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AIBU?

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Original poster

At what age does breastfeeding become weird?

594 replies

TransatlanticCityGirl · 12/05/2012 23:16

My MIL made a comment today about a mother who breastfed her child until she was 5 years old - as in, 'can you believe it???? that's just not right!'

Which got me wondering, where do most people draw the line in terms of how old is too "weird"?

OP posts:
spammertime · 13/05/2012 00:05

Sorry my posts pissed you off 2shoes, was honestly trying to answer your questions???

And a 4/5 year old would be likely to just have a feed last thing at night, not on demand - think of it like a bottle

fluffypillow · 13/05/2012 00:06

2shoes I do think that if you don't, and have never breastfed, then you don't understand the intensity of it, you couldn't possibly. I did not say that a non bf mum doesn't give a shit.......what a ridiculous remark.

entropygirl · 13/05/2012 00:06

2shoes how is school relevant?

HolyCameraConfusionBatman · 13/05/2012 00:07

moa I don't think there's anything weird about giving them breast milk, but I do think there comes an age where allowing them to take it directly from the breast becomes inappropriate. For me 8, 9, 10+ is really pushing the boundaries and when I would start to think maybe this isn't ok...

doormat · 13/05/2012 00:07

what is the consencus of an nt 5yo child who hasnt been potty trained and is still breastfeeding......

SeaHouses · 13/05/2012 00:08

Doormat, I think they're unrelated issues.

doormat · 13/05/2012 00:09

i dont agree with a 4-5 yr old with a bottle..unless they have a disability that prevents them from drinking from a cup

entropygirl · 13/05/2012 00:09

doormat dunno about consensus but my opinion is always the same: CHILDREN ARE DIFFERENT

spammertime · 13/05/2012 00:09

Is that a real situation doormat? Or a mumsnet AIBU dream bunfight?

PeggyCarter · 13/05/2012 00:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

doormat · 13/05/2012 00:10

why seahorses...i dont agree...the same applies imo...

moajab · 13/05/2012 00:10

But at 8,9,10 the shape of the mouth will have changed and they would be unable to suck from the breast. Nature has it's own way of making sure we grow up!

2shoes · 13/05/2012 00:10

off to bed now, no more enlightened. I do think people don't help their "cause" if the get so defensive,
I was honestly trying to understand. my dc's are teens now, so I am trying to get ready for GC's or Gn's but tbh the walls seem to go up on this subject,
if people truly believe that BF past baby hood is for the baby imo they would not be so defensive(that is what I have taken from this thread)

fluffypillow · 13/05/2012 00:11

OP, I don't think your intentions were to 'create undertanding'. To use the word 'weird' when posting about breastfeeding will only ever cause bad feeling. You know that though, don't you Wink

spammertime · 13/05/2012 00:11

Oh and that wasn't what I meant by a 5 year old having a bottle - I'm not equating the 2 - I was just trying to say that a 5 year old wouldn't be having milk as a main form of calories - apparently badly

2shoes · 13/05/2012 00:12

fluffypillow Sun 13-May-12 00:06:17
2shoes I do think that if you don't, and have never breastfed, then you don't understand the intensity of it, you couldn't possibly. I did not say that a non bf mum doesn't give a shit.......what a ridiculous remark.

what a load of bollocks.
you have no idea how I fed my babies, or how it affected me or anyone else. bollocks

PeggyCarter · 13/05/2012 00:12

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

doormat · 13/05/2012 00:13

spammer i am asking a simple question....is it fair to still keep an NT child of 5 in their own piss and shit or let them naturally develop skills tht allow them to incorporate into a socially acceptable world..sorry we do not live in a third world nation where children need bf because of lack of drinkable water

spammertime · 13/05/2012 00:13

And some of us were genuinely trying to answer your questions, 2shoes
Conclusion: you have made up your mind and are really not going to listen to anyone who disagrees

entropygirl · 13/05/2012 00:13

I think there is a perception issue because FF babies progress through drinking from a bottle, to a sippy cup, to a real cup. So there is progression. People seem to worry about the lack of evidence of progression when the infant is BF. But lack of visible evidence of change does not mean a lack of maturation etc.

PeggyCarter · 13/05/2012 00:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

bronze · 13/05/2012 00:15

2shoes it may be easier to answer your questions if I could understand what you actually wanted to know. From what I can see people have given you answers but you don't seem to be happy with them

entropygirl · 13/05/2012 00:16

doormat as has already been said, you can't KEEP a 5 yo BFing....
I wouldn't deliberately baby a child but I wouldn't force them to give up a loved teddy, cuddles, or BF if they didn't want to.

doormat · 13/05/2012 00:16

so entropy ..all children should progress to a cup whether ff or bf ???

moajab · 13/05/2012 00:17

2shoes I'm sorry that's all you've taken from the thread. I thought many people posted quite calmly and sensibly on why they bf beyond babyhood. And if people do get defensive it's because no one likes being called wierd and it seems very sad if people feel pressured into giving up at a certain age because someone has decided whats normal and whats not, when it's going so well for the and their child.