I still breastfeed my 5 year-old

[TandemFeeder]

I’ve had another baby too so am now a tandem feeder. Happy to answer any questions.

And please, I do not teach five year olds to be nasty !

You realise it’s not one or the other, right? We have water.

Lots of older children are breastfed, it’s not uncommon. And kids that age don’t bully each other about such things unless they’re told it’s wrong by their parents and their parents model such behaviour. If a 5 year old has a strong opinion on it it’s because their parent has been sharing poor views around them. Five year olds aren’t naturally bullies about such things, it’ll be because their parents are not good people if they are bullying at that age.

I disagree as well, because I’ve seen it first hand. There was a child, probably OPs age, living in our neighbourhood who still breastfeed. No idea how we all found out, I was probably five years older. But he was nicknamed Suckling Sean. Unfortunately he grew up to be quite a thin and weak boy, and then he was named Sickly Suckling Sean. Name stuck with him all through secondary.

No questions from me. Just solidarity. I breastfed both DC until they were around 3. One of my cousins breastfed her DC until they were 4 and 5 and another cousin fed hers until 2. Extended breastfeeding is the norm in my family, so nobody bats an eyelid. Lots of criticism and rude remarks from the in laws though and that was when I went beyond 6 months. After about the 10 month mark, it wasn't something they ever needed to know about as DC were primarily on solids when out and about, so I kept it quiet to avoid conflict. Like you, OP, it was eventually down to just a night time feed and the odd time when they were sick or upset.

WHO very deliberately does not specify an upper age limit. it says we should bf to “2 years and beyond”

It matters because for those people, it’s a necessity. There are limited other ways to get nutrients to a baby/small child.

I know cozzy livs is bad, but definitely think we have supermarkets.

I don’t quite agree with this. If a child still ran around with a dummy at age 5 or drank a baby bottle of milk they would be referred to as a baby by their peers. It’s not bullying because they are too young to be malicious in that way but it’s definitely something out of the normal and usually associated with babies. It’s completely incorrect that a 5 year old wouldn’t have an opinion.

That is a bit sad. A child should be clean by then. Unpopular today I realise but I am afraid true.

Not necessarily, more and more children are not potty trained past the age of 3 including 5 year olds, some schools are really struggling with this issue and teachers having to call parents to help unfortunately

Healthy biological normal. So pleased that you're welcome to share this so others know.
Question; how do professionals approach you if they're aware?
Dentists blame any changes in teeth on post 6 month breastmilk etc?
Teaching staff raise any eyebrows and narrow mindedly attempt to suggest it's a sexual thing/safeguarding?
What does the health visiting team say?
Also how much does your child share with her friends about nursing to term and sleeping arrangements?
Do you co sleep with all?
Is it overnight at all or when you're out and about?

Am I the only one a bit confused at those who breastfed until 2-3 thinking they’re in the same opposed-by-some-on-this-thread camp as the 5-6 year olds?

I think the latter is super weird, I don’t the former. I think they’re hugely different things.

So if you were still breast feeding while pregnant, does the milk change for the new baby, like the colostrum? Does the new baby get all they need? Sorry if that’s a stupid question. Does the older child take some of nutrients away from the new baby?

Of course it’s uncommon. The number of 5 year olds breastfeed are in an absolute tiny minority. Weird to try and argue that isn’t the case.

Any evidence for that weird view or just your own warped compass?

Because their parents have told them that’s wrong. There is an autistic child near me who had a dummy till age six. None of mine ever ‘bullied’ her or ‘had a negative opinion’ because when one of them asked we simply explained and that was that, case closed as far as they were concerned.same as there were a couple in nappies at the start of school, not a word about it from my youngest, they just accepted that some kids still wear nappies and they don’t. Kids aren’t naturally nasty and judgemental, that shit comes from their parents.

Bullying is not bullying based on intent. And children aren’t typically unkind unless they come from an unkind household.

🤣 sorry, shouldn’t laugh.

I find this so interesting. What's your motivation? Since you've started an AMA, I'll ask the question I always wonder but wouldn't be able to ask someone randomly without being rude...

Do you think there is an element of continuing to feed because it makes you feel like you're 'winning' of 'succeeding' by doing it for so long. There's so much positivity around breastfeeding, I remember getting an embarrassing amount of praise from midwives, health visitors, and even friends and family for doing it (maybe rates are lower than normal in my local area?). It made me wonder whether some people continue because they like feeling like they're doing something amazing and praiseworthy or would lose some worth as a mum if they stopped, rather than because they think it's still best for the child? I felt like I had to justify why I'd stopped because of the praise I'd gotten, even though the praise itself made me uncomfortable.

You would be surprised how many people are feeding older children, they just don’t often talk about it because of judgmental wankers. But when you’re feeding an older children (the oldest I went to was 3), they all start coming out of the woodwork. The main Facebook group about feeding older kids has hundreds of thousands of people on it. It’s not uncommon it’s just no one tells you about it and a fair few people lie because they want to avoid the nastiness that is currently being peddled on this thread.

No five year old came up with that which makes one of the parents a nasty piece of work. And at least skinny Sean isn’t hanging out with the far more likely obese cavity filled kids that are taking over this country and far more likely and at risk than kids having extended breast feeding.

You’ve missed the point

How does your older child feel about the baby feeding too?

Yes, but it also says that global average age for weaning is around 4 years.

This is how I feel too.

I didn't breastfeed at all so breastfeeding a 5 year old absolutely isn't for me but it isn't something I'm going to get worked up about. 5 year olds drink cows milk so I don't really see the difference except it's actually human milk for humans.