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I think 2 would be my cut off. I wouldn't want my LO to remember nursing either!

@Cherrybee: It does depend somewhat on your definition of "extended" but since the AAP recommends breastfeeding until age one (although the WHO recommends age two), we'll say extended means past the age of one.

So, the benefits of breastfeeding past the age of one include, among other things, health and intellectual development.

Health:
The American Academy of Family Physicians notes that children weaned before two years of age are at increased risk of illness (AAFP 2008).

Breastfeeding toddlers between the ages of one and three have been found to have fewer illnesses, illnesses of shorter duration, and lower mortality rates (Mølbak 1994, van den Bogaard 1991, Gulick 1986).

“Antibodies are abundant in human milk throughout lactation” (Nutrition During Lactation 1991; p. 134). In fact, some of the immune factors in breastmilk increase in concentration during the second year and also during the weaning process. (Lawrence & Lawrence 2011, Goldman 1983, Goldman & Goldblum 1983, Institute of Medicine 1991)

Per the World Health Organization, “a modest increase in breastfeeding rates could prevent up to 10% of all deaths of children under five: Breastfeeding plays an essential and sometimes underestimated role in the treatment and prevention of childhood illness.”

Intellectual Development:
Extensive research on the relationship between cognitive achievement (IQ scores, grades in school) and breastfeeding has shown the greatest gains for those children breastfed the longest.

Dr. Sears notes that science is on the side of extended breastfeeding. This article is helpful in understanding the many benefits - http://www.parenting.com/article/ask-dr-sears-extended-breastfeeding----handling-the-criticism

I think the most important thing to understand is that extended breastfeeding is NORMAL and the medical community almost universally agrees that there are no detriments, only benefits - health wise, psychologically, and developmentally.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that “Breastfeeding should be continued for at least the first year of life and beyond for as long as mutually desired by mother and child… Increased duration of breastfeeding confers significant health and developmental benefits for the child and the mother… There is no upper limit to the duration of breastfeeding and no evidence of psychologic or developmental harm from breastfeeding into the third year of life or longer.” (AAP 2012, AAP 2005)

The American Academy of Family Physicians recommends that breastfeeding continue throughout the first year of life and that “As recommended by the WHO, breastfeeding should ideally continue beyond infancy, but this is not the cultural norm in the United States and requires ongoing support and encouragement. It has been estimated that a natural weaning age for humans is between two and seven years. Family physicians should be knowledgeable regarding the ongoing benefits to the child of extended breastfeeding, including continued immune protection, better social adjustment, and having a sustainable food source in times of emergency. The longer women breastfeed, the greater the decrease in their risk of breast cancer.” They also note that “If the child is younger than two years of age, the child is at increased risk of illness if weaned.” (AAFP 2008)

@mrskc: Yes, I remember nursing, but the memories are fuzzy. I don't think of them any differently than cuddling with my parents, or being rocked when I was sick. The memories are very warm and I just remember a feeling of comfort and being loved.

For a boy's point of view - my husband also remembers breastfeeding. He says his memories are quite similar - he can't remember a mental picture of his mother's breasts (for which he is very thankful, lol), he just remembers the feelings he got from breastfeeding - an overwhelming sense of comfort.

@Arden: good to know! I'm glad the memories are all good for both you and your DH. It makes sense tho that you just remember warm and fuzzy feelings.

@Arden: @mrskc: The words "overwhelming sense of comfort" just brought tears to my eyes (darn hormones!). I think I may just be warming to this breastfeeding idea....

@Arden: My little sister (she's 3) still nurses sometimes at night and nap time. She does not pull at her mom's shirt, it's cute, she asks her mom to go lie down with her, that's their cue.

I gave 2 as my original answer, but I'm not against extended breastfeeding, my end date for breastfeeding keeps changing--it was 6 months, then a year, now at 10 months I'm saying 18 months, so who knows?!

i said 2 years only because i can't imagine going beyond that for myself. DH and i have talked about wanting kids 2-3 years apart, so i think i would want a break to have my body back for a while before getting pregnant again. i would definitely consider building a stash though to extend the time further for my kid to get the health benefits.

@MrsTiz: pre baby i thought a year was a good cut off age but seeing my daughter at one she very much was still a baby (even though she could walk up to me ask sign for milk). She was navigating a big new world on her own and nursing brought her a lot of comfort. There was no way I could stop (aka cut her off) just because she turned one. Also after a year I stopped pumping so BF was completely different. We were just nursing at morning and night and on weekends.

Anyways. We just weaned at 18 months. I wish we had made it to age two but being a WOHM I just didn't have a good supply to keep her interested. Again I don't think two should arbitrarily be the cut off because there are great benefits until that point. I do think that I would force weaning after the age of two though. Hopefully before age three.

@MrsTiz: like I said I had a lot of those same concerns before having my little baby one year old in my lap. I guess I'm just saying never say never.

@Arden: Wow kudos to your mom! I don't think I would be able to endure all the breastfeeding dietary restrictions and sensation (breast filling up / engorgement) for 4 years, and for your mom that was 10 years total! (2 years of pregnancy + 8 years of breastfeeding) Wow.

What I want to know is, are you especially healthy since they always say breastfeeding helps build up the child's immune system?

As for me, now that I am all weaned and has a clear mind, the cut off time would be two. That's what I think... but when I was still breastfeeding my nursing-strike-king LO, I always thought I'd breastfeed him until he doesn't want it and I always think I would still breastfeed him until he becomes a toddler (2-3). Well, he rejected me completely by 8 months :'(

2-2.5 was my cut off just because I couldn't stand all the diet restrictions I was on for DS (on TED with only a handful of foods) and that was my own comfort level. He just self weaned cold turkey at 21 months though (he was still nursing 4x/day and 2-4x/night)...I thankfully have enough expressed milk that he will get it until his 2nd birthday!

I don't feel like quite the outlier anymore. Thanks @arden! And my six year old almost made me cry. I talked to her about it; that I was thinking about when she nursed and reading what other people had to say about nursing their babies/children, and she said, "[it was] a really good feeling [to nurse], and now I feel really good to know I'm big and don't need to anymore." It made me so proud of her to hear her able to articulate her decision to wean and how powerful and, well, "big," it made her feel to choose that for herself.

@Arden: You mean you have never been to the doctor, in your whole life (!), except that 1 time you had the flu?? What??! :-O

My God why didn't my son want to nurse and we had to quit by the time he was 10 months?????!!?!

But it doesn't matter... he's sick all the time even when we were EBFing back then.... I guess it's genetics also (both me and husband are sick all the time as well but we were both formula-fed babies)

For us it will be 1. With the dietary restrictions I have to stick to because of her intolerances I just can't see myself making it past a year. However it's my goal to have a big freezer stash by then so that I can continue to feed her Breastmilk in a sippy cup or mix it into her food.

I love it when my daughter comes up to ask to nurse. She'll say 'boo, nap!', and go lay down on her bed expecting me to come. She also has all of her teeth. Nursing rocks!

For me it is less of an exact age and more of an ability. Once my child is able to eat real food consistantly, I will stop breastfeeding. I don't see a real reason to continue breastfeeding when they can get the nutrition they need from the food I make them.

My LO just finished nursing (self-weaned) at 2.5 years. It's among the things I'm proudest of having done in my life. It was totally inconvenient, and mentally and physically exhausting at times, but it was 100% worth it. I've never done anything that selfless before, and I hope I get to do it again!