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.

If they’re the offspring of nasty individuals sure thing. Bullies are the symptom of poor parents.

I don’t know because I didn’t feed that old but I certainly fed my 3 year old in public yes.

And I find it amazing that you know how you would feel about something you haven’t experienced. You’ve breastfed but you haven’t breastfed and older child or been breastfed as an older child, so you’ve no idea.

’Aghast’ indeed. Clutch your pearls a bit tighter.

This doesn’t change the outcome, there are bullies in almost every school.

I’m not remotely triggered. I do however find it hilarious that women think it’s fine to bash women for extended breast feeding - something that only benefits children - get their knickers in a twist when someone points out that hypocrisy.

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Goodness!!

And the solution to bullies is to what? Live by their rules?

I mean, we don’t stop, do we? We just drink cow breastmilk which is worse than human species specific breastmilk.

Evidence of extended breastfeeding has been seen in cultures all around the world and throughout history. Historically, this was for survival.

In the modern day, this really isn't needed as much, especially in affluent countries. There are a multitude of ways to placate a 5yr old that doesn't involve them suckling on your breast.

It’s weird your child who is 9 is talking about latching back onto your tit because you’re due another baby. Can you imagine if he brought that up in as you said his sex education class?

my mum is having another baby soon and I want to breast feed again?

ugh. I feel for your kid

But the answers is to sort the bullying not roll over and stop the victims doing what’s normal for them because a few children have unpleasant parents.
Why is it always ‘You’re making your kids get bullied’ rather than ‘Let’s be ourselves and stop bullying’? No wonder society is a mess.
Mind you, there are a fair few bullies on this thread so I guess kids have no chance of being decent people with parents like some of these.

With the disgusting avalanche of comments on this thread alone, I think you can probably guess the answer to that question and why!

Do you mean you’ll stop breast feeding after he loses his first milk tooth or all his milk teeth? Do you worry he might have poor boundaries with girls?

I know it’s hard to keep up with the questions OP, but I’m genuinely curious about what you would do if your child was one of the small minority who remain able to latch despite losing milk teeth. Do you have a cut off in your own mind, or would you continue as long as your child wanted to, even if it got as far as secondary school?

If you can stop bullying please share with the group. I would absolutely love to hear it.

The post is specifically about breastfeeding though

What is your answer to it? Can you fix bullying? Can you make everyone who gets bullied be fine with being bullied? What’s your solution to it?

Why did attack women who formula feed though? Were you assuming that everyone expressing discomfort used formula? Was it an attempt to feel better?

Maybe by standing up for what’s right? So we should all just roll over in case someone else doesn’t like it? You know the only way we have ever seen change in the world is by standing up to it. Imagine if MLK or the Suffragettes just allowed their own bullying to continue because society said so.

As a parent my way of stopping bullying is raising decent, kind children who don’t bully. Maybe if all the other parents would do the same we wouldn’t have the little oiks. But as so many parents are happy to bully each other and their own children that won’t be possible I suppose.

If your child was being bullied what would you say? ‘Oh don’t worry little Belinda, just do whatever they ask you to and make sure you fit in and not be your own person just in case’? Come the fuck on.

Your child is comfort sucking or doing it because you've asked them to and they can't refuse.

It's all emotional coming from you.

A child of 5 does not need breast milk.

I think you should try to stop justifying this on grounds of nutrition and accept it's a psychological issue that you want to continue, to be 'needed' rather than it being in your child's best interests.

'Wasn't ready' to stop at 5?

bullshit.
you made her like that.

it's attention seeking. Myself and my younger brother were never breastfed. My mother breastfed my youngest brother until 6. He was awfully mummied and she had some sort of enmeshed relationship with him (and still tries to)

he got tormented at school (around 2006/7) by the time he was in year 6 as other children were aware of it in primary school and the second he'd walk through the gates people would say 'want bitty'. He hates it and hates he has memory of it. Mum always said that it was normal and of course a 6 year old would still 'want' it, as it's all he ever knew.
it was never for his best interests and although other reasons are evident for the broken down relationship between my mother and all of us children, it really affected him.

no 6 year old should be laid at the end of its mothers tit. If you're so desperate to give them breast milk, put it in a damn cup. It's not a 'feed' at age 3, 4 5, 6+ and it's cringe for anyone to think otherwise.

Gosh, aren't people awful about something that weirds them out but that's totally natural.

What you don't realise is that if you're a toddler and you've had breastmilk every day, it's as natural as breathing. They don't know why you would stop it, if you have it. It's comfort and nutrition. Plenty of kids stop early and it's fine. But it's totally normal for kids who go longer too.

My DD stopped when she turned 4. We actually had a conversation about it. But I had no intention of going that long at all. It really happened due to allergies, she couldn't have other milks for a long time, and a quick drink after nursery or before bed was her norm. I was keen for her to stop as soon as she turned 3 but somehow (it's faded into the mists of time) it took until she was 4 or almost 4 to stop it for good.

You teach your child to stand up for themselves. Not turn into a victim.

The solution to bullying is to challenge the ignorant and disrespectful attitudes passed on to children by the adults in their lives.

Feeding for comfort is a valid reason to feed.

They are not babies who solely live off milk. The child can eat and drink. There is no issue with them being at school.
Breastfeeding is about the comfort and connection at this age.

Its an entirely a matter of choice for the child and Mother. There is no reason at all for the mad, hysterical and judgemental comments on this thread.

i breast fed my last child till 4, maybe 5. Can’t really remember. I think it was 4. By that age he only used it for a brief time before he went to bed, For comfort and routine. He stopped himself naturally over a few weeks. I never stopped it earlier as there was no reason too. It really wasn’t a big deal. I had no ideology behind it. It wasn’t part of a ‘parenting approach’. It was just something that just felt like a normal part of parenting and comfort and bedtime. It was no big deal.

I really can’t understand the negativity to extended breastfeeding. Some of the comments here come across as quite angry and vicious, or contemptuous and mocking. With wild accusations as to the Mother’s motivations and mental inadequacies.

Some posters really need to question themselves for these posts.

What happened to ‘do what you want as long as it hurts no-one else?’