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For the most part, family and friends are supportive or don't know that we are still nursing. One friend is sort of judgey that I still nurse entirely on demand, even if t means 5-6 times a day. She's very routine oriented though, so I think she just thinks it's weird that I don't have scheduled nursing times. However, my mom and sister have started making comments like "when will you be done? You're not going to nurse after they turn two, are you?" It's weird because my mom has always been my biggest supporter through the struggles of nursing twins (and my sister nurse her twins for a couple months and understands how hard I've worked to get to almost 21 months!). It's just foreign to my mom that I would keep nursing them this long, as she doesn't know anyone who BFs past a year, really. No one in my extended family has nursed this long (or did back when my cousins and I were babies), so I guess it's just different. On the other side, my DHs family is full of extended breastfeeders (many nursing past age 3, including my MIL), so I feel pressure to never stop from that side!

I think most people don't know because we only do it before nap and bed and in the morning but my mom always has something to say. Usually it is that it's time to give it up and DS1 didn't nurse that long, etc. (BTW yes, he did!) We had the same conversations when DS1 was nursing. They will get over it when we wean and then forget he nursed as long as he did!

@stargal: good for you! DD just randomly quit cold turkey at 2.5 (very recently), and one thing that helped me is my best mom friend is a fearless nurser. She nurses her toddler (same age) randomly in public regularly, so I think that influence helped me feel strong.

I got questions from family members- it's amazing how the same words, "so when do you think you'll stop nursing?", can sound totally different depending on who is asking. She's grandmother asked me a couple of times but I really think it was a curious thing, same as if she asked when I was going to drop to one nap or something. I didn't feel judgment. But other people could ask the same thing and id bristle.

I nursed until Lo self weaned at 20 months. I only know a very small handful of people who nursed that long in real life and I know plenty of people thought it was weird but most kept it to themselves.

I definitely got comments starting after one year. My mom came to visit once and we were getting ready to go out and she said "you use a bottle in public now, right?" As if at some age I'd decide it's more apprpooriare to pump a bottle just so I can feed him in public! Talk about inconvenient!

DS2 is 13.5 months. He nurses once a day. I thought people would judge but no one has really said anything. I don't bring it up so it seems others don't either.

Lo is 21 months and I thought we were going to wean when I just went on a weeklong work trip, but lo begged me to nurse when I came back so we aren't weaning yet after all, lol. I do feel a little judgement sometimes but it makes lo so happy and comforted, and that's so much more important to me than what anyone else thinks.

@erinbaderin: OMG. The nerve of that woman!

Yes, I got comments. I tried to not bring it up but she would pull on my shirt and say, "Nurse!" haha, and then people would ask wide eyed, "Oh, you're still...?" It's crazy because I was judged for supplementing with formula, too. You can't win.

Probs behind my back but I couldn't have cared less. I'm confident in my decisions.

Our nursing relationship was cut short when I got pregnant when DD was 14 months. She stopped cold-turkey, and I was devastated-- not at all ready for that! That said, my mom had made some comments along the lines of, "if she's old enough to ask for it she's too old to be doing it". My daughter was barely over a year at that point and it made me furious!

With my son (due in 8 weeks) I have decided that my response will be to quote the official recommendations and research provided by sources like the CDC and the AAP. As for "asking" to nurse, just because my child acquires language doesn't mean s/he suddenly becomes a sexual being or that my breasts cease to provide the necessary nourishment and comfort that they provided before s/he could speak.

I nursed till age 2. I've had people say, oh you're still nursing?! But I don't think it's from a place of judgment as much as surprise because most people I know IRL don't nurse past a year.

Doesn't apply to me as LO self weaned at 13mo, but I saw a friend recently who has a 7mo EBFing & she was talking about how she was going to stop at a year...and then added a really rude 'obviously' as if it's the only option in the world. I felt like saying it's not actually that obvious, but decided to leave it. I feel like she totally would have judged me IF I was still feeding my LO as a toddler.