Nursing a 14 month old

Sometimes I feel like I am the only person in the world who nurses a baby older than a year. I can't even conclude a telephone conversation with family or friends without them saying, "Don't tell me you are still nursing that big old boy?!" I just want to cringe. Makes me feel defensive, yet upset that people don't understand why it is that I still nurse my 14 month old son.

I know that it is a personal decision, and I believe I am making the right decision for me and my child. However, a little support would be greatly appreciated. It isn't easy for me to continue nursing someone who weighs 25 pounds, has 10 teeth -- and counting--, and takes pleasure out of lifting my shirt at will during nursing sessions. However, I still believe that I should continue letting him nurse at least another few months or until he decides to wean himself.

A major accomplishment for me was deciding to no longer nurse him at the table. The first time I implemented this rule, he screamed and hollered all the way through dinnertime. Me and my family just politely tried to tune him out the best we could, but I held firm. No more nursing at the table....period! Withholding nursing rights at the table will hopefully cure his need to nurse at restaurants. Seems he felt like whenever he walked around and saw me sitting at a table or at the computer, I was supposed to be holding him and nursing. I have to admit that I no longer wanted to continue nursing him while trying to enjoy my meals.

This isn't easy. My girls nursed themselves at six months and nine months so imagine my surprise when my son kept nursing at a year and didn't seem like he was going to stop. People always said that boys are totally different from girls. I am definitely a believer now.