how long should you breastfeed?

How long you breastfeed your child is different for every baby, every Mom and for every family.  The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends nursing for at least a year while the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends two years. You can breastfeed for as long as you and baby want to. interestingly, the median age worldwide for breastfeeding is 4.2 years. This is different from what is typical in the US, but remember it is normal for human babies to breastfeed for years, not months.

Every drop of breastmilk is a gift. When your baby is a newborn, he'll be getting colostrum in his first few days. Colostrum helps your baby develop a healthy immune system. Without it, his ability to fight disease will be impaired his whole life. Later on, your milk meets all his nutritional needs for the first 6 months. Even after you introduce solids, breastmilk is an extremely important source of nutrients for his first year.

After the first year, babies often want to continue nursing for several reasons. You should breastfeed as long as you and baby want to. Nursing a toddler has many benefits. Here is some more information about breastfeeding a toddler.

Having a good support system in place is important if you have a goal to breastfeed your baby for a certain period of time. Make sure your husband (and your Mom!) understands why breastfeeding is so important to you AND to his child. Here are some more tips on getting family support. If you experience breastfeeding challenges, it helps if your husband and your Mom are on your side!

Also, find women who have or are nursing their babies and talk with them about their experiences. You might meet these Moms at your local Mom's group, your local La Leche League group, where you worship, story time at the library, or anywhere else Moms hang out. Breastfeeding is an art, not a science, and it helps to have women who have "been there, done that" to support you.

There are no rules about how long you should breastfeed your baby. Educate yourself on the benefits of breastfeeding and make the decision that's right for your family.