To think we should have a separate section for breastfeeding ?

[moonmaker]

As I can understand we used to have one , but formula feeding and breastfeeding have been merged into infant feeding . I understand that lots of people do combination feeding so there should be some fluidity but surely this excludes women who are breastfeeding non infants ? Breastfeeding past infancy is part of parenting for lots of mums so why is this not being considered? Breastfeeding toddlers has lots of unique issues and problems , yet there is nowhere to discuss this here . I’ve had plenty of issues that I would have loved to get support with but it felt odd posting on infant feeding where it is mainly new mums , when I have had an issue with my 18 month old . Am I missing something ? We have forums for niche topics like swine flu and Facebook but nothing for breastfeeding on a parenting site

I consider the term infant to just mean child. Post your questions I'm sure they'll get answers. Sometimes if you make sections too niche they don't get much traffic so questions go unanswered.

Or you can post in chat. Everyone goes there.

18 months is still an infant. A child young enough to breastfeed counts as an infant.

I tend to agree actually.

Technically a toddler is still an infant but the forum is dominated by new mums . On a forum of this scale , it seems a little odd that nobody actually talks about breastfeeding their toddlers as if it’s a taboo or something .
Also, issues breastfeeding an older child are really quite unique . Why should it all be lumped together ?
Disclaimer : this isn’t a bf vs ff debate.
I have done both , and feel that a seperate forum is needed because the issues will be very different .

Bellybean - I understand what you’re saying but I don’t think breastfeeding is more niche than Tatooes , or cycling for example , but they get their own forums !

I'm bf my 3 year old. There's some good specific Facebook groups.

But antihop Surely mumsnet should cater for the likes of us too?

Surely a breastfeeding section would still be dominated by newer parents because a) there's more people breastfeeding younger babies than toddlers, and b) people are perhaps more likely to post early on when they're starting out.

Yes, educated but I remember way back in 2007 when I had dd2 and we had the breastfeeding forum . It was a good mix of new mums and those with toddlers too. That space has become non existent now .

Marcine my eight year old just weaned. I wouldn't describe her as an infant!
Yanbu op. I agree it would be beneficial to have a separate forum for it. It's so much more than feeding.

There is a great facebook group called breastfeeding older babies and beyond. It is a closed group so once you've joined it is a safe space to ask/discuss anything.

Breastfeeding toddlers has lots of unique issues and problems , yet there is nowhere to discuss this here

Maybe it is because a toddler doesnt need the breast to survive nor does an 8 year old.

A baby will quite literally starve if there are problems with feeding.

Hence the abundance of discussion of infant feeding over and above everything else.

Maybe it is because a toddler doesnt need the breast to survive nor does an 8 year old.

I didn't question why the infant feeding topic is dominated by new mums . It's pretty obvious why .
I questioned why there isn't another space to discuss the very different issues for those mums who are well past the new born stage .

Feeding an 18 month old isn't unusual, and there are lots of places to get advice on it. You probably just find that the majority of those feeding older babies aren't posting on a feeding page because they have come more blasé about it and will ask any old place. So just ask on chat or somewhere if you think you won't get traffic on feeding.

Yabu
People need to feed and let feed.
If you don’t want to read about BF don’t open the thread.

@missiondecision
Have you read my original post at all?

I want there to be more of a platform for breastfeeding , not less !

I want it to be wider and be inclusive of women who are breastfeeding older toddlers and children.

I would like it to be somewhere you could hang out , drop in for support , and share experiences whether you need specific advice or not.

I don't use Facebook and the fact that mums here have suggested using anonymous secret Facebook groups suggests that there is a need for such a platform and it doesn't exist on here , a parenting site.

I don't want to post in chat . I've seen so much anti bf sentiment on here , why would I expose myself to chat for something which is often scorned at or seen as controversial ?

This is a parenting site and there is no where to talk about breastfeeding specifically . Infant feeding is used by new mums .
I don't understand how difficult it would be for mumsnet to set up !

You probably just find that the majority of those feeding older babies aren't posting on a feeding page because they have come more blasé about it and will ask any old place

Or they use secret Facebook pages as they have stated on here because bf toddlers is such a taboo

I agree with you OP. I am BFing my 3yo, but would never post anything on the infant feeding page as I wouldn’t want to be judged. I am a member of the Facebook group mentioned before, but I cannot post anonymously on there.

YABU. An infant is just a young child (often used to mean up to two years old). Infant feeding covers breastfeeding, including breastfeeding older babies. There is no need for a separate section just for breastfeeding. I suspect that even if one was created it would still be dominated by new moms as new moms are the ones that have the most to discuss and figure out. I say this as a mom still breast feeding a 9 month old.

I agree that it would be useful. I think it would also help new mums, especially given that most threads where a woman says she's struggling with breastfeeding, around five posts in you get the "It's okay to switch to formula" brigade.

Don't be such a snowflake.
As PP said there is infant feeding.

Also, weaning at 8?!

I agree with you, would be good to have a BF subforum.

An infant is just a young child (often used to mean up to two years old)

So where do I post in relation to BFing my 4 year old?

Don't be such a snowflake.
As PP said there is infant feeding.

Also, weaning at 8?!

I think you've just proved the OP's point.