To not want to stop BF 17 month old

Very quickly shown your true colours there...

So much for "do what works for you" lol

Same to you.

Maybe if more people did it in public it wouldn't look so off to you.
Fair play to that mum, comforting her child and putting their needs ahead of any randoms she'll probably not see again. 🙌

Literally BFing my nearly 2.5 year old right now. F**k what they think! Like a PP says, why not say to them, 'oh, what a quaint/archaic opinion, you do know the WHO advocate it until 2 and beyond!'

Shut.it.down RIGHT AWAY.... you don't want this to set a president for them thinking they can have a day/ get you questioning your judgement throughout your baby's childhood!

Your partner and your parents and friends that have made negative comments aren't familiar with current breastfeeding guidelines, so why would you listen to them?

It's opinions like that that cause breast feeding mums to second guess themselves. No one should be judged for how they feed and care for their child. You "putting it out there" does nothing positive. Absolutely nothing.

I stopped when I kept getting bitten. Painful! But if it weren’t for that, would have kept going. Ignore the critics. Your child, your decision.

You don't need to say everything you think out loud by the way. It's OK to keep your stupid thoughts to yourself. Just putting it out there.

There's nothing "off" about breastfeeding a 2 year old.

Op, do what works best for you but just putting it out there. Sat in a south London cafe and 2 women on a sofa type chairs sitting. One has a 5-6 month old baby on the boob and the other had a 2 year old plus on her boob. He was nearly half the height of his mother…. It looked off!!

Still going here with my 21 month old and currently pregnant with my second. No intention to stop and planning to tandem feed unless the pregnancy or self weaning stops that. In fact I’m actually more insistent on keeping going whilst pregnant (whilst I can) as a new baby will bring enough change for DC1 as it is!

Works for us, no one else’s business. Keep going- you’re doing great.

Just rtft and saw you have a similar culture mix in your family.

DH is British born and culturally mixed I suppose but has no interest in being separated from DC in the same way he and his sister were from their parents. DH’s cousins are all in the familiy’s home country and have one child each with 4 active grandparents. One cousin was so inspired by our last visit watching us care for 3DC and knowing we do it all alone in the UK with professional jobs and no support that he sent his parents home to try out raising his child just him and his wife. We didn’t learn this until months later but they did it for two weeks before calling them back. Sounds so lovely to live in a multigenerational home where you all support each other that much and I am envious of that aspect of the culture in a way. It did make us chuckle when he called to tell us how tiring raising one child in full-time education for two weeks was though, haha.

It’s not easy to navigate. Keep doing your thing OP

It is not BF that is stopping that*

I’m still BF DC3 who is about to turn 2 and I’m 20 weeks pregnant with DC4. The majority of my mum friends BF and a couple stopped around 18 months (for pregnancy) but the majority fed for 2+ years. No one else has tandem fed though which think is the way I’m going. I have zero pressure from friends.

My parents are a bit judgemental but I rarely see them. My DH’s mum definitely wants me to stop for a number of similar reasons to your parents and because she believes it unhealthy for my pregnancy.

I’ve never left DC3 overnight and am deeply attached. It’s culturally normal for DH’s mum to take DC for long periods, even abroad back to her home country for 6 months or so at a time. It’s not happening and it is BFing that’s stopping that. She keeps ‘joking’ about having DC3 full-time when DC4 is born and definitely wants me to wean to facilitate that. I personally prefer to have all my children with me whilst until they decide for themselves to have a sleepover with a relative

They insist he is too attached to me and I'm too attached to him.

This is heartbreaking. He's your baby! Of course you're supposed to be attached to one another. I would not be taking parenting advice from your parents.

You feed for as long as you want to. I fed my eldest for 27 months (he chose to stop when my milk changed during pregnancy) and my youngest for 3.5 years. Like you, I was perfectly able to go out without them. I worked part time, had the ocassional evening out, and even a couple of nights away with friends. My youngest was a year into school nursery - doesn't mean I was 'feeding her at the school gates' as people love to say - but it was such a lovely way to connect when we got home.

It sounds like you're doing this on your own, outside of the 'norm' for your peers, which is brave and admirable.
In my circle, extended breastfeeding was and is really, really common (from mums who bottle fed from very early on to mums who nurse their 6 year olds - truly anything goes). I never felt judged for it at all. I would find yourself some friends who are breastfeeding. If you can find a local BF group, or something like a sling group you will find lots of like-minded families.

My youngest is now 10 and the most confident and resourceful child. Breastfeeding my children for as long as I did is one of my happiest memories and a great source of pride.

I didn't think I'd breastfeed past one year, but my son is 2.5 and still going! Like you for naps and first thing in the morning and bedtime. It puts him to sleep instantly and I love having a cuddle with him.

I know ppl who breastfed to 3/4. Honestly I just wouldn't mention it to friends. Everyone apart from my mum has presumed I've stopped. I'm a single mum and so getting him to sleep easily is really helpful as I'm exhausted by the end of the day. And it gives him comfort. We'll wean when we're ready.

What exactly is annoying your partner about it? Ask him to clearly articulate why he wants you to stop and talk through the reasons. Just because he says so, or thinks it's weird isn't a goof enough reason in my opinion.

Have you listened to the podcast Makes Milk by Emma Pickett. It's all about natural term breastfeeding and it put my mind at ease

I find it bizarre how many have voted you are being unreasonable..... It sounds like you work full time, other people can put him down for bedtime and naps and you can go out / go away for a night / few nights if you need to..... And so how is this a problem!? I'm still bf my 16 month old and I really don't think anyone could care less as I'm similarly to you, just naps when I put her down etc. The WHO guidance is bf till 2 if both child and mother want to..... Your parents are being very unreasonable.

I'm bf my 2y 1m old. Self-weaning has begun and I'm just going with it. 🤷‍♀️

He will most lightly stop himself as his mouth will change once all back teeth come in about
3 1/2 it’s up to you. Tell them your going to keep going for now and readdress it after all winter bugs are done. Or to mind there own.

WHO recommends up to age 2 as a minimum before it’s no longer beneficial

Ignore ignore ignore. I was under the same pressure and simply started to ignore any comments, they were met with complete silence or I would turn my back and leave the room. Eventually, they gave up. Not their fucking business!

Tell em to fuck right off. 17 months is nothing. World health organisation recommends up to 6 years old.

Absolutely keep doing it if it makes you happy! I stopped at 12 months with DC1 and DC2 because I wanted to get periods back to get pregnant again but with DC3 who I knew would be the last, we kept going till she was about 7 years old :)))))).
Only in the mornings - she would run up to my bed, at weekends or if she woke up early, and jump on me and do it. We both enjoyed it, it was like a special cuddle!
Now aged 10 she is very chilled, happy and well adjusted (as she was then!). So certainly did her no harm:)
I was not ashamed of it in slightest, but I didn't broadcast it outside the house. That would be my advice to you. If you want to get friends etc off your back, why are you telling them?! If it doesn't happen in public, nobody outside your home needs to know - people are stupid and will always mock was is seen as even slightly outside the norm.

The minimum recommended age to feed to is age 2. Your baby’s immune system is still developing. 17 months is so young. Just ignore them they clearly know nothing about BF.

Next time they comment I’d say well it’s reducing my ovarian and breast cancer risk so why would I stop now? It’s also preventing childhood leukaemia, helps their jaw and teeth develop properly and the anti bodies help my child recover from illnesses - surely you want that for your grandchild?

‘And is that cows breast milk in your tea?’ if they won’t shut up!

I recommend the Facebook group Breastfeeding Older Babies and Beyond. And calling the National Breastfeeding Helpline if you want a rant.

Yanbu

I fed mine till they decided to wean, which was age 8 and 6 respectively.

17 months is so young!! I didn't even nightwean my youngest at that age.

Ignore your family, don't try to argue it with them, just ignore them.