to think she was being judgy

[kent43]

So I have 3 dc and I have done a combination of breast and bottlefeeding. My 3rd dd has always been a cosleeper (only way I could function next day) and I still breastfeed her at 28 months. She does rely on it fo both nutrition and comfort and hope she will wean in her own time.
Anyway various family members have been getting quite judgy about saying she doesn't need it etc etc.
Anyway this weekend we saw my brother and his wife. They have one child who is 18 month old and is the extended families perfect child. Ie she has the perfect routine, slept though the night from very young etc. Even dh will say to our dd that your cousin does this so you should be able to etc etc.
So sil expressed surprise that I was still breastfeeding. I commented that she still needed it but she argued that I could stop if I wanted to and I was clearly doing it for me.
I was a little taken aback so didn't really respond.
was she being judgy or am I just oversensitive?
Her dd has a dummy btw so both little ones have thtir preferred mode of comfort.

Yes springbreaker, please explain your reasoning.

That is what you think spring. Not what many mums, or indeed the WHO think.

My son is 24 months and still a baby in so many ways. If he wanted to bf still I would have no issue with it. Milk and cuddles. Lovely.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and tbh before having my last dd I didn't envisage breadtfeeding past one but she just loves it and it is an easy way to settle her.
Incidently shevis not 2 1/2 till June but I suspect she will dtill be feeding than.

Surely expressed milk in a cup has the same nutrition.. I personally don't see any need for breastfeeding once a child is capable of learning to feed themselves.

Because there is a huge difference between 2 and 3.

You can hold a cup at about 8/10 months old, surely?

I agree 28 months....sounds far more baby than almost 2 and a half year old.

Is 2 and a third bettervthan?

There is a massive difference between 24 months and 35 months though. DS still isn't talking much, still wears vests and sleep suits, and still naps. I suspect when he is rising 3 those things will have changed.

He is a little boy in many ways and is a baby in many ways. And if he cuddles me drinking his cup of milk, it wouldn't make a difference to me if it was bf instead if a cup.

Spring you do realise that breastfeeding is the reason you have breasts?

What a stupid attitude. In many countries children are still breastfeeding at five. It's no ones business but theirs and their mother.

Not to mention many women find expressing painful and inconvenient.

Surely expressed milk in a cup has the same nutrition.. I personally don't see any need for breastfeeding once a child is capable of learning to feed themselves.

Somebody has boobie issues..!

Sorry rubbish typing

Cactus - two years old is actually very young!

My 7 month old cup feeds herself water and expressed milk. I feel it is far far too early to give up bf.

Why bother expressing milk though when you don't have to?

2 months means alot developmentally at 2ish

Breastfeeding isn't just food. It's comfort. It's an analgesic. It's familiar. It's skin to skin.

There are many reasons to continue it if both parties want to, far beyond nutrition.

I'm with you Kent. Why create washing up and faff with beakers/expressing machines when both baby and mum are happy to bf

Yeah, I never get the "why not express?" comments.

Fine, if that's what works for you, but why should anyone else do that? Personally I'd rather stick with good old fashioned breastfeeding and save all the hassle.

The average weaning age worldwide is four years old.

The SIL is being an idiot. 28 months is a very tiny child still, and if it works for the two of you, then it isn't anyone else's business. She needs to accept that your parenting methods work fine for you and there's not any sort of a problem to comment upon.

It's doing your child good. It's a supportive, loving and healthy thing to do. So who has any reason or right to intervene or pass negative comment?

Surely expressed milk in a cup has the same nutrition.. I personally don't see any need for breastfeeding once a child is capable of learning to feed themselves.

I exclusively expressed for my eldest. Breastfeeding is a doddle in comparison. What sort of idiot would the OP be - when milk can be extracted in sterile and instant form without any effort on her part and in a way that provides emotional comfort to her child - if she paid money for Milton sterilising for the pump kit, and spent time pumping, just so she could put the exact same milk in a cup?

I just... don't get why you would. What for?

I bf DS until he was 23 months, one pub barred my husband because they couldn't legally bar me. Some people are a bit weird about bfing over a year old.

SpringBreaker I've never been able to express with 4 children. DS had to suck on the boob if he wanted breastmilk.