s/o For those that nursed toddlers/preschoolers, do they remember?

[Erin]

Bean weaned at 3.  She doesn't remember.  

Buck weaned at 4 and he does.  It's not like the conversation comes up often or anything, but I keep thinking one of these teen years when it does he'll be kind of creeped out about it. 

Not so far, though.  It's just no big deal and more of a "when I was a kid" thing...    

 

More traumatic is that he remembers when he got so big he couldn't sit on my lap in the rocker and fit under my chin the way he was supposed to.  lol

 

Do your older kids remember when they were little and were still nursing?

[I.Dup.]

My 6.5yo says he remembers. I nursed him until he was 3.5. He probably won't remember in a couple years, though.

[Whereneverever]

I just quizzed mine and one remembers. I suspect it'll fade before the teen years, though.

[Kathryn]

My almost-4yo weaned at 2.5 and he remembers. My 7yo quit right after his first birthday, so no memory of it for him.

[Renthead Mommy]

I nursed till he was 16 months, so he certainly doesn't remember, but he knows he was and completely understands how it works.  He just turned 11 last weekend and we were just joking about it.  Actually it's been joked about for years.  (I'm thirsty.  Well I'm no longer a walking drinking fountain.  Go get a glass a water.  And bring you mother, who you used to suck every ounce of fluid out of her, one also!")  

 

I doubt he'll ever be creeped out by it even as a teen as he knows that while breasts can look pretty in outfits, their purpose is to feed babies.  Truthfully I don't think he realizes there are other ways to feed babies (formula). 

 

Now what my creep him out as a pre teen/teen is if we remind him he used to try to nurse his baby doll, and once he figured out he as a boy couldn't he'd hold it up to me and make slurpping sounds.  Even worse that at three weeks, his father was shirtless holding him in the August heat and he tried to latch on.  Not a good moment for either of them, but I found it then and now extremely funny! 

[SadieMarie]

Mine remember and I went to three and a half with both. But what they remember is the weaning :(

[redsquirrel]

My kids nursed to 4 or 4.5ish and neither remember. The younger one once accused me of not nursing him! :lol:

[Barb_]

My brother is 42 and he still remembers. I know about it, but his wife doesn't :)

[I.Dup.]

My brother is 42 and he still remembers. I know about it, but his wife doesn't :)

 

Well you are a nice sister :D

[texasmama]

I will have to ask my youngest if she remembers.  I doubt that she does, though she was not weaned until age 3.75.  The others were weaned earlier and I know they don't remember nursing.  I have a very sweet picture of me and my youngest during her last nursing session.  <heart>  She was my last baby and all...still miss nursing...

[Sara in AZ]

I wish they did! Oldest weaned at two, so no. I just asked my eight year old because he nursed until almost 3 and for a long time after he would tell me about a specific memory he had nursing at a car wash. He doesn't remember that anymore. So I pushed him to try and remember any other times he nursed, and he said, "One time in your bed." "What was it like?" I asked him. "I was just lying there sucking!" was his response, probably just trying to make me happy.. DD4 remembers well since she only weaned a year ago.

 

I have two nieces that nursed until they were 5 and are now 11 and 14. I have no idea if they remember nursing, but SIL told me that in her tween years the 14 year old used to tell her how disgusting that was. "How could you let me do that, Mom?!"

[nmoira]

My eldest nursed until 4-1/2 and remembers nothing of it. My youngest weaned on her fifth birthday and at 9 still talks about nursing like it was yesterday.

[shukriyya]

My kids nursed to 4 or 4.5ish and neither remember. The younger one once accused me of not nursing him! :lol:

 

:smilielol5:

[Ananda]

My 3.5 ds stopped nursing at 2.5. He says he remembers.

[Violet Crown]

Great Girl weaned at nearly 4, or maybe it was just after. She was a very precocious reader. I decided the end was near the day she wanted me to hold up her book and turn the pages for her while she nursed. I thought, Kid, if this is boring you to the point you need a book, we're pretty much done.

 

She doesn't remember that, but she says she does remember nursing.

[Julie Smith]

 

Now what my creep him out as a pre teen/teen is if we remind him he used to try to nurse his baby doll, and once he figured out he as a boy couldn't he'd hold it up to me and make slurpping sounds.  Even worse that at three weeks, his father was shirtless holding him in the August heat and he tried to latch on.  Not a good moment for either of them, but I found it then and now extremely funny! 

 

Once when youngest was still a under 6 months of age my Mom was up with him. She picked him up when he woke up and decided to entertain him till I woke up. She had a hot tub (Please dont' worry. Having other grandkids it was kept at luke warm bathtub temperature) So she thought she would take him in the hot tub to enjoy the nice weather. Since she was the only one awake she decided not to bother with a swim suit. 

 

Well Youngest decided it was lunch time. He supposedly tired to fight him off, but being in the water she couldn't put him down. So he managed to suceed when she carried him out of the hot tub and into the house. 

 

Youngest loved boobs.  No one could go topless near him. He would even try to fumble people through clothes to latch on. 

 

Mind you he stopped this around 8 months when he realized mine where the only ones that worked. 

[theYoungerMrsWarde]

My cousin was nursing until she turned 5 and says she remembers it. (She's getting married in a few months.)

[nmoira]

Great Girl weaned at nearly 4, or maybe it was just after. She was a very precocious reader. I decided the end was near the day she wanted me to hold up her book and turn the pages for her while she nursed. I thought, Kid, if this is boring you to the point you need a book, we're pretty much done.

 

She doesn't remember that, but she says she does remember nursing.

DD the Elder was also am early reader. At 4.5 I have her a choice of having an extra half hour to read at bedtime or continuing nursing (more or less the same block of time). I was a bit surprised that there was no hesitation before she chose reading, but I shouldn't have been. :)

[AdventureMoms]

Dd nursed until 4 and still remembers at 5. I don't know that she'll remember forever though.

[Loowit]

My two that I was able to nurse I don't think really remember. My older DS nursed until he was just over 2, and he really doesn't remember. My younger DS nursed until he was just over 3 and he says he remembers. I think he more remembers the comfort than the actual nursing. There are times he tells me that he wishes I still had "mommy milk" for him, and he is 7. I am glad that whatever he remembers of it is a special memory for him.

[raceNzanesmom]

My boys nursed to over age 4. Neither remember the actual nursing, but they both remember the snuggling part of nursing. The 9 y/o still snuggles on the couch with me to be read too, very similar to our evenings of nursing.

[SLT]

My husband was weaned between 3-4 and remembers. He is still quite creeped out by it, but not something he brings up. :)

[Ravin]

Great Girl weaned at nearly 4, or maybe it was just after. She was a very precocious reader. I decided the end was near the day she wanted me to hold up her book and turn the pages for her while she nursed. I thought, Kid, if this is boring you to the point you need a book, we're pretty much done.

 

She doesn't remember that, but she says she does remember nursing.

ROFLOL! I've started making my 2yo. Choose between watching TV and nursing because when we're on the couch he tries to crane his head around and take the nipple with him!

 

I'll ask DD when I get home what she remembers.

[texasmama]

I just asked my youngest, who nursed until she was almost four.  She does not remember.  :(

[rjand6more]

I was weaned at about 4.  I remember.  Especially the weaning part. 

[Erin]

My husband was weaned between 3-4 and remembers. He is still quite creeped out by it, but not something he brings up. :)

 

An adolescent boy I can see. They have all kinds of weird issues.  But a grown man?  

Why would he be creeped out?

[Laurie4b]

My youngest ds was weaned around age 2 1/2. He remembered still at age 5, but in the years since then has said nothing about it, so I assume that he forgot eventually.

[LibraryLover]

Two do, the others don't.

[mommymilkies]

My 5 yo kinda remembers, my 8 yo doesn't remember at all.  They both weaned ~2.5ish.  My oldest remembers things I haven't brought up from a trip when she was 2.5.  I am totally not worried about them remembering it and being traumatized, though.  I remember showing off pics (as a teen) of me and my cousins being bf when we were younger.  Why would that traumatize anyone?  

[momto10blessings]

An adolescent boy I can see. They have all kinds of weird issues. But a grown man?

Why would he be creeped out?

My husband nursed until he was 4 and is creeped out by the memories too. And we are very pro-nursing, although mine have had to wean before 2 because my milk dries up during pregnancy.

[Sarah CB]

An adolescent boy I can see. They have all kinds of weird issues. But a grown man?

Why would he be creeped out?

I love my mom and I totally believe in breastfeeding, but I can definitely live without the memory of it. It's really not something I want to have a vivid picture of.

[nd293]

Ds6 weaned at 4yrs. He still remembers a little, I think. He teases me sometimes that he wants milk, although I am not sure he consciously remembers the details of nursing. With luck he'll grow up to think BFing is normal and good and to choose a wife who thinks the same. Hoping that he would be old enough to retain the positive associations of BFing did play a factor in choosing to BF longer, although I probably wouldn't bring it up when he was an adolescent!

[LibraryLover]

My husband nursed until he was 4 and is creeped out by the memories too. And we are very pro-nursing, although mine have had to wean before 2 because my milk dries up during pregnancy.

I think the being embarrassed about his nursing memories may have to do with his parents obsession with breasts and his terrible relationship with his mom? No idea, but its not something he is proud of for whatever reason.

 

That is odd. 

 

One can not  make a child nurse

[LibraryLover]

Unless you are talking abuse.

[momto10blessings]

That is odd.

 

One can not make a child nurse

I did not say he was forced to nurse. He's just not proud of his nursing memories

[Ravin]

I asked DD, and she has a vague memory of me reading to her from A Child's Garden of Verses while nursing.

[momto10blessings]

Unless you are talking abuse. It's not too late to report that.

I'm confused. Did I word my reply strange? Did I hint that there was abuse?

[Ravin]

I'm confused. Did I word my reply strange? Did I hint that there was abuse?

 

I think maybe it could have been taken that way.

[momto10blessings]

I think maybe it could have been taken that way.

Thanks. I deleted half of it. I'm not very good at getting my point across, apparently

[Reflections]

I am most heartened by this thread, in that many of you have nursed your children over 2.  I remember the stink Lindsey Wagner made when she talked about nursing her 4 year old. 

 

I am still nursing my 3yo and we will have to wait to see if he remembers but.... my german grandmother remembered having to pull up a stool and unbutton her mother's top to be able to nurse - I *think* she said she was 4.