Lori Dorman Photograph
We would like to announce the beginning of a new project, jointly run by Tracy from Evolutionary Parenting, Abby from The Badass Breastfeeder, Kayla from Baby’s Breastie, and Kendall and me here on I Am Not the Babysitter – The Extended Breastfeeding Project (www.TheExtendedBreastfeedingProject.com – site coming soon).
The overarching goal of this project is to help normalize and put an end to the common misconceptions surrounding “extended” breastfeeding (we use this term simply because it has become the accepted term in research and public discourse, though in no way do we believe breastfeeding past infancy is at all “extended”). Specifically, we would like to begin by addressing the misguided notions surrounding the people (parents and children) involved in breastfeeding beyond infancy.
We received an overwhelmingly positive response after posting the side-by-side breastfeeding photographs. Many of you were also breastfed past infancy and have similar side-by-side breastfeeding photos. This confirms for us that the act of breastfeeding beyond infancy is done by, and leads to, normally well-adjusted individuals and families, despite not being socially normative.
Photo credit: Sarah
The argument against breastfeeding past infancy in Western culture is based on speculation. The people opposed to it imagine specific scenarios that could potentially ostracize any child who is allowed to self-wean. Although there is the obvious issue of conforming to social norms, even if it is not in the best interest of the child, we are going to put that aside for this project. Instead, we are going to focus on the fact that even with the antagonistic social and cultural norms of the moment, breastfeeding past infancy does not inhibit the normal healthy growth of a child who is allowed to self-wean in modern Western culture.
To start The Extended Breastfeeding Project, we would like to collect and share biographies of adults who were breastfed past infancy to show the world that these individuals grow up to become productive, sane, normal members of society. This is where you come in- we need submissions! If you were breastfed past infancy, we would love for you to share your story.
Guidelines:
1. Write your bio. This should include childhood experiences (do you remember breastfeeding?) as well as any information you think would be beneficial to the reader (educational background, career path) and finally, any personal information on family and home life.
2. Photos. Not required, but very helpful. This will help tell your story. Obviously, if you have breastfeeding photos these would be ideal. However, any photos work. We would like to use one photo of you (with or without) your family in your childhood, and a current photo of you today (with or without children or family).
Send submissions to any of the following addresses:
info@iamnotthebabysitter.com
kdar@babysbreastie.com
tracy@evolutionaryparenting.com
thebadassbreastfeeder@gmail.com
This is awesome.
Will you eventually be interested in mothers who are currently still breastfeeding? My son is 3 and still nursing. 
We are super interested in mothers who are currently nursing past infancy. However, this project is specifically looking for parents (or adults) who were breastfed past infancy themselves. We feel like an important part of the general public’s argument against nursing past infancy is the speculation about the type of adult the nurslings will turn out to be. We’re going to address this by showing well-adjusted adults who were breastfed past infancy. (~Kendall)
How long qualifies as “past infancy?” I was breastfed until a year and my sister until 18 months. That seems like a short time to me since I am currently tandem nursing my 10 month old and 29 month old but at the time, it was unheard of in our area and I would love to help if I could at all!
We were just having this discussion. Since the one-year mark once again is a normal timeframe to nurse in the West, we were thinking anything after a year. Would you sister be willing to share her story?
Excellent idea, both me and my little sister self weaned at around 2.5-3 years of age, My son is 8 months old and my sister is due to have her first child in Feb, how long is this running for? I would love to do both our stories together and could send a photo of both of us feeding our Babes…cannot wait to get that photo….
I don’t have a blog. Should I create one to submit my story? I also don’t have any picture with my mom when I was a kid. I would love to help though!
You definitely don’t need a blog to submit! Yes, any photo of you as a child and now would be great. We just want to give visual aids to the story.
Love that you are doing this. I wasn’t breastfed as a baby as my mother tried and was influenced into formula feeding. She wasn’t too successful when she tried and didn’t have any support to help her get through it. I wanted to just say that I breastfed my son for 50 months (4 yrs, 2 mos) and am so glad I did. I think he will turn out fine if he can get through my parenting him. hahaha Extended breastfeeding in this country is considered to be past a year, some even believe past six months, and is looked upon as odd. I, too, hope to change that view. One person at a time, right? The World Health Organization says to breast feed until age two. Here’s to hoping and helping the image change. What a great project. I look forward to the results.
I love this! Will get right to work. Next project like this–cosleepers
I was Breastfeed 14 months, but I don’t really know what to say more than that. My daughter was breastfed 30 months…she’s 14 now do you want her to write anything up? She may or may not be willing, I haven’t asked.
I was breastfed until I was 3.5 years old. I’m 26 and I have a son who will be turning 3 in April who still nurses!
would love to help with the project! I just recently graduated with a bachelors in psych, summa cum laude. Will be attending a graduate program for occupational therapy. Yep, that extended breastfeeding as a young child sure messed with my head. 
I forgot to ask^in my comment above…when do you need the bios submitted by?
Rachel, thank you so much for taking the time to submit to the project. This is going to be on-going, so do it at your own convenience. We’ll probably go live when we have about thirty submissions.
This is awesome! I breastfed my 5 for almost 2 years each and can’t wait to breastfeed our 6th coming March! My mom nursed her four for only 6 months, but I did see her do it, so it was a natural thing.
I was not nursed, as my mom had a rough go of it when she had my older sister and had little help. But, I did see my step mom nurse my younger siblings. I don’t remember how long she nursed them though, I wasn’t paying attention to that when I was little, lol, it was just what she did. With her oldest, she even donated to a children’s hospital, right before AIDS became an issue, so by the time she had my sister, they weren’t doing it any longer, so I didn’t get to see her pumping extra for donation. My brother’s wife wasn’t successful nursing. My middle sister only nursed for a few months, my youngest nursed her oldest for 15 months, but her youngest two she only nursed a few months max (I know, it usually goes the other way!). As an IBCLC, this is hard for me to watch (well, from afar, since I’m thousands of miles away and can only provide limited support, although with Facetime, I might be able to help my youngest sister more this go around – she is due next month). I’ve been nursing for 6.5 years straight, across three kids. My oldest is in 1st Grade and she nursed until she was 2.5. My middle son is four and he nursed until he was 3 and my youngest is going strong at almost two. You can probably tell there was some tandem/overlap time in there.
Breastfeeding was normalized for me, because my stepmom did it in front of us, but it wasn’t me personally being nursed. 
Kathleen
I would like to post something on my website about what you are doing and put the question out there for you her amongst my Canadian friends. How would you like the question worded and where would you like the stories sent?
I nursed my two younger girls until age 2.5 each, which was 5 yrs of breastfeeding straight. I was not breastfed beyond my first days in the hospital and was discouraged by my mother to nurse longer than 24 hours after delivery. Obviously, I didn’t listen to that advice! I no longer nurse, my youngest is 4.5 yrs old now. I wish you much luck with this project, it sounds wonderful!
I wasn’t breastfed for even 1 day, and have had health problems most of my life (I’m 69). My daughter nursed for about 2 1/2 years. Would you accept a story from the mom’s point of view?
Sure, do you think your daughter be interested in also writing in?
I was breastfed til I was 5 years old. I remember it well. I remember my mom telling me no more, as well, it was tough but I got over it. It isn’t just about nourishment, it is about the connection between child and mother. It is a way to explore the world, and come back to home base to recharge. I, currently, am still nursing my nearly 4 year old. Although, most don’t know I nurse him still. There is a stigma associated with it. Most have nothing positive to say about extended nursing, just criticsm. So I just keep it to myself. And that makes me sad. There are so many wonderful aspects of extended nursing, but people’s pre-conceived notions blind them to those possibilities.
Im still breastfeeding my 22 months, and it will be inreresting to be part of this project. But i want to know who will be able to see all the information i send? Thank you! Very nice idea!
Do you want the bio to be positive focused or both sides of the picture? I have experienced major ridicule for nursing my so past 1.5 and have already experienced the same attitudes about my 14 mo old ii an still nursing. Constantlyasked when in getting him off the boob already like it is horrible to still have him nursing.
At the moment we are taking bios from adults who were breastfed past infancy, but we are planning on expanding and taking stories from families who are currently practices child-led weaning. Of course, your experiences and stress from the stigma attached to this particular parenting choice I think is important to hear- So yes, both sides of the picture.
I have been breastfeeding for nearly 10 years. I have 2 children and my oldest will be 10 on April 7th. I was breastfed for a year I am told I was born in Zambia and my mum was told if she went to africa and had a baby and did not breastfeed the baby would die. My siblings, one was fed for 8 months and the other wasn’t fed at all. My co leaders have all breastfed for longer than I have and in Leicester we are slightly unusual in that it seems to be the norm that we feed for a long long time, amoungst us leaders! Breastfeeding is a way of life although my son only feeds at night now. He is nearly 6.
I love the idea of this project and wish you all success with it
Isabel