adept as yours at the same age! It will be interesting to hear what he says, though. He does like to count them as well, to be sure they’re all there, I guess!
.-= Lauren @ HoboMama´s last blog ..Being intentional with non-native bilingualism =-.
Hi!We don’t really talk that much about breastfeeding, I think because it’s such a normal part of our life. L is now almost 3 1/2 and still nurses a lot. I haven’t made any attempts to wean him, I want him to self-wean. I love nursing him and will miss it.
When I tell him that one day he can fall asleep without baba, or ask him if he want’s to try, his answer is always no. So far he isn’t embarrassed in the least to ask for breast milk in public, because I’ve never given him the sense that there is anything wrong with it, but he hardly ever nurses anymore in public. The few times he does ask I can usually find something else as a substitute. At home he is pretty forceful when he wants his baba
It’s going to be interesting how and when our breastfeeding relationship will stop.
Best,
Dagmar
Dagmar’s momsense
.-= Dagmar Bleasdale´s last blog ..Not Me! Monday — Working at 3 in the Morning =-.
@Dagmar – I do find it hard sometimes to get her around to talking about breastfeeding for the very reason you mentioned. It is so normal to her that she doesn’t think it’s much worth talking about on most occasions. But when she does bring it up I love to further her thoughts with questions and statements to see where she’ll go with it. As you can see, sometimes it pays off for some humourous stuff!
Precious. It’s important to remember that we are giving so much more than milk to our babies. We are encouraging their future as mothers to breastfeed which is huge! Especially if we nurse long enough for them to remember it.
“Yes, and I drink them!”
lol – très cute
Kind of off-topic, but we got video of my daughter at around age 2 1/2 or so trying on one of my bras, also sideways. I took some video of it and she asked me what I was doing, so I jokingly said, “This is for your wedding!” She LOVES weddings, so she happily cried, “Yay! This is for my wedding!” Now we’ll have to drag it out if she ever happens to get married, for sure.
.-= Amber´s last blog ..The In-Between =-.
@AMber – Oh yes! You are definitely going to have to do that! Too funny!!
We talk about about breastfeeding w/ my 20 month old..she often asks for MOOOOK , mama MOOOOK! & before she could say that “milk” was her first sign
Today she looked at me & exclaimed w/ glee ” I love you boobies, I love you milkies !!”
lol
All right, I had to talk with my 2.75-year-old to see what he’d say. I decided to ask him why he loves nummies so much. His answer? “Octopus. Octopus carwash.” I think that pretty well sums it up.
(Before you try to interpret his response too much, I’ll say that this is a common reply when he wants to ignore someone. Apparently he’s not into talking about nummies right now…)
.-= Lauren @ HoboMama´s last blog ..Wordless Wednesday: The Diva Cup isn’t just for women =-.
Sweet stories! Love it! I’m looking forward to those times.
.-= the Grumbles´s last blog ..ta-ta-ta-trouble is coming… =-.
@Lauren – I might just use “Octopus carwash” the next time I feel like ignoring someone. Tell him thanks for the coolest idea ever, and for making me smile!