What are the benefits and drawbacks of breastfeeding toddlers? When is the right time to wean? For most mothers, this will be a highly personal decision. How long should a mother breastfeed her baby? After the era of the bottle ended in the 1970s, most mothers turned to breastfeeding as the most natural way to feed their infants. Some mothers have chosen to breastfeed their children beyond the first year and into the toddler stage. 

Benefits and Drawbacks
After a year, the child able to drink cow’s milk and eat more foods, yet he may still benefit from breast milk. Breast milk contains vitamins and enzymes that are not found in cow’s milk, and those additional nutrients have been shown to have a positive impact on disease resistance and IQ development—even into the toddler years.

On the other hand, the baby needs to learn to eat other foods and the mother may become run down by having a large child nursing. There is considerable pressure from society to avoid breastfeeding toddlers. Many look down upon the practice, believing, incorrectly, that weaning must happen at the same time for every child.

Deciding When to Wean
The mother will need to eat sufficiently and drink plenty of water to keep milk production up without it becoming a strain on her body. She may need to continue taking vitamin supplements to ensure herself of plenty of iron and calcium.

If the mother becomes pregnant or her child is not nursing enough, her milk production may decrease and stop. In this case, there is no possibility for nursing the child into the toddler years.  Working outside the home will likely hasten the process of milk production decrease, unless the mother continues pumping her breasts, an inconvenience to say the least.

Each mother must decide, with the advice of a pediatrician and her own judgment, plus the circumstances of her life, at what point she should wean her child from breast milk.