Just a little challenge for y'all:
When you ask someone "Are you still breastfeeding?" try taking the word "still" out of your question. It implies that they should have stopped by now. They might feel embarrassed by answering yes because of the implications of the word "still."
I was talking with a woman who had had a wonderful unmedicated birth about 18 months earlier. I asked her this question, if she was breastfeeding. The look on her face told me she thought I was insane! Her child was running around the room at the moment. She laughed and said, "She's 18 months! No." I told her that 3 out of my 4 were breastfeeding at that age. The room was silent. It was a rather humorous moment.
I want to encourage women to continue breastfeeding as long as possible and by asking if they are "still" breastfeeding, it does not sound encouraging. Just something I've been thinking about as I've been talking with breastfeeding moms lately, especially as their babies are getting older.
Just a reminder: the World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding until at least age 2. In my experience, those have been my most rewarding breastfeeding relationships -- the one's we went to at least age 2.
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