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, more nuanced that than. Read @throwawaynametoday ‘s post for an inkling.

It’s regarded a socially weird. You don’t think in the playground your kid might mention this and all the other kids rip the piss? Or when they’re older they’ll reminisce and be grossed out?

ETA see also @starlight’spost

But she doesn’t ‘need’ it, at 6 surely she’s eating a nutritionally balanced diet?

At 5 I think you're doing it for you rather than the child. They can get all the nutrients they need from food and you're potentially making them too dependent on you. Do you agree?

Can you honestly not think of any other way to comfort your child?????

Gross. Have you thought about how your child will feel when they are older to hear they were still breastfeeding at 5? You are doing it for yourself, not the child.

We do this too, obviously!

This is not his sole source of nutrition in case anyone thought that.

There isn’t any.

Little Britain. Bitty. Harvey Pincher.

This is a really good point. It’s just at bedtime for a few minutes.

I just can’t imagine a country where this happens as “standard” or seen as uncontroversial, as it is here

i feel like generally society thinks negatively about older BFing I'm not sure it makes your son socially stunted 😑

My question:

given its presumably going to go on for a while....7 or 8...? ( although milk teeth can take until 12 according to google!) he will likely remember this as an adult.

Do you think your DS will resent you / hold it against you when he is older...?

As mentioned above, once children lose their milk teeth they can no longer latch.

I definitely wouldn’t express at that point, no!!

Quite. She’s posted considerably more than the OP has. 🤣

Haha , sorry but based on your life choices I don’t believe you can objectively judge if someone is stunted or not. For sure emotionally stunted. And will be in therapy for many years.

I would feel weird if as a grown up, I could remember sucking my mum’s boobs…
I also think this could get very embarrassing in front of the kid’s friends if you don’t stop soon.

Have they lost any milk teeth yet? Will you consider weaning when that happens?

Dose the child`s school friends know that they still get breastfed.
I cant help think when the child gets older and has memories of being breastfed at 5 almost 6.
I remember playing with mates and making dens mud pies at that age not suckling my mothers breast.

Why give him a choice? School age children drink from a mug.

Of course I can.

But this is how she wants comforting when she's poorly or in the five mins before bedtime, and as I don't have an issue with it, why wouldn't I?

It's not illegal, its not 'stunting' her - the only issue is other people's judgement and as she clearly doesn't care and neither do I or her dad, we will carry on until she chooses to self wean or until her latch is too painful for me to carry on, which is likely to be very soon.

Wow, so many ignorant and judgmental comments on this thread. Just wanted to say good for you OP, it wouldn't be my choice but I think people's negative reaction can only be because on some level they sexualise it, which makes them the odd ones IMO. Otherwise I can't really see what the issue is supposed to be. It's not unusual in other cultures, people should be a bit less small-minded.

I think it’s inappropriate and that seems to be the majority viewpoint on this thread.

Does the school know? As this could be considered a safeguarding issue.

Ditto

In which cultures is it usual to breastfeed until age 6? I have had a brief look and can't find any!

My q too, @CorneliaCupp