I'm still breastfeeding my 2 year old, ask me anything!

[milkandmoreso]

DC is 2 and 2 months.

Ask me anything you like People in person seem to! Just out of sheer curiosity, and I don't mind at all.

I should also add that after she turned 2 the family got norovirius and it was only the fact that I was breastfeeding her that she avoided being admitted to hospital for dehydration after 5 days of not being able to keep any food or water down, the Dr said she'd be OK as long as she had breast milk as it is so much easier for their digestive system to absorb.

It's a shame people think it's so 'odd' in British culture, generally. Breast milk is the only thing I could get down my son when he had meningitis and I was thanked a lot by the consultants involved in his care It is normal and it is a biological norm. I wish more people would accept it as something completely fine

I've never been 'well done me' about it as such, it's more of a parenting cop out for me! It's just made life so much easier. And he's always been amazing at feeding, I made a joke when he was born to the midwife, I said he looked like he was 'pretending' to breastfeed... and what do you know, he actually was. No latch issues, nothing. Perfect from day 1. So I cannot take any glory from it since I did 0 to get it established. It was all my son.

He doesn't have cows milk, no. I've offered him a few times and he's been a bit meh towards it. I guess it's because it's nowhere near as sweet.

I think as we near 3/4 I'll just stop offering it to him and he can decide fully when he stops and stops initiating it. He eats a ridiculous amount of food despite his small frame

My partner isn't keen on toddler BF but he's a hypocrite and often says "oh just put him on the boob will you" if DC is being too loud and he wants some quiet

My MIL/SIL do not support it and I am not allowed to breastfeed in their house now he's 2, they wanted him off by 1.

Celeby Yes I agree. He's never even had a cold. Although sadly has had meningitis

Lola I couldn't imagine breastfeeding at all until I did it, and I couldn't imagine feeding a toddler but here I am. I suppose it just progresses naturally and you don't realise. You don't go from not feeding to bam, feeding a toddler, so it's all eased in I suppose.

I can't imagine DC asking for it either, a sentence like "I want booby" or even 'booby' would maybe weird me out. But I know that's because I don't have a child that does that right now

alpha No, rarely feed out and about. He doesn't initiate it, the last time I fed outside of my house was when he was admitted to hospital, we were in A&E.

I recently saw a woman feeding a child in school uniform in a restraunt. I personally think they can wait for it at that age but each to their own.

I've never had a demanding child so even as a small baby he didn't feed much out and about. I've never experienced cluster feeding for example

Lol at the people with their nasty comments. Why does it get people’s backs up so much? I wonder where their issues stem from. Because it is obviously their personal issues rather than any logical evidence-based reasons.

As PP said, the WHO recommends breastfeeding until AT LEAST 2 years. I breastfed DD until she was 3.

@milkandmoreso tbh I actually stopped for my own selfish reasons. It was one of my best friends 40th in Ibiza and I didn't want to express anymore whilst being away. I'd done almost a year of pumping every night and feeding. I just knew I'd had enough and wanted my life back. My daughter as I said already took the bottle so was an easy transition.
The people I know who have extended BF have had lots of problems with weaning and getting their toddlers to sleep through. Obviously there is a massive link with the boob being used for comfort rather than feeding at the toddler stage.
I'm pregnant again now so we will see how my next BF journey goes. But I still cannot imagine feeding a toddler!

Your MIL/SIL won’t let you breastfeed at their houses, wow! I’d be telling them I’m not coming round then

It’s not weird at all, totally natural! It’s weirder that people are so eager to stop feeding their child their own milk and swap it for the milk of another animal (saying this as a non-vegan btw!)

I fed my first til 2.5 and heading towards weaning my toddler who’s 2 and 4 months. It’s definitely still got massive health benefits at this age.

Well done, OP; I fed my eldest til she was 3 and my second is still feeding a little bit now at 2.5, although it’s winding down. With both of them it was me getting pregnant again that led to them self-weaning; I’m not sure how I’ll manage next time around as No. 3 will definitely be our last baby!

All the eye-rolls at the “it’s for your benefit rather than theirs” brigade; the idea that you could make a toddler breastfeed against their will is just laughable.

Such a shame that people aren’t able to look at the thread as a way to educate them out of their own prejudices.

Well done OP - I BF until 3 years and 8 months. It was really important to me that I let DD take the lead and finish bf-ing when she wanted to.

Do you still wear nursing bras? I've been breastfeeding for nearly 8 years (had a 6 month break during each pregnancy) so haven't worn normal bras for years, but I've heard underwires are actually ok once baby is 9 months or so.

So glad I found this thread, as I sometimes feel I'm the only one! DS is 2 years and 5 months and still asks for "booie". He has a feed in our bed at around 4 in the morning and then falls back to sleep with us, and until this week was breastfed to sleep for his lunchtime nap. Have just cut this out, so he now doesn't worry about a midday nap! No more breastmilk until just before bed.

As others have said , I originally thought I'd stop at 6 months, but then it just naturally continued to a year and then beyond. Also, DS never took to a bottle and hated the taste of formula when he was younger, so no choice really! Not a huge fan of cow's milk either.
I have also had family commenting and thinking it's time to stop, and to be honest, I'm getting towards the stage when I want to end it. But, on the other hand, it is a comfort for him and why shouldn't he have that? He is still very little (as he keeps telling me, when I say that he's a big boy and doesnt need so much booie!)

Hopefully your answers will educate some of the ignorant types that have already popped up on your thread.

Well done. I would happily have fed till that age but my second self weaned at 18 months.

I’m the same OP, DD is 2 next week and we’re still breastfeeding though only about 2-3 times in 24 hours.
Have you ever had a break and if so has the breastfeeding resumed? My friend has her hen weekend next year so I will probably be away for two days/nights. I know breastfeeding will end but I want it to happen naturally, rather than being imposed on us. So I’m a bit worried

Well done you. I bf to mine were four. (The world average for weening of the breast apparently.) . You do you not what every one else thinks.

Do you think there needs to be more education on the benefits of extended breastfeeding?

As this thread clearly shows how unaware people are of the benefits of breastfeeding and the beneficial timescales, not only for the child but for the mother. For example, by breastfeeding continually for 2 years you have halved your chances of getting ovarian cancer.

It is such a shame there are so many negative attitudes towards this natural process. If only there was better education around breastfeeding the UK could increase it's diabolically low breastfeeding rates which currently stand at one of the lowest in the world. Shocking.

I don’t like to see toddlers at pulling at their mums breasts and helping themselves, it’s bizarre. But each to their own.

Jfreestar it,s not Bizaar it,s just not with in your experience. In Mogolia the nationL sport is wrestling and apparently some say the best wrestlers are BF to they are 7.

I was an extended breast feeder.

I fed dd until she was 2 years 2 months. (By which point she was having “milk from mummy then milk in a cup” at bedtime and we just kept upping the amount in the cup and reducing the mummy bit.)

With ds I was also planning on stopping at about 2. Unfortunately he had other ideas! He was very very attached to breastfeeding and that combined with the fact that he was a fussy eater and I was worrying about his calcium intake meant that he carried on feeding until nearly 5. He’s 6.6 now and if it was up to him he’d probably still have some every now and then (apparently it tastes better than chocolate buttons!) but eventually he stopped when he was given a choice of having “milky” or reading in bed.

Was it for my benefit - no - I would have given up years before I did if it had been up to me. Was I missing something else in my life - don’t think so - pretty happily married, had an older child as well. Did it stop him growing up - not at all - by the time he stopped he was reading chapter books. Was it a big deal - probably not - very healthy food that he really really liked the taste of that also meant he got a cuddle - sounds a good thing to me.

Love that I’ve found this thread. I’ve just finished a family holiday and was worried about feeding my 21 month old but no one cared (or dared to say!)

I bfd my ds until he was 3.10y. Apart from the odd stupid comment from family members, I didn't have much negative reaction at all - not that I would've gotten a rise out of me anyway, I truly couldn't care less what anyone thought of my choices.
Nearly 5 months on, I miss it a little bit.

I fed my last child till nearly 3.. I never had a negative comment. I didn't used to feed outside the home as he got older tho..probably because he was so busy. But rainy wet afternoons..snuggling up was lovely. It was under my terms tho and it was never demanded. he fed in the morning and bedtime, and if he was very tired after playgroup. He stopped around xmas and as I was very busy with sibling nativities, late night shopping etc. I never had a 'last feed'. (that was my worry as I knew as he was my last child I would never feed again) Just realized he hadn't fed for a few days.
Oh the memories..Keep on feeding for as long as you want..nobodies business but your own.

I was b/f ds until he was nearly 4.

Sounds awful now.

Gosh I am the first to say that mums who can't breastfeed shouldn't worry but actively dismissing someone's efforts to breastfeed to a biologically normal age seems quite extreme and regardless of your views, unnecessarily nasty

Gosh I am the first to say that mums who can't breastfeed shouldn't worry but actively dismissing someone's efforts to breastfeed to a biologically normal age seems quite extreme and regardless of your views, unnecessarily nasty confused

I agree, some right weirdos here. I think some People are so influenced by porn and porn culture, they are convinced that the maim purpose of having breasts is to be attractive to men and keep them amused in bed. So breasts can’t be anything to do with children - they belong to men.

Dunno, it’s weird and creepy IMO.