Feeding past one

[Twag]

So I breastfed my son but from about 6 months he only really fed before bed (I went back to work when he was 11 weeks old but expressed for him just he had a bottle rather than me) and then we stopped at 9 months he bit me twice and the 2nd time made my nipple bleed so it naturally ended then with no problems

Anyway my daughter I am still breastfeeding morning, lunch, evening & through the night when needed - I have no problems with this and neither does she we are both happy and tbh I am happy to continue until one of us or both of us decide we have had enough - she is my last baby and I cherish the bonding time we have together

Anyway my mother or sisters did not breastfeed and they think it is disgusting that she is still fed and say I should definitely stop at one!

So now I am worried I am causing her harm or something by still feeding her

Anyone have any experience with this?

 

[staralfur]

I nursed my LO until she was 3 so if it does cause harm then she's going to be REALLY messed up.

In all seriousness, no there's no harm in continuing to feed her, I can't imagine what kind of harm there might be? The notion that it's "disgusting" is very much an adult thing and unless they project those feelings onto your daughter when she's old enough to understand then I can't imagine she'd feel that way at all (and in that case it would be your family causing her harm and not you nursing her past a certain age).

My mom only breastfed me for 3 months and my MIL didn't breastfeed at all so extended breastfeeding was definitely a foreign concept to them. Thankfully neither were too vocal about it but I could tell that my MIL especially became a bit uncomfortable if I would nurse/talk about nursing my LO past a certain age (I'd say it started even as early as 6 months). I think my mom was more worried that I was putting more pressure and stress on myself than I needed to than anything. But I just stopped talking to them about it for the most part, I figured it wasn't really anyone's business but mine and my daughter's.

You definitely have the right idea I think saying you'll continue until either one of you no longer wants to. It's a relationship between the two of you and no one else. There are lots of benefits to continuing to breastfeed, both in the milk itself and in the comfort it offers your LO, so stick to your guns and do what you think is right for your daughter.

 

[Boozlebub]

I breastfed DS until he was 25 months when he stopped himself when I was 7 months pregnant. But I had constant comments about it once we hit 1 year. Luckily it became just nap time and bed time so no one really knew but I was surprised by the comments considering my mil fed DH til he was 2.5! Just keep going as long as you both want to like you said. I loved feeding DS. I fear DD won't feed as long as she isn't too fussed about the boob.

 

[Twag]

Thanks ladies - my girl is very much a booby girl and that doesn't bother me

I fully blame that UK sketch shows that showed the adult man wanting bitty (breast milk) from his mother!!

 

[noon_child]

Globally, children are breastfed all the way to 7yrs old with the average falling somewhere around 3-4, but obviously cultural norms play a huge part in the difference between different countries and cultures. However we do not have thousands of mentally ill children round the globe because they are breastfed in to childhood, there is just no evidence for it. In the UK weaning peaks at 6months because that is the recommended introduction of solid food and again peaks at a year because that is when maternity leave finishes and women go back to work. Neither of these things has anything to do with the child's mental and physical wellbeing BUT it contributes to what people see, and therefore what they think is normal.

There are proven benefits to continuing to feed and the world health organisation says:
"Breast milk is the natural first food for babies, it provides all the energy and nutrients that the infant needs for the first months of life, and it continues to provide up to half or more of a child’s nutritional needs during the second half of the first year, and up to one-third during the second year of life.

Breast milk promotes sensory and cognitive development, and protects the infant against infectious and chronic diseases. Exclusive breastfeeding reduces infant mortality due to common childhood illnesses such as diarrhoea or pneumonia, and helps for a quicker recovery during illness. These effects can be measured in resource-poor and affluent societies (Kramer M et al Promotion of Breastfeeding Intervention Trial (PROBIT): A randomized trial in the Republic of Belarus. Journal of the American Medical Association, 2001, 285(4): 413-420)

Breastfeeding contributes to the health and well-being of mothers; it helps to space children, reduces the risk of ovarian cancer and breast cancer, increases family and national resources, is a secure way of feeding and is safe for the environment."

 

[gingmg]

We are still nursing twice a day at 23 months. I used to be someone that had opinions on breastfeeding past one but then I had my own son and we both have loved our nursing relationship and I am so ashamed I ever thought the way that I did. I just wasn't educated on what's normal and natural when it comes to breastfeeding. Most people probably assume that my son doesn't nurse anymore because I don't talk about it with many people and it's a shame that something I am most proud of I am also most protective of.

As long as both mother and child are happy with their nursing relationship, I think it's the most natural, healthy, and beautiful thing in the world. Studies actually show a correlation with higher IQs and being more secure with extended breastfeeding. It's too bad extended breastfeeding isn't more supported, encouraged, or celebrated. And it's too bad more people aren't educated on what's biologically normal. You will know what is right for you and your child.

 

[Zephram]

It is nothing short of ignorance if someone tried to make you feel bad by feeding an older baby or toddler! It's only in the west that we have the luxury of other forms of feeding available to us, historically and still in other parts of the world kids are feed until they wean naturally sometime between 2 and 7. This means that a lot of westerners have a totally skewed view of breastfeeding, which has led to the sexualisation of breasts and low breastfeeding rates. Breastfeeding is absolutely fantastic for toddlers - they do not magically not need it anymore the day they turn one! Ignore the naysayers, you're doing great!

I fed my first until he was 26.5 months and I am still feeding my 15 month old with no view to stop anytime soon.

 

[Bevziibubble]

It's not disgusting at all. I'm still feeding my 4.5 year old! I never intended to feed for this long but she is not ready to wean at all and she still gets a lot of comfort from it. If it works for you and LO and you're both happy to continue then don't let anyone make you feel bad about it. You won't cause any harm by it all!

 

[blueblue]

Thanks ladies - my girl is very much a booby girl and that doesn't bother me

I fully blame that UK sketch shows that showed the adult man wanting bitty (breast milk) from his mother!!

Oh yes, I blame that too!

I'm combi-feeding my 12 month old, she breastfeeds twice a day morning and night. I also don't talk about it apart from with my mum friend's who've bf'd as I think I might get comments. I think my in-laws must assume I've stopped and I don't mention it.

LO still enjoys it, she's tiny and I'd prefer to give her breast milk and formula over cows milk as they are more nutritious. She's having a terrible teething episode at the moment and it's the only thing that soothes her. I'm back at work part-time and it's lovely to snuggle up at the end of the day. I had such a hard time getting breastfeeding started (she didn't latch til 6 weeks and I've combi-fed since birth) that it seemed a shame to stop at 6 months. I never thought I'd still be feeding now (I thought it was strange previously too) but I'm planning to carry on for the next few months. I think people think it's even weirder for me to bf as my LO will take a bottle and that's a reason some people carry on.

 

[minties]

I breastfed Thomas till he was almost 18 months old but stopped due to a nursing aversion from being pregnant with Sophie. No one had a clue I was still breastfeeding and I know my MIL would have been totally creeped out. My own mother probably would have been too but wouldn't have been vocal about it.

I only breastfed Sophie till 11 months as she went on a nursing strike and I could never get her to nurse again. She wasn't ever really a "booby monster" anyway.

Emma is boob-MAD! I will nurse her till she's ready to stop, whether it's 2 years or 4 years. I even nurse her in public and I was way too scared of people's reactions to do that with my other kids.

 

[Twag]

Thanks ladies I have no intention of stopping until we are ready - I work full time and she needs it to feel close and reconnect at the end of the day and tbh so do I

 

[AnneBurg]

I took the opposite approach with my ds- instead of hiding breastfeeding him I breastfed everywhere to demonstrate how normal it is. Especially in front of my family! Eventually by about 20 months I stopped hearing any comments and I think it's become normal for them now. Or, they just keep their opinions to themselves.
Still going strong at 2 years old now. I am trying to cut down for fertility reasons but otherwise id let him wean naturally. I also work and find it such a great way to connect after a long day apart.

 

[Twag]

My baby girl hasn't wanted to feed the last 2 lunch times (my mother looks after my babies while I am at work and I go home to have lunch with them) I don't know if it is just because she is full of cold or she has weaned herself off from lunchtime milk
She is feeding fine in the evening/over night

 

[Andi86]

I recently weaned my son at 22 months. He was feeding(comfort nursing) maybe 2-3 times in a 24 hour period. I never planned to go past a year but it was what worked for us at the time so I just went with it. Around 15 months I stopped talking about it to certain people. He went down to basically just nursing at sleep times anyway so no one really knew except a handful of people. I probably would of continued longer then 22 months as I hoped to gently wean him when he was ready. But I got bad breastfeeding aversion being pregnant. Also my milk dried up and as soon as my milk was gone my son started biting me. It became way to painful for me and my nipples were bruised so I weaned him off. I hated cutting him off like that. I felt terrible but it wasn't enjoyable for me anymore and was becoming a negative thing to me. He wasn't getting anything anyway and was just using it for comfort at that point. He was pretty mad for about a week but is completely fine now and is actually more snuggly and sleeps better. Anyway, if it's working for you and LO then continue to nurse as long as you both want. It's no one elses business anyway.

 

[cleckner04]

I breastfed my first for 3y6m and my second for 3y2m. I got firm with family and friends that wanted to be rude about it. I went through the usual speech about benefits not ending just bc a kid hits a certain age, etc. In the end I just had to grow a thicker skin and I never brought it up unless someone asked. Once they got old enough it was only a matter of BFing for naps and bedtime and the rare cases of a fall or them getting hurt when they needed comforting. So eventually no one even realized it was still going on bc I kept quiet about it. I plan on doing the same with my newest LO that's on the way. I am proud as can be about extended BFing. My kids are super close to me and still very cuddly even my 7 year old.

 

[_Meep_]

Still breastfeeding my girl who is heading for 2.5, and will continue to as long as she wants. I'm fine with tandem nursing if that's what happens when our new baby arrives.

My mother fed all three of us (me + 2 siblings) past 2, and my brother continued until he was 4. We're all perfectly ordinary, healthy adults, with normal lives and interpersonal relationships ...

I couldn't give a shit if people think I'm weird, disgusting or anything else. My LO will choose when she wants to stop and that's fine with me. It's your family's issue, not yours. They're placing a misinformed, strange and incorrect label on something that is actually perfectly natural.

 

[Septie]

My firstborn weaned himself at 1.5 yrs old when my milk dried up during my pregnancy. Same with my second, who weaned himself at a bit over 3.5 yrs old during my next pregnancy. Still BF my third, who is almost 16 months old - no idea how he will stop, as I don't plan on another pregnancy...But he is not as big of a boob monster as the others, so perhaps he will wean himself earlier than #2. I have always been open about BF. Obviously, a 3 year old will rarely feed in public, as they simply BF less frequently than a baby/toddler...And yes, have gotten plenty of comments, especially from MIL, who did not BF (and who always suggests that the baby is not getting enough milk at the sign of the slightest "problem" - such as a baby not sleeping through the night!). As long as both LO (AND I!) are happy BF, it really is nobody's business. Good luck!

 

[babyjan]

A one year old is still really young and there's nothing disgusting about it at all. I breastfed my first for just over 2 years. I'm currently bf my 7.5 month old. Not sure when we'll stop tbh. Do what you feel is best for you and your baby x