this morning debate.. breaatfeeding after 2.

[elisesmum]

so sat watching this morning and wondering whats your opinion on late breast feeding i.e after 2years of age, personally i think it's the mothers choice but i don't know if its fair on the child wont they get teased if there like 4 and want some boobie time in the playground i would feel uncomfortable if i saw a 4 year old on a breast, because obvously its not seen as normal (mine lg is 4 and laughs when she see's my breasts and tells me to put them away)now apperently there is no medical evidence whether is has any health benefits, so do you think its in the childs best interest to breast feed later or just for the mum benefit i.e the bond... Now i didnt right this for conflict or arguements just wanted to see peoples opinion as i found it quite interesting listening to both sides of the debate xx

 

[Titch85]

I am not sure where I stand on this. Obviously it's the mothers choice and no-one should make her feel like it's wrong or not normal. But I also don't feel that at that age it's necessary?

 

[wifeywifey]

I personally think its wierd however its personal choice I wouldnt be comfortable doing it.

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[elisesmum]

Thats what i was thinking i think its totally up to the mum but there was a magazine cover saying are you mum enough? Meaning if you dont or even cant breastfeed they are implying your not mum enough which i thought was wrong because by saying this arent they just as bad for judging people who dont or even can't, i was just thinking what about if they was in a lesson at school or at nursery would they ask the teacher/nursery teacher for it or be upset because mummy isnt around to give them it what would happen in those situations xx

 

[katechev]

I think feeding up to the age of 2 ish if you can is lovely but any more than that seems unneccessary, I fed my 2nd son til 12 months which was right for us and with this one I will see how it goes and if I can feed for at least a year again I shall feel v proud of us both!! xx

 

[Sarah7]

I agree with what kate said. Up to 2 I think is absolutely great, I'm sure I saw a documentary once that said beyond 2 the benefits of breastfeeding just aren't really there and it becomes purely an emotional dependency for mother and child that's hard to break.
I'd love to breastfeed up to 2 but I want to make it to at least a year ideally.

 

[cosmicgirl]

It's not for me and I agree that I don't think bf after 2 is 100% necessary. Up to 2 I have no issues with, after that i dont think is needed and i wonder if it is more for the mothers emotional needs than the childs???? xx

 

[Jayjay027]

I don't like it, and I don't find it necessary at all.
It would make me feel uncomfortable seeing it.

The magazine ur referring to is 'Times' mag, and the pic on the front just looked wrong! I even showed my DH to get his opinion and he was so shocked by it and also said he didn't agree with it!

Although to be totally honest, I also think breastfeeding after 1 is a little odd. But that's just me.

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[elisesmum]

I didnt get the whole mag thing, theres nothing wrong with promoting breastfeeding as i think some people still dont agree with it and rightly it should be on mags and stuff because it is the most natural thing in the world but on the front was a 3/4 year old boy stood on a chair with his face on a boob and to me it didnt look natural, and the title was to me slightly horrible as the poor people who want to breastfeed but cant may see that and think there a failure when there not.

I agree cosmic, i think it is more for the mothers benefit, there is no study saying the child still benefits after 2 years old so maybe is more of a bond thing and not wanting the child to grow up and maybe always want them to be there little baby

but by breastfeeding til there 4/5 Arent they just making it harder for a the child to Be independant as it will always rely on mum to be there when they want an unesscary feed just so they have the comfort of the cuddle with mum. Xx

 

[katey123]

Elisesmum I agree and I would go one step further and said I actually think it's reinforcing the child's connection between love ( the closeness on mum cuddle feeding) and food , which think could spell trouble in the child's future maybe she/he will develope an eating disorder. It's definitely not to the child's benefit in my option. xx

 

[CARNAT22]

I think once the kiddie has teeth I'll be rethinking the whole breast feeding issue

Sorry but aged 2 the child should be mainly on solids anyway. Breastfeeding at that age is just creepy ...

As someone else said I think if a child is breastfed until this age it is much more about the mother's needs than the childs.

xxxxxxxxx

 

[lisaloo]

I breast fed all of mine long term. My first was till 18mnths, my daughter was till 2ish and my youngest till he was 2 and a half. As they got older it was basically at night, a comfort thing. They grew out of it themselves naturally and tbh I dont see anything wrong with it. I wouldnt have felt comfortable bf them in public at that age though. Any older than that I dont see it as nessesary. They dont need it and the older they get, the more it gets to be about comfort, like a dummy x

 

[Cherry.Glitter]

I watched a documentary once where a woman still breast fed both of her daughters, they were 4 and 9! I bs you not, her nips were like runner beans! It was nasty!

Im with jayjay on this, 1 year is surely enough? I'd be more concerned about separation anxiety issues (and having weird nips) more than anything else

 

[Jayjay027]

Pmsl @ 'her nips were like runner beans'
Hahaha that really made me laugh!

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[Doob]

Sorry tri hopping but that runner bean comment did make me laugh haha! I think that 1 is fine if you can, when they are starting to talk/have teeth/learning to be more independent at nursery etc. I don't think it's a good thing. After 2 I think its too much of a comfort thing and at 4/5 I really don't get it.

 

[fonsipie_patam]

Hiya,

I planned to feed my son until he was two but he slowly pulled away the more he started eating meals and drinking out of beakers. Personally, I think it's suitable for a mother to stop once the child is eating whole-meals and able to hold beakers.

I, also believe breast feeding children for too long will make them too dependent on the mother's milk as well as the comfort of the breast. Which may also result in them not drinking cow's milk which is important for them too get use and weaning them off afterwards will be hard as well emotionally damaging for the mother and the child but espeacially on the child.

 

[babyem]

I think breast feeding is the best thing for your baby.

However, a 2 year old is not a baby and there are many reasons I think that would make me disagree with BF for such a long time.

I think it's more of a comfort for the mother than the child and that the longer it went on for the harder and more traumatic it would be to stop for the child. I also think that it's the same as using a bottle or dummy until that age in that there is no need, as well as the risks of having deformed teeth and possibly needing braces later in life.

I dont think a child can socialise properly i.e nursery, friends if they are still reliant on BF. It's important to teach a child how to eat proper meals in the correct way, which wouldn't be possible.

I also think it leaves a child subject to ridicule, as most children stop BF in the first year of life.

Each to their own, but I don't agree x

 

[siouxie]

Well i haven't had a baby yet i am currently pregnant with my first and really hope i can breastfeed for all the obvious benefits plus it will save loads not having to buy powder milk. I am only planning on Breast feeding for the first year, but obviously things might change. I dont think its nessessary to breast feed that long i think its more for the mothers benefit than anything if its done for that long