To want to continue breastfeeding?

[BrightOranges]

When my baby was born, I never faced or noticed opposition within the first year. But since passing 12 months, I've lost count of the amount of times someone has said "ooh you'll have to stop now" "no that's too old to breastfeed" "you need to change to bottle now" etc.
Why? Why is it seen as wrong to still breastfeed my 16 month old?
BTW I love breastfeeding and it certainly hasn't put me off but I'm sure there are other mum's out there who it would deter.

I feed my 16 month old but don't tell people, no-one asks and it only rarely comes up in conversation.
I don't really talk about the rest of their diet with other people much either so I don't think I am avoiding mentioning milk particularly.

I fed 2 of my other children until 15 months, one until 12 months and 1 day (felt bad stopping on his birthday)! the 12 month one was clingy. the others weren't, I don't think breastfeeding or not breastfeeding made them clingy.

I thought I didn't agree with most of what SandyY2K said - but then babies can get nutrients from a balanced diet without breastfeeding at that age. Thats not a reason to stop though.
Also maybe after a long day at work it is a way of "reconnecting"/ bonding but usually find it just an easy way to feed and settle her/excuse to watch TV. So maybe I am doing it for me.

Also I am glad about the breast cancer reduction risk. I know it is only stacking odds in my favour (and only by a bit) and I could still get breast ca but have heard of several young people diagnosed recently and so it helps my peace of mind. (again for me)

I breastfed mine until they self-weaned, but I found that I got lots of comments at around 15 months because that's the age when many people see it as crossing over into "extended" breastfeeding. By the time DC was 2, nobody commented because they assumed that I was happy to keep feeding rather than being troubled by a baby who wouldn't stop.

I think I used to think it was weird when toddlers were able to pull down their mum's top and feed themselves, but now I'm breastfeeding I can see that it's just 'society norms' that made me think this was odd. You're doing a brilliant job, don't worry about other people - you just need a good response that'll make them reassess what they think is normal! I was very ignorant, and if someone had questioned why I thought it was weird, I wouldn't have had a valid point!

I posted on here recently about my dentist telling me not to breast feed past 12 months as I will ruin the babies teeth!! My MIL is already asking when I will quit (he is 7 months) and last time round my family were also making noises about me stopping. I decided to wean at 12 months as DS1 was charged stably bobbing off in the day and sleeping through at night plus we also wanted to try and conceive again and my cycles were screwy.

Its extended breastfeeding bingo here today!

makes a rod for your back.- not true I returned to uni and dad used to do bedtimes.

No nutrition value - it's not like a big Mac - it's full of antibodies and nutrients.

Bitty- yawn what an ignorant person you are.

*constantly

Just for info.

Smoother skin!? Something tells me that infographic wasn't written by a nutritionist

I'm pro breastfeeding but there does come a point where you are doing it for yourself and not for the child.

I don't know why exactly but it does make me feel uncomfortable to see a child ask for it, help themselves and then run off. Not that I have seen this many times but I do admit I found it shocking.

I still BF my 13-month-old. But I'm conscious she doesn't 'need' my milk now, I do it because it's bonding and we enjoy it.

From 12months they only need a pint of milk a day and this can be cows milk. Many parents switch from breast/bottle to cows milk in a beaker which is why people ask when you're going to stop.

I also find if I BF more than 2/3x a day she won't eat enough solid food then wakes at night hungry. So I tend to BF morning and evening, with an extra one if she asks for it.

I still BF in public sometimes, but not that often. Nobody's commented, but BF is nolonger a 'need' so I feel it's less socially acceptable now. It's a bonding thing between me and DD not a 'baby's hungry must feed her' kind of thing. I feel people will wonder why I'm doing it when a child her age has proper meals and drinks from a beaker. Maybe I shouldn't care what anyone thinks, but I feel awkward as
society isn't very accepting of toddlers BF in public.

I used to BF everywhere, even walking around with my boob out while DD had hour-long feeds in the baby carrier. I've fed in taxis, on buses, trains, in restaurants, shops etc so it's not about feeling shy.

They only "need" 350ml of cows milk a day for the calcium content, not for any other reason. You don't need to give cows milk at all if they're getting that calcium from elsewhere in their diet. Breastfeeding isn't just about nutrition, it's about many other aspects including antibodies, closeness, comfort, connection etc. Why anyone would have a problem with those things is beyond me.

I fed both mine until 2 and half. I nightweaned when night waking for feeds got a bit much at 2ish, but I know lots of people with under threes attached to bottles or dummies that wake for them and are not ready to move on from them yet, so I don't see how it is any different. All different ways of parenting, but for similar reasons and similar benefits of comfort and nutrition for a small child. I don't judge a 2 year old (or older for that matter) with a dummy or a night time bottle, though mine had neither, why should the biological option draw judgement from those who chose another way?

Weaning itself went very quickly and smoothly when the time seemed right. There was no distress on either side. I worried about it with my first and what people thought, extended family opinions etc, but with my second it was a decided course of action that we were all happy with and I felt more confident in what I was doing, so glad I didn't bow to pressure. We got through some harsh illnesses where they wouldn't eat or drink, but they could breastfeed, and it made all the difference to their recovery.

60sname why not do a bit of googling before mocking?

Err humans don't need Cows milk!

It's not my thing but I believe they benefit from it till about 2. If it's what you want to do then go for it!

You'll never make the same parenting choices as other people so don't try to.

speaknowords I don't have a problem with it, but there must be a point in which it becomes inappropriate. That cut off is different for different people, is it appropriate to breastfeed at 4, at 6, at 10? I would argue that most (if not all) would have an age that if not self weened that they would stop.

Yes, yes it's more for the mother than it is for the child full house

I don't know why exactly but it does make me feel uncomfortable to see a child ask for it, help themselves and then run off. Not that I have seen this many times but I do admit I found it shocking.

I also found it uncomfortable, but I think that was based on what I'd been accustomed to. I feel really differently now and a bit embarrassed about my previous thinking

That cut off is different for different people, is it appropriate to breastfeed at 4, at 6, at 10?

Showing your lack of education there. Children can physically only do it until they're 7(ish) due to changes in the mouth shape (palate) when the adult teeth come in. So biologically 6 is fine, and 10 isn't possible. Perhaps Mother Nature, who lets face it has got us to this point in time regardless of weird societal views, knows best?

The often quoted WHO guideline is to feed till aged 2 and beyond, if the mother so chooses for as long as she wants to. Children cannot breastfeed forever, they lose the ability to latch eventually, and so would stop then if they hadn't stopped before.

That's actually not true. What about it do you think they physically can't do after the age of 7? The palate changes from 6 months when babies can no longer swallow and breath at the same time.

There are very public accounts of women talking about breastfeeding into teenage years.

It makes you uncomfortable because in our culture breasts are primarily viewed as sexual. Concessions made for a tiny baby, preferably draped under a scarf.

A toddler is obviously never going to starve from lack of breast milk so people seem to assume there is some other, inappropriate reason why they're still asking for it.

Ffs. People are weird. I bf my two year old where ever and whenever I pleased, and plan to do the same with ds2. I ll start a one woman campaign to normalise feeding your toddler :-)

It's when they lose the milk teeth that they can no longer latch on, and so no longer bf.

Unlikely to be 14

Reading this thread with interest, DD just turned 1 and had one person so far ask how much longer I'll be feeding her for. I quoted the WHO guidelines (handy to shut people up!) but wonder if I'll get more comments/judgement.

I didn't particularly intend to feed for a specific length of time, it's just happened to work well for us both, and for me personally there is no real reason to stop. Why buy cows milk when I happen to be quite efficiently making my own! I do like that it may give her a little extra protection with anti-bodies, and as an asthmatic and allergy sufferer I have read that they think BFing can help reduce the chances of that too. Just a little bonus in my mind. Not the reason to do it.

Fact is to me that she needs some kind of milk, I've got some, might as well have that.

Bit of a rant, think I'm rehearsing for when someone questions me!

As had been said before, there are lots of things a toddler doesn't need but we give them anyway when it comes to their diet.

I love the closeness it gives - when my DS is scared of upset I love that I can comfort him so easily by breast feeding him. It's a very special thing. It's also wonderful knowing that if he is ill and refusing all other drinks/foods he will always breastfeed.

The act of breast feeding isn't just about creating a bond with the baby when it is born, it is about creating a strong and secure bond throughout toddlerhood too.

Yes my son probably does favour me over his dad but I imagine a lot of 2 year olds gravitate more towards their mother whether they're bottle fed or not.

I returned to work when DS was 10 months old and due to shift patterns myself and DH pretty much do 50/50 in terms of childcare. Sometimes I'm away from DS for 48-72 hours and in that time my DS is just fine. In fact, in a few weeks my DS and DH are going on holiday together, just the two of us.

Breast feeding a child does not mean the mother's making a rod for her own back or setting herself up to be the default parent.

My DS is at an age where he asks for it, he says: "Mommy milk please" but I don't see why that's any different to a toddler who'd ask for a bottle of milk?

I saw a child the other day in her school uniform with a dummy in her mouth which I'm assuming is to give her comfort and I imagine some people would be more accepting of that than a toddler being breast fed for comfort.