increased nursing at 3yo??

[@llli*nat38]

as per title - my LO will be 3 soon and was down to only morning and bedtime feeding (oh, and during the night ) but recently he's asking to nurse much more mainly up until lunchtime.

has anyone experience this??

[@llli*zaynethepain]

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/044050...0154448&sr=8-1

I'm about halfway through this book that was recommended by another mother here. I wish I'd gotten the series sooner as its been a huge help in understanding my son's behavior. Three is a very difficult year! The book mentions development stages where the child feels very insecure and needs increased comfort measures.

[@llli*anaduralia]

Sometimes my little one will want more nursing. Usually, it is the duration of the nursings that increases and the interest in it. But sometimes he will ask for extra nursings - usually in the early morning too :-) He is 2 and a half. I don't know all the causes for these changes. I do know that having friends/relatives visit increases his nursing interest. I guess the contact with people he doesn't always see is stressful for him.

[@llli*nat38]

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/044050...0154448&sr=8-1

I'm about halfway through this book that was recommended by another mother here. I wish I'd gotten the series sooner as its been a huge help in understanding my son's behavior. Three is a very difficult year! The book mentions development stages where the child feels very insecure and needs increased comfort measures.

thanks, this is very interesting as it exactly what I am starting to observe - he is becoming (or wants to be) very independent yet at the same time seems to be very insecure. some of teh comments/questions he asks left me wondering what's going on. Twos were very easy for us, and I also had the feeling three will be more difficult!

I had a look for the book, but it seems difficult to get in the UK! :-(

[@llli*maddieb]

Hi. I have nursed two children until about age 5 and am currently nursing a 2.5 year old. While I cannot remember specifically what was happening at age three with my older two, I just wanted to say that I have certainly noticed that my children have periodic periods of nursing more or less apparently based on their own needs and desires, rather than there being some gradually progressive reducing of nursing sessions. So I see nothing unusual in what you are describing.

As far as the Ames and Ilg series of books, if you cannot find them for sale in the UK, what about asking around to see if anyone has some to lend- this seems to be a popular series for many groups that are focused on child development, and that would include LLL, Waldorf educators and other early childhood education methods, homeschoolers, attachment parenting etc.

[@llli*nat38]

thanks I guess I was surprised because I was expecting, as you say, a gradual decreased in nursing

I managed to find the book!

[@llli*zaynethepain]

Yay! It was a great, quick read. I hadn't realized that children go through periods of motor skill instability. I did notice my son was very clumsy and went through a terrible stuttering phase at three. I'd thought his behavior was linked exclusively to the new baby but now I realize it probably would have been a very tough period no matter what. It is definitely from a different style of parenting as full term nursing is not mentioned at all (though they endorse using other comfort measures) and the chapter on sleep focuses on having child in a separate room with only a paragraph on how opinions about Bedsharing differ. It's easy enough to pick through the parenting advice and focus on the information about their development.