Thoughts on this....??

[mumoffive]

Well i personally wouldnt want my child to have a dummy at 4...she needs to grow up! so why would i imagine that it would be a good idea to continue a child to suckle at that age? I have a dd who is 4 and i can bond with her in other ways.
At the end of the day, i dont personally care either way what others do or dont..its just the opinion that i have.

 

[hot tea]

I would also add, finally, for those that think they would do it until 4 at what age would they stop and why? Why stop at all? It could provide life long immunity to just continue lol!!!...and with those same reasons i would say they are the same ones i would use to stop when 'weaning' is more or less complete.

I have a rule: quit before school. That is my one and only true line I have with breastfeeding. I would never ridicule or even think poorly of parents who breastfed further than that, though!

I say quit before school because breastfeeding your five year old may alienate them. In this closed minded society there are loads of assholes who would be quick to judge and make that childs life harder. Also starting kindergarden is the transition from little kid to big kid. It makes sense to me for that to be a good deadline.

Personally what I son't understand is why so many mothers force their infants to wean at 6 to 12 months. That seems entirely unnatural to me.

Also, just so you know... i only quit breastfeeding for me. My son easily could have continued, but I sensed that it was no longer necessary and not something he really enjoyed as he did. It was just a habit, the last few months. And like I said, the last year old breastfeeding was all for hs benefit, not mine, bonding wise. I just said no once, and that was that.

 

[hot tea]

Well i personally wouldnt want my child to have a dummy at 4...she needs to grow up! so why would i imagine that it would be a good idea to continue a child to suckle at that age? I have a dd who is 4 and i can bond with her in other ways.
At the end of the day, i dont personally care either way what others do or dont..its just the opinion that i have.

Your child bonds with her dummy??? Dummies are not for bonding. Dummies are for the sheer act of suckling. As far as I am concerned dummies are never necessary.

You bond with her in whatever way you deem best. You just need to accept there are others who do not agree with you. lucky for you this society stands by your side... They also stand with pro formula feeding, elective csections and other things that I know ai disagree with on a whole.

LIVE AND LET LIVE. You will never see me breastfeed past 1 and a half in public because of women like you.

 

[xemmax]

Its not necessary and thats the point. If people want to then thats up to the individual...but the simple fact is that its just not necessary to feed a 4 year old breastmilk. How many animals in nature do you see still suckling their young when they are past a certain level of maturity? None. As i say, its my opinion and others will disagree and thats fine but the original op did ask for opinions.
I would also argue why bf a 4 year old when they can get the nutrients from other things? Im not sure about antibodies at that age so i cant comment on that one..but in my mind i think surely it would be negligable anyway since they have to develop their own immunity to things anway and at some point? I personally think the immunity argument has been overplayed but again that is imo and not based on any research..just life experience.
I would also agree that it is also true that a 4 year old is actually by toddler hood.

I would also add, finally, for those that think they would do it until 4 at what age would they stop and why? Why stop at all? It could provide life long immunity to just continue lol!!!...and with those same reasons i would say they are the same ones i would use to stop when 'weaning' is more or less complete.

Who said it was 'necessary'? I don't think anyone has claimed it is. I really think that's quite a bizarre word to use actually.

How many nimals in nature do you see still suckling their young when they are past a certain level of maturity? This is pretty irrelevant - firstly we as humans are not in our natural state, so we aren't comparable. Secondly can you back this up with any research? Humans (like all animals) have a natural weaning age and this differs between species and individuals. The human natural weaning age is probably a lot later than you think - anything up to 7 years old.

Re nutrients - yes nutrients are received from other food sources but as stated countless times breastfeeding is not just about nutrients. It is so much more - the added bonus is just that it is a rich source of goodness with no down sides. How has the immunity argument been 'overplayed'?

Also - I would say the majority of people who are breastfeeding their 4 year olds are doing so because they would like to allow their child to self wean, so they WILL continue past that age, until the child is ready to wean themselves, which is as nature intended. (I've never seen an animal in the wild giving dummies and expressing into a cup)

 

[aliss]

I'm just curious,

For those who think it's wrong-

Was it wrong for millions of years, or is it just wrong now that cups have been invented?

 

[hot tea]

Lol aliss, you are so awesome!

 

[mummy2lola]

I've got to say one thing I have noticed in this thread is the people who say it's not right for a 4 year old to still b on the breast leave their opinion and move on,which is what the op asked for but with every comment there has been a retalition from those who think it's right so it's now becoming abit of a war as usual as others are retalitating because one side is getting shot down.why can't some have opinions that differ and that b that? Who are we trying to convince,others or ourselves of our opinion? And as for the cup,did we see cave men in pics on their cave womans breasts as they had no cup in pictures,no,coz they didn't need breastmilk as I believe 4 year olds don't but that's JUST MY OPINION and I won't b commenting again,take care ladies,try not to pull eachothers hair out in the end lol xx

 

[aliss]

If you don't agree then that's fine, but to me it just doesn't make sense. I'm just putting that out there.

4 year old children in caves (or mud huts, or bronze age shacks) would have certainly nursed had they not self-weaned, breast milk being a very essential source of nutrition when grocery stores didn't exist.

4 year olds walk around with cups of milk or little cartons, heck, you get a bottle of milk with your kid's McDonalds happy meal. Babies, toddlers, children - they all want to drink non-water liquids. Heck, my toddler is running around with a sippy cup of milk right now...

 

[My_First]

If you don't agree then that's fine, but to me it just doesn't make sense. I'm just putting that out there.

4 year old children in caves (or mud huts, or bronze age shacks) would have certainly nursed had they not self-weaned, breast milk being a very essential source of nutrition when grocery stores didn't exist.

4 year olds walk around with cups of milk or little cartons, heck, you get a bottle of milk with your kid's McDonalds happy meal. Babies, toddlers, children - they all want to drink non-water liquids. Heck, my toddler is running around with a sippy cup of milk right now...

Aliss, I think what you write is always full of informed information and well written, and I do enjoy reading your posts. I would comment that above you have written I guess highlights why it isnt necessary to extend breastfeed, as we have evolved to be able to suplement our nutrition with other sources. No it wasnt wrong however many years ago, just as slaughtering animals with blunt spears and dragging your partner by the hair and clubbing them to show affection, but times change and evolve and therefore as do attitudes and what is deemed as the norm...

 

[aliss]

If you don't agree then that's fine, but to me it just doesn't make sense. I'm just putting that out there.

4 year old children in caves (or mud huts, or bronze age shacks) would have certainly nursed had they not self-weaned, breast milk being a very essential source of nutrition when grocery stores didn't exist.

4 year olds walk around with cups of milk or little cartons, heck, you get a bottle of milk with your kid's McDonalds happy meal. Babies, toddlers, children - they all want to drink non-water liquids. Heck, my toddler is running around with a sippy cup of milk right now...

Aliss, I think what you write is always full of informed information and well written, and I do enjoy reading your posts. I would comment that above you have written I guess highlights why it isnt necessary to extend breastfeed, as we have evolved to be able to suplement our nutrition with other sources. No it wasnt wrong however many years ago, just as slaughtering animals with blunt spears and dragging your partner by the hair and clubbing them to show affection, but times change and evolve and therefore as do attitudes and what is deemed as the norm...

You're right, that we have been able to supplement with other sources, but that doesn't mean technology is better.

Many people also deem those sources to be inferior
1. Vegans, who feel that the agricultural system is cruel (and tbh, I can't disagree with that). Stabbing a wild pig with a spear is far less cruel then current pork production!

2. Lactose intolerant- cow's milk is not easily digestible by many people

3. Those that argue that human breast milk is superior for humans, so why would they put a cow's milk into a cup and give that?

4. The mothers who breastsfeed the 4 year old - her child is hungry, her child wants nutritious milk, why not just give it straight from the source?

"Paleolithic" eating is a newish trend in fitness, based on how humans were designed to eat - nuts, fresh fruits, cold meats, vegetables, and not much else. Extended breastfeeding, IMO, falls into this category - nourishing the body from the most simple basic sources that their body was designed to eat from.

As for clubbing women, well, I think there are some things that can be seen as good advancements and some that are not. 100 years ago, many of us would be grandmothers by now and wouldn't be allowed to vote.

If a woman doesn't wish to feed her 4 year old then there's nothing wrong with that - but I don't see how another woman should feel shamed for doing it. But then again, I am from Western Canada, where it is not common to see it in public but women, in general, are not ashamed to breastfeed extended. I myself was breastfed until 3. I was taught it was normal. Many of you girls are from the UK and have been told over and over and over by families that it is not. Most women in the world probably still think it's okay to not wean your child from the breast until they are ready.

 

[My_First]

And I totally agree, she shouldnt feel ashamed, whether they do or dont. I am perhaps offering why some may deem it as unacceptable as we have evolved for it not to be necessary to do so as its not a matter of life and death.

 

[hot tea]

Eating meat is not necessary anymore either, nor is drinking cowsmilk.

Imo extended breastfeeding is a lot less messed up than slaughter houses and hormone filled cowsmilk.

 

[doggy121]

hmmm... my friendsa just stopped bf her two yr old (i have a 8 wk old boy and bf for 3wk), i must say i thought it bizzare really as the little girl had a full set of teeth,talks... i dunno really my personal opp thinks its a bit wierd when the girls on solids and is growing well and my friend says she only does it in the eve to get her to sleep. i planned on doing it for 6mth but it dint work out for me and i now find ff a breeze as my son sttn fron 10ish-6ish, i put this wholly down to him haveing fuller filling formula, the most kip i got when bf was 2hrs and i really couldnt cope with he lack of sleep....you mummies who bf deserve a medal really for all the sleepless nights xx

 

[LoraLoo]

hmmm... my friendsa just stopped bf her two yr old (i have a 8 wk old boy and bf for 3wk), i must say i thought it bizzare really as the little girl had a full set of teeth,talks... i dunno really my personal opp thinks its a bit wierd when the girls on solids and is growing well and my friend says she only does it in the eve to get her to sleep. i planned on doing it for 6mth but it dint work out for me and i now find ff a breeze as my son sttn fron 10ish-6ish, i put this wholly down to him haveing fuller filling formula, the most kip i got when bf was 2hrs and i really couldnt cope with he lack of sleep....you mummies who bf deserve a medal really for all the sleepless nights xx

She's growing well and healthy because she is getting all the nutrients she needs from both solids and breastmilk If its not broke, why fix it?

I really dont get the teeth thing- a baby can be born with teeth. My LO didnt get her first tooth til 12 months. When I woke up and found that tooth should I have decided to stop Breastfeeding her there and then? Put her on Cows Milk whuch isnt designed for her, upset her at cutting out her milk and probably suffer pain and Mastitis myself? 2 is just still so little, no more than a baby.

 

[lhancock90]

You know the only thing that bothers me is the cows milk is not designed for children thing. Its not designed for adults either but i'm sure most of us are happy to stick it in our tea and coffee.

 

[Natsku]

I don't but I don't like milk anyway. I imagine adding breastmilk to tea or coffee would eliminate the need to add sugar though

 

[LoraLoo]

You know the only thing that bothers me is the cows milk is not designed for children thing. Its not designed for adults either but i'm sure most of us are happy to stick it in our tea and coffee.

Most adults dont have an alternative

ETA: I don't drink milk either!

 

[lhancock90]

But if you believe so strongly that its wrong, you wouldn't drink it at all?

 

[LoraLoo]

But if you believe so strongly that its wrong, you wouldn't drink it at all?

I dont drink Milk at all. Not because i think its so wrong- because I just dont like it. But given the choice of to give my child breastmilk or cows milk- I'm going to choose what is best for her little body- always Nobody can argue that cows milk is better than breast milk.

 

[aliss]

You know the only thing that bothers me is the cows milk is not designed for children thing. Its not designed for adults either but i'm sure most of us are happy to stick it in our tea and coffee.

Well, I think we can all agree that cow's milk is not designed anyone but cows. However, I think most of us can also agree it's no big deal if adults OR children drink it. The issue is why is that okay and human breast milk, designed for humans, from it's natural source, is not okay past a certain age? Why should a woman make her child wean from it when they are not ready - only to turn around and give them a cup of cow's milk instead?

IMO it makes zero sense to wean a child off it's own mother's milk only to turn around and give it a cup of cow's milk. I look at my little guy running around with a cup of cow's milk and think, "boy, that is actually kind of weird that I did that?"