Don't flame me for starting another BF debate but is BF after age of 2 more about comfort than nutrition?

[doradaisy]

Work colleague admitted today that she still BF her almost 4 year old, she did so with all her DC up to age of about 4. Another more blunt friend replied with 'come off it, for god's sake that's mad' kind of thing. Said BFing work collegue went on a rant about how WHO recommend up to age of 2 and beyond and how she could count with one hand the number of times her children have been on antibiotics, and how cow's milk is SO bad for children and really unnatural, etc, etc and the comment (which annoyed me a bit) that 'her children could not turn around in years to come and blame her for bad health'... We were all a bit silenced and she looked relaly embarrassed.

I piped up that I thought WHO recommended til 6 months, as I did for my PFB DD. I also mentioned my DTwins, 18 months, only got BF for 6 weeks (as pediatrics recommened formula due to jaundice, etc) and have never been on antibiotic

Am just a bit put out at the ranting and her seriously defensive tone and her total moral high ground about it all. I said, in a measured tone, that if she'd decided to BF for so long it was more about 'comfort and less about nutrition'. Am I fair?

I get on quite well with her, but feel like she was fighting a losing battle to convince us. I can see she's doing the right thing but also said 'she knows it's not our cultural norm' - sounds like she's trying to be a bit controversial, no?

Each to their own of course, but why was she being so defensive?!

(goes to hide under a table and wait for the fighting to start )

Are you going to tell her tomorrow that you were wrong?

That would be twuntish. Presumably the OP will let it go.

Flossie - children are supposed to have milk at 2 (and beyond), and human milk is better for humans than cow's milk. Even children in the UK who won't starve to death are recommended to drink milk by the NHS.

Breastfeeding past 2? ouchie!

YABU. So fucking what if it is partly for comfort? Should two year old BFing toddlers 'man up' or something? Get a life. And have a .

Memoo, too true about cow's milk versus breast milk...

Seems like a lot more allergies come from cow's milk than breast milk anyway

Personally, as a mum I prefer giving breast than powdered baby milk....

But the worst is to judge other women for their choices.

Of course there is 'nutritional benefit' to it - human milk is designed for human children.

Why wouldn't it have nutritional value anyway? Doesn't broccoli, beans, cheese etc all have nutritional value and don't you encourage your child to eat those things? Why not the milk that is made exclusively for them? Do you think it has no nutritional value?

What an odd argument to make against bf.

My god the continual outpourings of BILE and IGNORANCE on this subject depress and irritate me.

When I ask YOU to breastfeed my 2/4/6/84 year old, then you have the right to find it 'odd' 'creepy' 'more about the mother than the child' (have you given even a second's thought about what you are implying by that last statement, by the way?).

Until then, just feck off and leave the VERY small number of women who are - just like you, trying to do the very best for their child - ALONE.

LEAVE US ALONE AND STOP OBSESSING ABOUT MY TITS YOU WEIRDOS.

Both mine lost interest totally around 12 months and no amount of quoting WHO guidelines at them could pursuade them to plug back in ...

lactose is found in human milk too. for those who were not already aware of this :) at higher levels than in bovine milk too. (9% vs 4.5% IIRC)

I give you my first ever Mumsnet 'This Will Not End Well'...

Of course I've thought about it Gin. It's just my personal opinion, on a thread that is asking for opinions. I don't have a problem with people feeding their children the way they want to, there is no need to make out like people are hunting you down to bash you over the head in the middle of the night to give you their views on bfing.

I'm breastfeeding a 4yr old- happy to answer any sensible questions.

Thanks for the lively debate!

Just want to add that I think BF is great, was a great way to bond with my DC and only wished I could have BF Dtwins longer as FF causes awful wind in their tummy and also didn't get as much time with them, but that's twins for you and that's another story. (ok, someone is probably going to pick me up on my guilt there but I honestly did my best)

bushy Of course breastmilk has nutritional value after 2 years but are these nutrional meals not meant to be met by a good balanced diet, etc?

As for what i'll say tomorrrow, I think I'll tell her she didn't need to defend her position so much as other work colleague was a bit blunt about it. I respect her choices but it's not something I would do/woudl work for me.

But, as logic goes, if cow's milk is so bad then is she going to continue breastfeeding forever to avoid her children having to drink it? If you see what I mean....

I BF past 2, and while there was a comfort aspect to it, I'm sure there was nutritional value in it.

Your colleague probably felt she had to defend herself, as I have on occasion. However, I usually found a succint "fuck off" worked wonders; especially with my disgusting boss.

Wow I would have thought you'd be better defending her against your colleague after all you'd probably be just as annoyed if you were I. The staff room and someone had a go about any of your parenting, I know it would piss me off, I always fail to see what concern it is of anybody else's. Colleague voiced there opinions about bf, she voiced hers about ff, we're all entitled to our opinions but it's usually a can of worms left closed.

She was attacked and felt she had to justify herself. The who guidelines are for a min 6 months. the recommendation is for 2 years.

I don't know if her child feeds for comfort more than nutrition, but I bet she knows more about what her child needs than you do op.

LOLOLO at Gincognito but also a round of applause

Am feeding my 2.5 year old DD

WRT nutrition, DD is very picky with food - am glad she is still feeding

She also gets loads of antibodies etc and the nutritional benefits of BF stand at this age

The great thing is that although they take less milk, the benefit is the same due to its amazing ever changing composition

How fricking brill is that?

Ps surely from 2 to 4 you give cows milk so what harm is it having bm instead ?

PMSL > please dont flame me!! cos ill get more attention in there!!

Tell me aibu to think the posters the post threads on the board instead of the right one, are just attention seeking boring knobs?

The who recommend 2 plus as long after as desired as a global recommendation for optimum health outcomes. Where it is appropriate that there need be regional differences in behaviours due to different situations they make separate recommendations. That a child with multiple environmental disadvantages has a greater benefit from bf is true but there is still a comparative benefit in any first world country.

A flimsy argument would be one where you allow your own personal prejudices to persuade you to call other mothers creepy for adhering to who advice and physiological norms.

Presumably if the mother in question admitted she was under attack from the start, usually someone would say. She had nothing to admit guilt to just info to share.

It isn't rocket science to work out that a healthy child with a portion of bm in the diet does get nutrition and some immune benefits from the milk. A child having a few sips gets less and the child ill that week probably reverts back to mostly milk thereby gaining a major nutritional, comfort and immune system boost.

It's a really easy topic, it is non of your business. Mine have been fed different ways for different times... nothing to defend either way anyone with unnecessary interest is bizarre.

My DD doesn't drink cows milk, has the occasional sip of water. I don't like her to have juice every day- I'm just glad she'll drink something.

Who do fuck off. You sound a right tit --bombom- why would you say that to her?

I'd have been defensive if I was your colleague. I've (sadly) had to defend my choice of how I feed my child on many occasions and at the mere mention my hackles go up. So I don't blame her reaction. Your other colleague is thoughtless and insensitive, and shame on you for not being supportive.