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.

What about when they're 8/9/10 would you start to say no if they still wanted to suck from you?

Or would you express?

I’d second SOCIALLY stunted

If I child was still in nappies at 6, or sleeping in a cot, or had a dummy (special needs are an obvious exception) then people would start asking questions about the parenting of that child. I don't see how this is any different.

I don’t feed the older one in public anymore as we’ve been down to just a bedtime feed for years now. In fact he went down to feeding just on first waking and on going to sleep at night when he was about 15 months.

The last time I fed him publicly was in Disney Land when he fell and bumped himself quite badly. That was unusual. He would have been just under two then. I don’t think anybody actually noticed.

Not sure where you read that there are no benefits? It’s true that there aren’t many studies going beyond aged two but benefits of extended breastfeeding have been shown to include immune support and potential disease prevention.

I do wonder if these women have partners what they make of it?

She can eat and drink from plates or cups 🤣🤣🤣 we don't force them onto our boobs and that's their only source of food and drink. It is for comfort by this point...and I'm happy to provide my child with the comfort she needs.

Why? Because she's not ready to stop yet. She only has it for five minutes for bed now, and I think we are coming to the end because she's losing her milk teeth and it's making it less comfortable for me.

I've breastfed all four of my children past the age of 3 - 4. They're all Independent, healthy, happy, well rounded children - two of them are now teenagers.

I think it’s an issue with the mother a lot of the time sadly - they want to for whatever reason feel needed

There are valid reasons for stopping breastfeeding (at any age), but “there’s no benefit to the child” is not one of them. it has nutritional value always.

Yes I do.

And he has no issue with it.

When do you plan to stop

if you say when child wants to stop

say they don’t want to

will you continue into teens ?

Wow that’s crazy
fair play to you both I cannot imagine my husband watching me breastfeed a 6/7 year old

Well they will, because as they lose teeth and the jaw changes, they will naturally wean. OP's child is just like many children across the globe. It's just not as common in the Western world so people get weirdly aggressive and wound up about it. It suggests ignorance really and gets it's dressed up in such confident pronouncements! Stunting a child who is no doubt leading the way on it? What? If you're not informed or haven't done it, you really can't make a judgement on it. The fact is it's a nutritional and immune boosting shot with each feed, an insurance on what can sometimes be a less than perfect toddler or young child's diet.

I fed mine till almost 4, just a morning feed which he'd go for one morning and no bother another. One day he just didn't and that was that. It was a little cuddle and check-in each day really and I was happy to go with it and also quite happy to finish up. Nothing weird or abusive.

Would I start a thread on it? No. Would I tell people they're stunting their children or that its of no benefit when I don't know what I'm talking about? Also no.

Believe me, it's not for my my benefit at all. I would be quite happy for her to stop.

When are you going to stop? Surely you won't be BF a 10 year old?

Nothing to ask but registering my support. I fed my baby to 4 years 3 months and she fed hers until 4 years 9 months.

I'm sorry your husband is like that.

Luckily my partner is incredibly supportive because he knows its what his child wants and needs.

I think many stop before that so think it’s weird. The world health organisation recommends till at least 2years old for better health outcomes and I really don’t see an issue with it till way later than that if it’s not causing any issues. I only made it to 2 months so you have my respect for managing for so long.

Why do you choose to have a 5 year old suckle as opposed to expressing your milk and keeping a bottle of it in the fridge?

If your child never indicated they wanted to stop nursing, what age would be your cut off?

Just because something isn't necessary for survival doesn't mean it doesn't have health benefits. How many adults eat a varied diet but also take supplements? Breast milk has huge value for children to support their nutrition and also their immune system which at at 5/6 still isn't fully developed.

The biological age of weaning is somewhere up to age 7/8 ish so while breastfeeding a child age 5 or 6 mighty not be culturally normal in the UK it is most certainly biologically appropriate.

Congratulations to all this long term breastfeeders. My youngest stopped a few months after his 3rd birthday so relatively early. His latch started getting really clunky like he couldn't coordinate any more then one morning he declared it didn't work, hit me, rolled over and cuddled his dad while glaring at me like it was my fault! Very mixed feelings as just a few months before he was in hospital very poorly and did a lot of breastfeeding, it was wonderful to have something to keep him fed and hydrated when he was ill.

@mikado1 - genuinely interested, but in which cultures or countries etc in the non-Western world is breastfeeding until 5,6 + the norm?

@emmatherhino this isn't your thread, you clearly want to discuss the fact you BF your 6 year old so I recommend you make your own. The point of AMA is to ask questions of the OP and you're taking over.

Wants, maybe. Definitely doesn't need.

Given todays parenting who knows lol.
Soon we will see mums at school at lunch time to breastfeed there kids.