breastfeeding at 5 (and above?)

[cleopatracomingatya]

fully expecting to get some extreme opinions here.

www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/7286609/mum-breastfeeds-five-baths-naked-normal-break-stigma/

This is the article (and the bath photo is disturbing enough for me as it is)

interested to see the general consensus on this. AIBU to think this is just... no!!

The way we sexualise children in this country is appalling. BF to natural term is completely normal. Bathing with your child at 5 is normal. A 5yr old seeing their parents naked is normal.

We project these sexualised ideas onto children and lose sight of what is normal. This helps contribute to such low BF rates in the UK; a lack of body awareness; poor self-esteem when teens begin to think that social media/porn is the norm
because they haven't been exposed to 'normal bodies'.

WHO recommendations actually say -

Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended up to 6 months of age, with continued breastfeeding along with appropriate complementary foods up to two years of age or beyond.

They always choose boy children for these extended breastfeeding “shock” photos, I assume to make it seem more disturbing. How shameful.

It's the epitome of " meh", isn't it?

Do what you like although may be not in the school playground.

Each to their own but I doubt her son is going to appreciate this photo being public when he's a teenager!

“A natural beautiful thing to do” Bwahaha not with a five year old!

Thought some of us might appreciate a little light relief:
thoughtcatalog.com/nicole-mullen/2014/07/im-one-of-those-moms-thats-breastfeeding-her-kid-through-puberty/

(Hope it hasn't already been posted, I can't keep up with this thread)

I breastfed my daughter until 4 years old.

The average globe weaning age I believe is anywhere between 2 and 7 years old.

I know a 9 year old just finishing breastfeeding, the family practice natural term breastfeeding.

You cannot force a child to breastfeed at all.

Expressing breastmilk into a cup is bloody hard, so why not just let the kids tap the source as that is the biological purpose of the boob design.

Abacucat what you’ve quoted always means, bf for a minimum of two years. What was your point?

@Rebecca36 this article can't be real can it ??

when a baby sucks on a woman’s breast she experiences a bit of sexual pleasure. When a man does it, she receives even more pleasure because the breast is sensitive to facial hair, and now that my son Mason is old enough to grow facial hair, our breastfeeding sessions have become even more pleasurable for me.
I’ve even been encouraging my son to not shave because it feels even better when I feed him in public and I can feel his beard coming in.

G R I M

I can’t believe how many people are saying it’s normal. It really makes me feel odd and cringe. My views are probably also far from normal as I don’t like breastfeeding anyway. Don’t judge others for it, but couldn’t do it myself. But anything over the age of a toddler really creeps me out. It’s proven there’s no benefit.

Cleopatra, it's a parody article. Of course it isn't real.

Imustbemad, that's your hangup to deal with. And if parent and child both enjoy it, of course there are benefits. How many of the things you do for or with your child are "proven to have benefits"?

@CountessVonBoobs oh thank god lol

It’s proven there’s no benefit

What sort of benefit? Nutritionally - I suppose we aren’t sure. Emotionally though - of course there is a benefit. The child wouldn’t do it otherwise!
How many things do we do for our children that are of ‘no proven benefit’ ?

It’s proven there’s no benefit.

I don't get what this means. If you give your child cow's milk for nutritional/dietary reasons, surely human milk serves the same purpose or even better?

There is a very British view that you can grow a child inside of you but as soon as possible after it pops out, it ought to be as physically independent as possible. Baby in own room as soon as possible, wean from BF before 6 months, sleep training, etc. I'm not convinced Britain is raising the most well-adjusted, healthy, and happy children so maybe we ought to question some of our assumptions about the best way to parent.

It’s proven there’s no benefit.

Firstly I'm not sure you can prove no benefits. I think there's lots we don't yet know about how breast milk works. This is not a subject that's been over researched.

Secondly, why is everyone so hung up on their being physical benefits? Is that the only acceptable justification for distracting breasts from a sexual function in this country? Lots of emotional benefits for children who want to continue. That's more than enough.

“There is a very British view that you can grow a child inside of you but as soon as possible after it pops out, it ought to be as physically independent as possible. Baby in own room as soon as possible, wean from BF before 6 months, sleep training, etc. I'm not convinced Britain is raising the most well-adjusted, healthy, and happy children so maybe we ought to question some of our assumptions about the best way to parent.”

Hear hear!

Britain’s Kids are amongst the most unhappy in the world.

www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/which-countries-have-the-happiest-children-a6878936.html

Excellent post @brookshelley

To do this in the paper is selfish in the extreme
Feed how you like but don’t fucking humiliate your child

Really horrible to publish the pic of him naked. Her choice for her own body but he can’t give informed consent himself and that pic is there forever.

Torn on the breastfeeding TBH. I told my middle child no more the day after turning 2, he had cut down to one morning feed by then anyway and was completely unphased. But I always had regret that I didn’t let him self wean (it’s quite normal in the friendship group I have now, but didn’t then) and promised myself if I ever had another I would.

Roll on several years and I’m happily BFing my almost-toddler, and I would still like to go natural term, BUT I can’t deny I am feeling nervous about the prospect of natural term being 5+ rather than 3.

Was watching The Slap the other day and there’s an older child being BF, although they portray it as a really naughty child being pacified/babied and rewarded for bad behaviour with it, rather than just feeding.

@TittyGolightly sorry but I fail to see how this article has anything to do with breastfeeding:

British children came 11th when describing how safe they felt at home, but 15th – one but last – for feeling they have a quiet place in their home to study.
^But the UK came a staggering second overall for feeling left out by their peers in class.
More than half of girls reported they had been hit by a fellow child, and the figure was even higher – more than a third - for boys. ^

It’s a survey based on education, which in turn reflects our society. The focus on independence - nursery not home, often school at 3, national tests for 6 and 7 year olds - surely impacts on children when they aren’t at school as well!