Kelly Preston may be a famous actress and married to a huge star, but as a mom, she has always been very relatable. Her now 16-month-old son Benjamin is just getting to the age where she is starting to consider weaning him. She, like all of us, is having strong feelings about that.
According to the Winnipeg Free Press, Preston isn't ready to give up the closeness she feels with her son and, wow, do I relate. No one ever tells you just how hard weaning will truly be. But it's something all moms talk about in secret.
With my first, she was ready to wean at 11 months. She was never a big nurser. I pushed her to one year, but when she was done, she was done.
My second, my baby, went much longer. I nursed him until he was almost 3. This was partly because he loved it and partly because I did.
There is a special closeness that, even now, more than a year after weaning, I still miss so much. That bond is something unique. But when you nurse an older child, there is a stigma attached that few discuss. We hear ALL about the "breastfeeding militants" who try to force their "agenda" on women who choose not to breastfeed.
But we hear very little about the other side of judgement. Those who are not in the know about nursing basically think anyone who doesn't stop at one year is crazy. I can't tell you how many looks I got when I was nursing my 2-year-old and beyond.
"Isn't he too old for that?" one particularly rude woman asked me. Well, no. He isn't. Extended breastfeeding is actually GOOD for children. Maybe if Preston doesn't feel ready to stop, she shouldn't.
She is not mentioning the societal pressure, so maybe that isn't her issue. But if it is, that shouldn't stop her from continuing to nurse if both she and her son want to do so.
It's really no one's business and only hateful, ignorant people judge that way anyway.
How long did you nurse your baby?
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