From other mothers who enjoy ecological breastfeeding with its spacing of births:
“I am currently nursing my 17 month old without a return of my periods.”
“I thank you for the positive effect you’ve had on my mothering skills. I nursed my first baby for 4 months and quit because of the inconvenience. I nursed my second baby for 22 months because it was so very convenient.”
“My son nurses on and off during the night. He is 22 months old, and I have not had a period yet.”
“Breastfeeding has a very definite effect on child spacing. With my bottlefed children I conceived again at 8 months after childbirth despite other contraceptives. It has been 18 months since my last baby was born. No period yet.”
“We have a 21-month old boy, and I am still ecologically nursing him. We have been trying to get pregnant. I am so glad that I am still nursing my son, because I know that it is so beneficial for him. But I have to admit I am starting to worry that our babies will be so far apart that I won’t have very many! My husband and I would like a large family, but I probably just need to work on my patience. At first, I thought about weaning my son so that we could more easily get pregnant, but my husband didn’t think that was a good reason to wean. I think I agree with him now, because I see how good nursing is for my son.”
(I want to add here that St. John Paul II encouraged mothers to nurse for at least two years because of its many benefits.)
Tomorrow: from Amish and Jewish readers.
Sheila Kippley
The Seven Standards of Ecological Breastfeeding: The Frequency Factor