To bf a 3 year old?

[fannyanddick]

My dh mentioned that I shouldn't tell anyone that I still breast feed as they will judge now that our child is three and that I should think about stopping. I only feed her once a day but she loves it and doesn't want to stop. Last time I said 'you're getting a bit big for milkies now', she said that she loved it and didn't want to get any bigger or grow up and more.

What is the general view? Is she too old?

If I met a man and he told me he breastfed until he was in elementary school, I would probably see that as a red flag

By which date do you think he would be likely to disclose this particular piece of background? Second? Third? Before the wedding?

hotsoup...so do you judge a child that occasionally wants a bottle till 3, or uses a soother a till older? what about thumb sucking? would you think a mother that bottle fed her child more detached?
if the male was from another country where breastfeeding longer was the norm would that be okay?
how about reading books at bedtime is that overly invested?
how utterly bazaar a thought.

Just do you.
Bugger anyone else's opinion.
People may judge but none of their business.
I didn't broadcast how long I breastfed. Nothing to do with anybody else.
People judge but as you know that from the past year or so anyway Fanny.
The minute they are out of babygrows and are mobile the comments about 'moving on from the breast' start

Lady I don't know, its very odd to breastfeed until a child is 6. TO ME. Anyways, more power too you if that's what you want to do.

Just to be clear he wasn't pawing at me aged 6 but when he was was still BFing probably around aged 4. I just redirected his attention to something else. He still mentions it occasionally now and says he misses it, usually when we are having a cuddle a bedtime. Not really a "bitty" situation at all.

ExNDN some years ago BF her DS until 6-7 yrs old. She would go to the school during the day and take him to her car then he would return to school when finished.

Not for me, but to each her own.

My DD is 3, and I’m only in the process of trying to stop breastfeeding her now as I’m heavily pregnant. It’s therefore getting quite awkward for me to feed comfortably, and I also can’t imagine what It’d be like breastfeeding her whilst I have a newborn feeding around the clock!

It makes me so sad to think about giving up though. Today, she said something so sweet to me just before she had a feed, and it made tears well up in my eyes. It still brings her such comfort if she’s tired, Ill, or has hurt herself - nothing else calms her as quickly or in the same way.

It makes me feel a little queasy for some reason. It's far too old and I suspect is more for the mother than the child.

By 4 1/2 I think it's really, really gross and wonder if one or both involved are being damaged psychologically.

Of course it's up to you. I'd never tell someone but you did ask for opinions.

I'm just here for breastfeeding bingo.

I didn't bf. It is the most natural thing in the world and get pissed off at all the negativity about public bf, extended bf.

It's a lovely thing to do, I'm sure you'll know when the time is right, until then, it's nobody's business.

I’ve just realized I haven’t the foggiest when DH was weaned. Must go ask. Presumably it was in the 2-3 range, MIL was crunchy before it was cool.

My youngest was breastfed until she weaned (with some encouragement from me) at 3 years 3 months. I didn’t share this information with many people, it wasn’t their business. But I’d not have lied if I was asked.

Due to various circumstances, I only breastfed mine for a year. Personally, I think what you're doing is so completely right from a developmental and health point of view. And a lot of research backs you up. Quite honestly I envy you, and I think your child is so lucky to have this wonderful experience.

Dd2 was bf for 3 years. I stopped it rather than her as had enough and we were ttc (unsuccessfully sadly). Now she is 8 and would happily still bf given the choice! She still likes to cuddle them when tired/ill. My older dd fed for 1 year and was quite uninterested after that!

What you do us up to you as long as it's not harmful to your children. This certainly isn't harmful! I wouldn't have bf for that long personally but we should all have our choice and be left in peace.

@schroidingerstwat

"And a lot of research backs you up."

No.

In fact, the most recent relevant study showed that the benefits of breastfeeding had all but vanished before a child was 4.

In fact, the most recent relevant study showed that the benefits of breastfeeding had all but vanished before a child was 4.

A link to the study, if you would be so kind? Google is not playing ball.

On a slightly different note.
I wasn't bf by my mother.
Only our baby brother was, for quite a while apparently.
If breast is indeed best then you are doing the best for your beloved child.

Brother is a spoilt brat btw.
The rest of us are amazing.

Maybe breastfeeding turns kids into wimps?
totally not serious but little brother is a mummys boy and still gets all the special treatment

I am EBF my 7 weeks old so absolutely not anti-breastfeeding. For some reason (and I fully accept this is perhaps an odd reaction) the thought of breastfeeding a toddler is horrible. When I hear of older children still feeding and being so dependent on comfort from it, I do feel a bit sick. I therefore wouldn't be telling anyone I was bf at 2+.

Completely take on board this might be an unpopular/strange view but that's just how I feel. Each to their own though!

I breastfed dd until 2.5. She didn’t want to feed for several days then would cluster feed approx once every 5 days. And it really hurt. So I chose to stop. Before I breastfed, I would have thought that very strange. Misogynists have us believe breasts are for one thing and breasts are completely sexualised in this culture. I’m glad I educated myself. Your body, your child, your choice.

DD selfweaned at 3yrs 4months. I was ready for it about 2.5. She wasn’t. I’d started lying about it after several judging comments. Including to family. But she wanted that closeness.

I'm BF my 11 month old now. I'll stop when he's ready to. Why would I put some uninformed and downright rude comments of complete strangers over his health and happiness?

I wonder what it is about a breastfeeding mother that gets people so irrate that they feel they need to approach a mother, minding her own business, to say their uninformed piece? It's so pathetic when you think about it like that.

Meh I can't get worked up over it. If you are both happy with it then carry on! Sadly you will get judged for it though. Which is stupid. I wasn't able to bf but my nearly 4 yr old has milk before bed. Surely if you have a reasonable diet then bf is better than that?

@4Funnels

I bet that study didn't include attachment-related aspects of natural weaning? Also I'd be interested to know if the study was about natural weaning or just EBF until 12 months?

Ew