breastfeeding

[Josef1129]

how old is too old to breastfeed?

[enigma]

The notion of when to stop breastfeeding is very subjective. What's right for one person is wrong for others. Personally , I am still breastfeeding ny son who is 19 months old and intend to stop when he turns two for three reasons :
1: I feel that he is still a 'baby' and therefore it is socially acceptable.
2: It soothes him during teething pains , illness , immunisation and is a good bonding moment for us.
3:The first two years of a child's life in terms of health and wellbeing are crucial and breastfeeding is recommended up until this age and beyond. Although most professionals ask nursing mothers to aim for six months because this is adequate in providing the nutrients and antibodies to baby but obviously the longer you do it , the better for baby.

It is very much a case of when you and baby are ready to stop but you should never feel bullied into stopping when you don't feel ready. I must admit though that I squirmed at the programme shown recently on channel 4 with the mothers who were still breastfeeding children of 4 , 7 and 9. I think that the emphasis tends to be on what is 'socially acceptable'. ie no-one bats an eyelid when your child is quite young but when they get older , it is deviating from the norm and raises eyebrows. We have such an appalling rate of breastfeeding in this country that I think it's great when mothers continue beyond the six month norm. I know that I am certainly in the minority where I live as although we have a breastfeeding support group , the numbers are low and I am the only mother who has fed so long in this way. If this applies to you , go with what you feel is right x

[enigma]

Unfortunately the UK are a bit behind the times when it comes to breastfeeding but America have been celebrating Worldwide breastfeeding week. You can see the recommendations here :

http://66.249.93.104/search?q=cache:g4baudkaol 4J:www.paho.org/English/DD/PIN/pr050729.htm+br eastfeeding+recommend+until+two&hl=en&ct=clnk& cd=3

[ummmm]

Do it for as long as you can.

[noxlumos]

You and your baby will decide when to stop feeding. My wife fed her first son for 2 years and our daughter for a little over 3 and it's only up to you and your baby, don't feel pressurised by anyone or anything else to either stop before you want to or containue after you dont.

[petes_dragon]

I agree with Nox - just carry on until you feel it is time to stop & don't let other peoples opinions sway you!

Breastfeeding is a great thing - whether you do it fr 2 weeks or 2 years, it is a great way of bonding with your child!

A xXx

[kipchik]

Gotta say that woman on tv earlier this year who was still breastfeeding her daughter at 8 years old,sorry,no,that is just weird!

[kick3m0n]

totally agree with the above, just do it for as long as you, or your little one, want it. I b/f my son till he was almost 17 months old. I would have happily continued but he actually sort of decided for himself that he'd had enough, and to be fair, latterly (last 6 weeks or so) he was only having a bed time feed from me.

[maggie01]

I must be in the minority, but I hate to see anyone breastfeed a child after a year old and that's pushing it.

[nik1971]

maggie your not in the minority! right here with you!

[enigma]

Maggie - HOW exactly is it 'pushing it' after one year of breastfeeding ? Do you have children and if so , did you breastfeed ? If you didn't then you have missed out on the most fantastic bonding experience you can have with a child - not that I am suggesting that parents of bottle fed babies do not bond with their children. At one year old , the child is still a baby with a lack of vocabulary to tell you when they are ill or in pain and this is where breastfeeding comes in handy. What better way to soothe your child ? Bear in mind that the MMR vaccination is given around fourteen months old so I really don't see why you have a problem with this. Do you think that it is acceptable for women to bare their breasts in newspapers for men to leer at ? That's the trouble , p

[enigma]

eople are too used to seeing breasts in a sexual context that they forget what the intended purpose for them actually is. I'm not having a go at you , I just can't see why it is a problem after one year old ?

[kick3m0n]

enigma, I do agree with you on this. To be honest, and I'm not in any way having a go at others, but for me personally, I find women with Maggies attitude to breastfeeding a little creepy. It's such a natural thing to do and at 1, your child is still a baby....how could you feel that it's in anyway wrong to breastfeed them? I find such an attitude quite unsettling.

[Plocket]

You and your baby have a special bond if you are breastfeeding, and you and your baby will start to realise when it's time to stop. Personally I'd wean them off breastfeeding when they have a more social life, ie going to nursery, pre-school etc. Once you have these activities in mind you should wean them off before they start going.

[tracymort]

How long is a piece of string!
According to the reasearch by Kathy Dettwyler the antural age of weaning is between 2.5 and 7. http://www.kathydettwyler.org/detwean.html

I believe in baby led weaning, they stop when they are ready but I do it for at least 2 years as recommended by WHO.
Anyone who thinks feeding a toddler or older is sexual or disgusting is sadly a victim of our societies obsession with breasts and their sexual purpose.
I know before I did it I thought it a little odd but once you are there feeding a walking talking baby it's the most natural thing in the world!

[ettelloc]

i dont think there is a set time when you should give up but i think its odd still breastfeeding when a child has teeth. as soon as the teeth grow you should stop. they are there for a reason & its to chew solids.

It is a great way to bond & a good calorie burner but some things just look strange.

But its your choice.

[trogette]

they're called 'milk teeth' for a reason...

[enigma]

I agree with you Kick3m0n. I can just about understand why a lot of men feel uneasy about the idea of breastfeeding but for women to feel like that I feel is a bit odd. Even before I was a mother I recognised that it was a loving , natural and mutually beneficial neccessity for baby and mother.

Ettelloc - My kids all cut their first teeth around the three month old mark with two teeth at first then at least two a month thereafter. My son cut his first teeth at nine weeks old (two teeth) and others followed quickly. Whilst I recognise that the first teeth are said to appear around six months old , as many mothers will tell you , this is not always the case. So should I have stopped breastfeeding at nine weeks old with my son ? By the time he was six months old he had about ten teeth so a lot of little chompers. To reiterate a point I made earlier , bearing in mind that immunisations for the MMR are given at around fourteen months old , what better way to soothe your child ? Each to their own I suppose but I long for the day when the issue of breastfeeding is more socially acceptable , less offensive to those who are offended and thought less of as a dirty , taboo subject. (Not by those on here I hasten to add - just my general perception of the whole subject and personal experiences)