Breastfeeding Carnival Day 7: PAST breastfeeding

This post was written as part of The Breastfeeding Cafe's Blog Carnival. For more info on the Breastfeeding Cafe, go to www.breastfeedingcafe.wordpress.com. For more info on the Carnival or if you want to participate, contact Timbra Wiist landslidephotography {at} hotmail {dot} com. Today's post is about Breastfeeding of the Past. Please read the other blogs in today's carnival listed in the comments section at www.breastfeedingcafe.wordpress.com The Carnival runs July 16th through the 31st!  

(I'm a couple days late with this post-sorry!!!) 

I was breastfed as a child as was my husband (and his siblings).  My mother was not.  My grandmother said that she wasn't able to but never was comfortable telling me more than that.  My mother nursed me until I was about 6 months and bit her.  She immediately weaned me because I drew blood (YOUCH!).  She was saying to me before Monkey was born that that was about the norm.  They highly encouraged breastfeeding but most people would until 6 months and wean to formula.  Nursing wasn't common when my mother was a baby.

My mother was a big support to me when I was nursing Monkey.  She was my biggest ally when we were struggling so much in the early days.  She did everything she could to encourage me to keep going when everyone else was so negative.  The fact that she breastfed me and everyone around me breastfed their babies made me feel like it was a normal and comfortable thing.  

When it comes to length of time I have had a lot of negative comments.  My family acts supportive however I've heard negative comments about other people's babies that have nursed to 18 months +.  When we were visiting family a couple months ago we were able to go to dinner with my grandparents.  I was nervous about the reaction I would get when my grandma asked if I was still nursing Kangaroo.  She said she was proud of me and said she knew that was the best thing for them.  My husband has also been supportive when his family had negative reactions to Kangaroo nursing saying that it doesn't effect them and that he is a happy baby, weighs what he should (or more), etc.  His response to everything we do that they have a negative reaction to is "Look at the way our kids have turned out so far.  They're very bright, they are happy, they are sociable."  I'm very glad that he is so supportive because I didn't feel a lot of support in the beginning and when I've decided to do things out of the norm (cloth diapers, babywearing a lot, extended rear facing, etc).  He's always been hesitant and often quite defensive that that's not how he was raised but for the most part he becomes supportive of what I do which I appreciate greatly.