Thoughts on breastfeeding a toddler?

I think up until around one is long enough.

That is what the act is. Ultimately not romanticising or mother earthing it that it’s unneeded for a two year old who can walk, talk, eat full meals, to nutritionally need breast milk. It’s simply for comfort and on the mother at that point.

Actually the mum was and is very anxious and doesn't want her daughter growing up. The breast milk was to create a dependency and this has continued in other ways. She would benefit of a support animal so she could let her daughter live her life. She's infront of the secondary school every day waiting for her to get out and go with her every morning even though it's a15 minutes walk. Her daughter is allowed to have one friend because the mother knows her mother well.

To people saying it's just for comfort. What's wrong with giving a toddler comfort?

I swear some people HATE toddlers in this country. All I hear is negative shit about tantrums, terrible 2s, etc. My breastfed 2 year old is lovely. Some days he's clearly having a hard time (usually teething or sick) and asks for milk when he's struggling. It soothes him instantly. It also relaxes him at bedtime after a long day. WTF is wrong with that?

If he wasn't breastfed, I'd have to find another way to soothe him so it's not like anyone would leave a 2 year old without any comfort. But because it comes from a breast, somehow it's wrong? Presumably you must be paedophiles to not be able to imagine something that is not sexual in feeding a toddler?

And also, to everyone saying they don't know anyone still breastfeeding a toddler, you wouldn't know. 2 year olds don't feed out and about, usually. No one, and I mean no one, in my friendship or work circle knows I'm BF. Everyone has assumed I have weaned. My parents and his nanny know, why would anyone else know?

My son got his first tooth at 4 months old.

OP - as long as you are both happy then go for it. My son stopped himself very gradually just before 2 and a half. I was ready to stop.

I extended breastfed both my children to the ages of five and three. I understand many would disapprove of this. I would practice giving zero fucks about what others think OP. There are extended breastfeeding communities online for support including with weaning.

As long as both still want too, then do it! It's nobody else's business and their opinions don't matter. Anybody who says anything negative isn't worth listening too. Well done for making it up to two years that's fantastic.

That doesn't make sense at all. Toddlers who are breastfed don't feed every two hours, sometimes it's only at night and in the morning, or before a nap. I worked shifts including nights and breastfed mine until 2 and nearly 3. I didn't need to be chained at home to do it.

Some babies are born with teeth. Dc one had 2 by 11 weeks, it certainly wasn't time to stop!

You do what works for you and your child. No one else or their opinion matters. You’ll
always get divided answers. The medical advice is until at least 2, there is no end date. There is a reason for having milk teeth

Do it! People who don't like it really do need to consider getting a life.

WHO recommend feeding until 2. I stopped at that point because I wanted a second child and the NHS won't start fertility treatment until you aren't breastfeeding because it makes it harder to get pregnant and the stats are already against you.

PS fertility treatment was needed due to my health issues nothing to do with age.

I thought it was because the water is unsafe in so many poorer countries, so more infants survive if they don't have formula made with bad water?

This isn't true, is it? WHO advice is for all counties. While small and still needing milk from somewhere, why would it be better to switch to cow's milk or formula instead of breast milk, from a health perspective? I just don't see it. Both my dc weaned themselves when they were ready, which was 2 for one and 3.5 for the other. They have far fewer feeds by the time they're toddlers, it's not like with a baby.

If it works for you then great, have at it. I have a friend still feeding her 3 year old on demand and she has hated it since he was about 18 months, but doesn’t seem able to stop, I think because she finds it difficult to say no to him. It’s not a great situation for anyone.

Glad you articulated this as I thought exactly the same! So much mother blame on these (and every) thread.

"grim"
I keep seeing this word being used on this thread. Why? Its only purpose seems to be to shame mothers for breastfeeding their child.
You people need to have a look at yourselves.

I know lots of other mums in real life. I don't think any of us really liked breastfeeding to the extent that we would have tried to force our children to do it against their wishes for fun.

I stopped just before 3 with both. Only fed at bedtime after about age 2. Last couple of months it wasn’t daily either. Very slow and calm. I’m pleased I carried on to that point. I knew when we were both done. It naturally tailed off and stopped being an important part of the bond.

There’s a reason they are called milk teeth - natural weaning age (pre formula) is when they start falling out, not arriving

I don’t think there is anything wrong with breastfeeding a toddler but to me once they are past toddlerhood it is more for the mother than the child and there is no need for it. It’s a comfort thing mostly and they do need to learn to comfort themselves without that. To me a 5 year old breastfeeding is just grim, I have to be honest.

My youngest stopped just before he was 2, at that stage he had a feed before bed only. Did have some comments about it from MIL and FIL but they were wholly unsupportive of breastfeeding in general.

@TheBlueKoala you don't think that possibly a 13 year old who is really anxious and acts like an 8 year old was also perhaps an anxious toddler who was comforted and regulated by being allowed to continue breastfeeding until she was ready to drop it?
no, it was probably the weirdo mum forcing the breastfeeding on her child with no thought for the child's wellbeing.

Mine was 3.5 when we stopped, you'll find peoples opinions really ramp up after age 2. I think people don't realise how upsetting and unnecessary this can be. Ultimately it's between what you and your child want, there's a huge difference in feeding a baby and toddler in terms of how long and frequently a baby feeds in comparison to a toddler it can feel quite a world apart. I wouldn't let other people's thoughts and opinions come into it.

WHO guidance to breastfeeed until 2 is mainly for women in developing countries where food is scarce. Once a child is capable of eating solids there is no reason to continue to breastfeed. I would ask you if it's for your benefit or the child's to continue to breastfeed a toddler. Breastfeeding a baby is very normal to me. The only person I know that continued to breastfeed her daughter when she was a toddler is a woman who didn't want her child to grow up. At 13 this girl is very very anxious and acting like an 8 year old. Her mum still treats her like her little baby and her mh issues will increase.

"Sucking on a tit"? What sort of person uses that language to describe breastfeeding?! Foul.