to wonder why it seems people get increasingly negative about breastfeeding the older baby gets....

[DiplodocusDinosaur]

My ds2 is 9 mths, admittedly he is a very big baby and often mistaken for 1yr to 18mths. I bf on demand and have always happily, discreetly fed in public. Whereas when he was little I.e. under 6 mths I only ever got really positive comments and vibes for bf in public, now he is getting older I'm increasingly noticing negative looks and had the odd comment more than once. Today I took my ds1 and ds2 to a childrens farm, ds2 wanted a feed so I went to feed him and heard two mothers giggling and saying 'bitty, bitty'. And a week or so back another lady stopped in the country park I was in and told me ds2 was far to old for breast milk and it was fine for little babies to be bf in public but my baby was old enough to learn to wait.
Have i just had a couple of bad run ins or have others noticed bf reactions change as babies get older?

When does a baby turn into an older child though? At 7? At 6 months?

At about 18-24 months they can eat and don't need bitty ffs

What's your cut off for feeding then blah?

Oh God the bitty comments have started.

Its recommended they feed to two years and beyond.

Blah sad anything past 5/6mths was unnecessary.

And blahblah nobody is asking you to agree that older children need to bf. They're just telling you it has nothing to do with you.

Ermmmmmmmmmmm this is a debate forum, so yes, has as much to do with me as it does to you! Or are you more enttiled to an opinion than i am?

I think it's unnecessary once they are weaned, so around 6 months, give or take. Why is everyone having a go at me for saying i don't agree with it for older children and saying 7 is still ok, but wont answer when i ask how they would actually feel seeing a 7 year old in a playground with it's mum's tit in it's mouth??

It's recommended that they have solids alongside bmilk from 6mths and milk remains their moan source of nutrition until a year, you would have to give formula if you stopped bfeeding at 6mths, so modified milk from a cow fine, bmilk that is perfect for them not ok?! And that is better why blah?

I doubt a seven yr old wokid want nor need a feed in the playground, it's likely to be something they just do at bedtime.

DI'd you rread the link re Mongolia? No one would bat an eyelid at a seven year old bfeeding.

If it was necessary at 5 months it's still necessary at 7 months. It's not "necessary" at all since we can use formula. It is desirable of course, and the desirability doesn't stop when food is also introduced.

Babies and toddlers all still need to drink milk. Why should I pay for formula milk when I already produce free stuff, and which my toddler vastly prefers?

I would think that it was unusual to see a 7 year old breastfeeding, not so much a toddler/pre-school child many of my friends have breastfed 1/2/3/4 year olds.

It wouldn't offend me.

At about 18-24 months they can eat and don't need bitty ffs

A toddler who is breastfed is very unlikely to be hospitalised with d+v, that is just one advantage that I can think of for breastfeeding after 18-24 months.

My ds was fantastic at eating right from the start, it is more than just food for ds. Do you also think that after 18-24 months kids shouldn't have any sort of comforter/special teddy/dummy They don't "need" it so why not take it away.

5madthings Thank you so much for the link, it was so lovely, made me cry I blame the pregnancy hormones! I loved the bit where they were trying to stop their toddlers arguing by waving their boobs at them!

I didn't share the link, someone else did, Tho I have shared it in the past, it's great isn't it. And yes lol at them waving their boobs at the toddlers to distract them from toddler squabbles!

so you think older children should or would only want to BF in the privacy of their own homes then?

O don't think they should want to do anything, they can do what they want but my ds2 who bfed til four mainly only wanted it at bedtime by then, I think this is the case for a lot of older children.

But it's equally fine for them to bfeed in public if they want, it's just not something seen much in this country. Probably partly because if shity attitudes. Thankfully the law is on the side of the mother and child now and attitudes are changing.

With attitudes like yours around, they might be be shamed into thinking something totally normal in lots of of other people places was meant to be hidden away and not spoken of in our culture.

What country do you live in blah?

I'd be interested to know whether your own personal prejudices are reflected in the wider culture in which you live or whether people in your country of residence would also consider your belief that 5 month old babies don't need breastmilk to be ill-informed (and rather sad..)

I think people would comment on a 7yo breastfeeding in the playground. I was at the park once with my DCs and there was a girl of about 5 who ran up to her mum, shouted "Titty" at the top of her voice, yanked up her top and bra, exposing her breasts and started sucking.

I can assure you that everyone there was rather surprised.

If we were all being honest we would all be ' surprised ' at a 7 yr old feeding in a park ! Some of us would be fascinated , some uninterested , some pleased to see it happening and others repulsed . But I maintain we would ALL be surprised .

I hope my dd feeds for as long as she needs and wants too . I hope I won't be put off by societies prejudices .

I wish more women would join bf support groups as the confidence to feed older children in public can grow when you see it being done by others .

I wish the NHS wasn't so full of shitty crappy ' professionals' who are misinformed and prejudiced themselves .

I am happily cuddling a stunning two year old who happens to be suckling . If you haven't done it you don't know what your missing !

I'd be surprised at a 7yo feeding in a park, but definitely not offended. Someone gawping at page 3 - yes, probably. A child feeding - no.

There's another story out today (in the DM so won't link) of a woman with a 6wo who was asked to stop in an NHS hospital waiting room because 'it might offend people. It really does have to stop.

As for the 'bitty' merchants on this thread - ODFOD.

Oh my god I just looked at the comments under the daily fail article...

We do have a loooong way to go, don't we?

A depressingly long way to go :(

Hopefully some of us are raising a generation of children who will be totally non plussed by bfeeding in public, I know the madthigns dont blink, it's just a mum feeding a baby.

Mine don't blink either, I have a good friend who bfs her 15 month old and they just take it in their stride. I reckon it's going to be at least another generation. Oddly enough I've had my loveliest comments from the over 70s - who had their babes before the formula manufacturers took over.

We'll get there one boob at a time. Or two, if they're particularly hungry.