Why I'm breastfeeding

In the eyes of many people, I'm sure it's a bit weird to see a mom nursing an 18 month old.I was there at one point too. I thought it was weird. But here I am, nursing an 18 month old. A lot of people ask me why I'm still nursing, So I decided to share some reasons of why I decided to continue nursing past a year. My first reason is because Hayden loves it. He's eating more and more solids every day, but breastfeeding is not just about eating. When I first step foot into my parent's house after work, Hayden wants to nurse. It's how he reconnects with me after a long day away from his Mommy. At this point breastfeeding has become less about the nutrition (although breastmilk is still VERY nutritious for him, contrary to what some believe) and more about bonding. Hayden loves to point out my teeth, lips, nose and eyes while he nurses. He also loves to play little games while he nurses, for example he'll stick his hand near my mouth, and I'll pretend to eat it, he giggles and does it again, sometimes he'll pat my cheek and stare into my eyes. I love nursing because in these 18 months it has forced me to take a time out from all the stuff I "need" to do, and sit down and spend 15 minutes or so bonding with my son.

The main reason I chose to continue nursing is because long term breastfeeding has been shown to be one of the best ways to prevent asthma. I have asthma, and even though it's never been really severe,I have some family members that have been hospitalized because of their asthma. I don't want to pass it down to my son. I know he COULD still get it, but I feel like I'm doing my best to protect him this way. Extended nursing helps toddlers to get sick less often, which as a working mom who can't take a lot of time off, is beneficial to me as well. Hayden has only been to the doctor outside of his well baby visits, once. In 18 months, that's pretty good! :) I've also read that breastfeeding reduces the chances of the child getting diabetes, which also runs in the family.
Breastfeeding also benefits my health. It reduces the risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, uterine cancer, endometrial cancer, osteoporosis, and it has helped me to lose weight faster by burning up to 600 extra calories a day! Woot! So maybe after this extremely long post, you all can understand why I'm chosing to continue nursing, and hopefully not think that I'm a weirdo!! :)