is there any point in carrying on bf?

[sallycn]

dd2 is nearly 10 months - i bf a couple of times a day, she is fully weaned but also has a couple of formula bottles a day. Have also just gone baqck to work 3 days and on those days only manage one bf a day. Question really is - what benefit is dd2 getting from this - is there any point inme carrying on? She is my 3rd and last baby and i know to some extent i'm carrying on as iknow i'll never do it again- also she was 3 months prem and it was a real achievemnet to get home from SCBU breastfeeding - many weeks of expressing and her being ng tube fed etc,so lots of emotional tie ins to it all!

[monkeymonkeymoomoo]

I'm still feeding at 10mths, the recommendation is until 12mths so every extra month is beneficial

Sure someone will be along soon with some stats!

[evilsparklystepmom]

no professional opinion here, but if you like doing it - keep doing it!

[fishie]

the recommendatino is 24 months i believe. of coruse it is still beneficial and helps you to reconnect with her after being at work. carry on as long as you want to. ds is 20m and sometimes i don't manage any feeds on work days, usually 2-3 otherwise. sorry no time to link to stats, sure somebody else will.

[beansprout]

WHO recommends 2 years. There are still lots of benefits! We seem to live in a culture that thinks that b/feeding is only for small babies but this just is not true.

Ds had a very nasty vomiting bug recently. Ended up in A&E. The doctor told me that the best possible thing I could do was to keep b/feeding him, as this would provide him with everything he needed until he was better. I was so glad I could do that! That's a good reason!

[WigWamBam]

The WHO recommendation is two years. So yes, there's still benefit from carrying on - nutritionally she is still benefiting (milk should still be her main source of food until she's over 12 months old), and it's giving her comfort as well.

She's benefiting, you're benefiting - not much reason to stop if you don't want to

[yellowrose]

sally - the recommendation is not to introduce any other milk other than breastmilk before 12 months (American Academy of Paedatrics), or to bf for at least 2 years to get max. benefits for mum and child if you read the stuff by WHO or UNICEF.

I can tell you from personal experince that my DS who is still bf (now 2.5 yo) is a very healthy child and only ever suffers from minor colds when most of my friends' toddlers seem to suffer from ear infections, chest infections and very severe colds.
He also still falls asleep on the boob and is easily pacified when he throws tantrums !

You have 2 more months to go until your dd is 12 months. If you still wish to and still enjoy it, why give up ? Yes, even a few feeds a day will benefit her

[mamama]

I thought the benefits of BF continue as long as you do it.

This link tells tells you more

The most important thing is if you both want to do it, you should.

[Tatties]

Carry on bf as long as you and your dd want to, it will continue to benefit you both.

Like Beansprout, I was really glad to still be bf my ds (21mo) when he had a tummy bug recently. There are many ways in which it makes life with a toddler easier, it is a wonderful parenting tool and I wouldn't be without it. But the main reason we continue, I think, is because it feels right for us.

[sallycn]

thanks for all the replies! guess you've all helped make it all clear - think i might as well carry on!