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.

No idea how you drew that conclusion.

If my daughter wants to tell her friends, she can tell her friends. Shws five; she can decide that herself. If she doesn't want to tell them, she doesn't have to tell them. Her reception teacher knew she was still bf, most of my close friends know I still bf her, my family all know she's breastfed still. It's no big taboo secret. I just don't think it even crosses her mind to say anything because to her, it's a normal part of bedtime like having a bath or a drink or whatever kids do before bed. It's literally no big deal in our house at all so unless they were all sitting talking about bedtime routines, it probably wouldn't be something that would come up in conversation

Think I’d say about 4. I just don’t really have a good basis for that. That’s why I’m interested where others would draw a line.

A few years back I felt as though if they were old enough to ask, they were probably old enough to have it explained that they were too old. But I’ve kind of softened that stance a bit.

In addition to this if tandem nursing the milk will alter depending on which child is nursing. The milk make up varies between male and female children because the bodies need different concentration of milk

Don't you think it's wrong when he's old enough to remember your breast in his mouth? Why not give him a dummy?

This thread is about mums who have all the time in the world. The luxury of not going back to work. No need to get baby fed by anyone else. You can dress up your magnificent mothering skills all you like but the real world isn’t like this in the uk. We went back to work. Babies didn’t suffer.

I honestly don’t know how he has. He's not a nice man at all. But then lots of creepy men have made millions, but that’s for another day.

Do you know people. Years ago I left Mumsnet because I felt it almost had no standards. People were saying anything and it was quite nasty.

I came on yesterday to offer some advice to a person who clearly was in a mess with a legal matter involving a lack of a Will.
I am leaving again.
I had a vain hope that it might be a place that had some standards and where people could genuinely share opinions and views without swearing, insults, snarky comments and sniping. I was wrong. It is full of it. To those of you who don't I have no idea how you put up with it !
It doesn't make a pleasant or entertaining read. At all.

Personally I didn't want to do it past the sort of age that meant either of my girls would be able to remember doing it, as it were. I'm as against the sexualisation of breasts as the next woman, and am in full agreement that their primary purpose is to nourish one's offspring, but remembering how I felt towards my mother as a teenager, I was pretty sure any memory of feeding from her would have turned my stomach. I didn't want my children to feel any more negative towards me during those difficult years than they likely already would! 😂

As such, I breastfed my eldest until she was 4 (weaned her purposefully as I had a massive aversion by that point) and my youngest weaned herself when she was 3. Tandem fed them for a year. They are now nearly 11 and nearly 8, and neither remembers. They know how long they breastfed for respectively, and that is it.

That was what felt right for me. I wouldn't ever presume to tell somebody else that what they are doing is wrong, however. If both mother and child are happy with the arrangement, then crack on I say.

Why is he not nice? For making comedy that many people enjoy? lol

Tell me about it, making a joke about "bitty" and getting called a t*at about it... what a very hostile response to a joke lol

I work...

Not at all, I think this is one of the best questions yet!

Yes the milk turns to colostrum from about the seventh month of pregnancy. Once the baby is born, the advice to always feed them first before the older nursling. That way they will definitely get all the colostrum they need. Your body will soon adjusts to making enough milk for the two of them.

I saw it as an advantage that, if I had any difficulties with getting my supply going second time round, my older one could ‘help.’ They can also help to relieve engorgement.

I was very anti dummy and mine never had one. Not for this thread but I’ve never actually thought about the different views on this much.

My nipples hurt reading this

Meh, each to their own. My DS wasn’t breastfed at all, not even once. DD was for less than a week. Doesn’t appear to have had any impact on them. You do you as far as I’m concerned.

I wonder why engorgement even happens... seems like an evolutionary disadvantage to me

And the multiple comments saying it's weird, creepy, selfish, attention-seeking, fodder for future therapy, describing it as sucking on your mum's tits, joking about David Walliams have all just passed you by?

Dummies are bad for teeth and jaw development. Also they don’t supply milk?

This isn’t for this thread but there are lots of things he has been caught saying about other people. If you have the time I suggest some research but I don’t want to derail this thread.

Anyway what has what David Walliams said outside of the Bitty joke got anything to do with the Bitty joke? The Bitty joke is good and so is much of his comedy.

Just because you don't like him, doesn't make him bad to everyone or make the joke any less funny lol.

It's the bodies/human nature way of reminding us the nurse the newborn if the new brown hasn't naturally awoken for a feed.
Engorgement is only really an issue in first 6 months or if away from baby for a significant period of time. once feeding is established it is rare

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?

The David Walliams comments are valid.

He is provocative. Some of it is offensive, but some is provoking people to question things. For me the breastfeeding is one of them. I’m not against breastfeeding longer, but there is a valid question of “how long?”

It’s funny the things we change when we’re in it! I originally wasn’t going to breastfeed at all but once I started learning the science I was hooked. Then kept saying ‘just a few more months’ but the more I learnt the more I wanted to continue. But personally I couldn’t hack it past 3, it was just too much! So maybe that’s hypocritical of me? I support others in theory but couldn’t do it myself? Maybe I’m not a good choice to ask!

It's about mums spending a few minutes at night breastfeeding a four or five year old. Unless you work 24 hours a day, I don't see how your comment is relevant. The vast majority of mums work, and the vast majority have some form of maternity leave in this country. I breastfed after I went back at work as it happens and had no issues with it.