When Should Breastfeeding End?

My sister is still breastfeeding her 16 month old, and her husband thinks it's time to stop.  She can't resist her child's pleas to nurse before he sleeps; her husband feels the breastfeeding should end now that their child enjoys sips of diet Coke and can chomp readily on pretzels.  My brother-in-law asked me what is the oldest age I know of when a child was still breastfeeding.  I answered, flippantly, "Well, our dad nursed until he was four, but it was World War II then, Singapore was under siege by the Japanese, and his mom had no other choice."

I do see my brother-in-law's point, though; there is something remotely distasteful about a toddler or an even older child sucking on his mom's breasts.  But I also understand how hard it is to stop because the breastfeeding bond is such a strong one between mom and child.  I loved nursing myself, and I was loath to say goodbye to breastfeeding because it meant the end of a unique and special stage of babyhood.  The American Academy of Pediatrics encourages breastfeeding for as long as possible, above and beyond the baby's first year of life if the mom is willing.  But for my sister and brother-in-law, I told them that the decision to stop breastfeeding was ultimately a very personal one, one that they would have to resolve by themselves.