why do people keep talking about bfeeding a 7yr old when the child in question (in the op is 6?!)
and someone said no one on here had bfed a child that age, wrong one poster talked about how her dd eventually self weaned at age 9. a number of posters have talked about feeding 4yrs old etc.
i fed ds2 till he was almost 4, but weaned him gradually as i had had ds3 and was feeding him, feeding a 1yr old and an almost 4yr old was just too much, i needed a bit of me back, it was a very gradual process of cutting down, not offering and then to finally drop his morning feed i got up slightly before him so he didnt have the opportunity to get into bed with me and nurse like he ususally would. i have no idea how long he would have continued to nurse, but he does remember it now age 9yrs, and for a long time he would put his hand down my top as it was a comfort to him. ds3 weaned at age 3 not his choice but i was ill so had to stop feedign him and ds4 who was only a baby, it wasnt working out.
i just think its a non issue, i would be suprised to see a child ask but it would nt freak me out and i see no need for all the comments about hanging of/sucking tits etc and the idea of it just being for the mum? cos you would know having nursed an older child yourself? i can assure you there were a hundred times i would rather of not nursed an older child ie 2-3yrs but my children made it clear that they needed it.
is IS unusual for a child to nurse that long but they will naturally stop very soon as their milk teeth fall out, thats biology. and i dont think extended bfeeding leads to children being infantalised at all, it certainly didnt with mine they were very secure, independent toddlers, pre schoolers, but occasionally they came back to 'touch base' they have always been very outgoing confident children and still are, i dont think nursing them made them less so.
and there is plenty of evidence that shows that bmilk still has plenty of benefits for the child and also in terms of the mothers health, the longer you bfeed for the more it reduces your chances of developing various cancers. also bfeeding inhibits your menstrual cycle, even when periods start again they are generally not as heavy and that lower blood loss is better for a woman, much less likely to be aneamic for example.
if you dont like it or understand it fine, but that doesnt give you the right to judge other mothers and to basically slate their parenting and say its all abou tthem and they are damaging their children, has anyone actually given any links/evidence/validation to the fact that it damages children? no but there are links and information showing hte benefits.