to wonder why people are so offended by Dr Christian's comment about breastfeeding?

[Justholdthesmile]

He basically says that breastfeeding is good for the first 6 months as it helps a babies immune system. However after 6 months it doesn't have an effect anymore, but as long as the baby is getting a healthy diet then it's fine to continue. He then says that breastfeeding older children may make them psychologically dependent on their mother ....

The last part I have no idea about. I suppose it might could potentially be true? But ultimately I believe it's yours and your childs choice and if you want to listen to expert advice then by all means go for it, if you don't then that's fine too.

It seems to have stirred quite a lot of anger. I'm not trying to get into a debate about ff and bf - each to their own 100%.

I'm asking more whether someone would find this doctors advice offensive?

The only thing that offends me about him, is that he refers to himself as a GP and he is not actually on the GMC GP register, which you have to be in the UK, if you are practising as a GP.

Ams

spot on

(and what the heck - are you not revengeing anymore?)

"psychologically dependent on their mother "

And perish the thought that a 7 month old baby should be psychologically dependent on its bother.

He wording of the original bit has been peppered throughout the thread and I'm pretty sure a link was provided as well.. but here you go.

m.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=495830307187806&id=164274660343374&set=a.164278267009680.28190.164274660343374&source=46&__user=610819288

Why would anyone be disturbed and offended by a breasted 2 or 8 year old? How does it harm you or them?
Dr Christian often spouts bullshit and I think it's wrong how often he puts people forward for unnecessary cosmetic surgery on embarrassing bodies. He has a public, respected voice, he should be using it help not hurt.

oxfordbags great post.

Sigh just sigh at "Dr" Christians comments. It's annoying because there are people who will take his comments on board / use them to inform other people that bfing is unnecessary.

There are frankly far more things I find offensive than a mother feeding her child. 8 months or 8 years. And if others are offended that's their own problem, quite frankly.

The main issue with the articles is the wrong information. And as has been pointed out several times it is factually incorrect.

Can anyone tell me what Closer magazine's links are with formula companies? Because their articles just read like formula milk propaganda marketing (I've read through some of the others that are suggested at the bottom if this one eg Katie Price chooses to bottle feed and baby sleeps through )

Whistleblower, there's a lot of people who are repulsed by the thought of black and white people having sex, or by gay or lesbian sex, or even just by disabled people being part of everyday society. Doesn't make them right, doesn't mean they're not fucking disgusting twats who need to get a grip and examine what is damaged or lacking within them psychologically and emotionally instead of trying to impress their weird, immature bullshit on others.

Repulsed by a child - of any age - breastfeeding, indeed. Misogyny sure is thorough. I wonder if women who buy into its lies actually realise it and are ashamed or are too mentally or morally weak to comprehend what's happened to them.

PS I am genuinely interested in how weirdos on this issue justify their bizarre thinking to themselves. I can't help wondering how people who are disgusted and offended by completely natural things, which don't affect them, their lives, or loves ones a) cope with everyday life and b) justify it to themselves. It must be so humiliating to be that way.

He says that breastfeeding an older child (doesn't specify how old) could cause the child to become psychologically dependent on the mother and could cause behavioural problems when the child is older. I'd love to know if he could cite a single piece of evidence in support of that assertion.

Just add more anecdotal data in there. I know someone who was BF until 5, he's tall, sporty, healthy and not dependent on his mother (never was tbh) and there's my DS. DS EBF for first 6-8months (didn't take to solids) and continued to be BF and we are waiting for a diagnosis on multiple allergies. He was cranky to begin with until we realised he was affected by dairy.

laurel, he does?

The only thing that offends me about him, is that he refers to himself as a GP and he is not actually on the GMC GP register, which you have to be in the UK, if you are practising as a GP.

I would have thought that is a prosecutable offense for anyone to do that, no matter their views! (not that I'm any sort of lawyer). At best it's a false description.

He's not claiming to be a doctor due to having a doctorate? its def that he's claiming to be a gp?

balloon

yeah, just what are these babies thinking?

I mean being dependent on adults in anyway.
boo to them

meh a lot of people can't help being a bellend either... just pat them on the head, smile indulgently and let them get on with it I say.

Whistleblower but WHY does it repulse you? I wouldn't do it myself but if other people want why should I care?

I cant stop thinking about the little Britian Bitty sketch now. I might have to have a watch later

i can't stop thinking about the little Britain Bitty sketch
I wasn't aware that involved the feeding of a toddler. I thought it was a fully grown adult man being breastfeed by his mother and grandmother. (little Britain always been a bit misogynist in it's humour IMO anyway)
Are you saying that a toddler is the same as an adult male? Because that's a bit worrying.

still revenging. It is good.

I have an 8yo whom I bf until he was 4 and a half. I wouldn't want to bf him now, but neither would he want to, tbh. The same (probably) goes for my 6yo whom I bf until he was 3.

I do think there is a shift from appropriate to inappropriate - for me that would presumably have been somewhere around 6-7, if I had gone on bf for so long, which we didn't as the time we stopped was the right one for both of us in both cases - and I think that, in reality, very very few 8yos are going to be breastfed - but I can't for the life of me work myself up to be 'repulsed' by it. And I find the revulsion expressed by people at the breastfeeding of 2, 3, 4, 5yos quite frankly odd. That Little Britain sketch has a lot to answer for - at the same time it has picked up on a societal distaste for breasts being depicted or (for want of a better word) used in anything but sexual/titillating contexts.

Way to miss the point there, Whistleblower .

Round of applause Oxfordbags . Spectacular.

(Nailing my colours to the mast, I bf DD till almost two and only regret not continuing longer. DS till almost five. Anecdata: both unusually bright, both confident, happy, healthy etc )

Jessen is a twat. Not the first time he's flapped his foolish gums about breastfeeding. I think he's got some personal issues

I'm sure I read somewhere that David Walliams was bf into toddlerhood, and the bitty sketch is taking the piss out of attitudes against bf, rather than mocking it. I may be wrong, though.

An 8 yr old who is breastfed will be in the process of weaning, and will have stopped within a few months. AFAIK once children start losing their milk teeth (clue's in the name, people!) they will start to lose their latch. Nothing "hideous" about it.

I never thought I'd breastfeed to age two. I couldn't comprehend a large toddler attached to me. But they don't suddenly grow 2ft overnight. I now breastfeed a 3.5 yr old, and it feels no stranger to me than it did when she was a few months old. I can't imagine feeding her when she's 8, but again, at the moment I can't imagine her being that big!

strange how much more socially acceptable it is to say you are repulsed by the sight of a toddler BFing than to say you are repulsed by the sight of a newborn with a bottle.

I suppose it mirrors the idea that its fine to slag people off for being too skinny and not a real woman but you cant tell people they are too fat.

Something, I suspect to do with the perceived inherent superiority of one of the two options.

Its okay to attack the Bffer / thin person because they have the NHS behind them or something...

I remember an emergency doctor, when I went to him with nipple thrush, telling me to stop bfing and start feeding him "normally" with formula.

I was speechless

emergency ie stand-in doctor sorry. Not an ER doc =)

The problem is that it is inaccurate. Plus people will believe him as a doctor.

I remember an emergency doctor, when I went to him with nipple thrush, telling me to stop bfing and start feeding him "normally" with formula.

That's not unusual ime. I've yet to come across a doctor (hospital or GP) who knows anything meaningful about breastfeeding, extended or otherwise. I remember my GP looking at me like I had 2 heads when I mentioned DS1 (then 9 months) was still breastfeeding.