Thoughts on breastfeeding a toddler?

[atait1502]

Looking for some general thoughts and opinions on extending breastfeeding. I have a nearly 2 year old, and planning to continue for now. Had a mixed bag of responses from people so just looking to see others opinions and thoughts?

I am looking to wean eventually in the near future just not sure how to just yet!

Do you think when mothers breastfeed their 2 year old that they’re only drinking breastmilk and don’t eat food?

Funniest thing I've read all year!

My opinion is that you do what is best for your child and everyone else should mind their own business.

The longest I bf for was 21 months. I definitely wasn't doing it for me because by the end I was very touched out, even though it was only twice a day. It was also part of his full and varied diet.

Though I did feel a bit sad when he stopped - last baby, so every milestone was a last.

I'll be feeding mine until she's 15 because I've no idea how to actually stop 😂(I joke, she's 15 months old). You do you OP, it's no ones business but your own.

Read what I said. There are no nutritional benefits to breast feeding a 2 year old. It's the mothers need.

This. I have 3.5 year old twins. I have no calcium left in my body, and clearly it's all just for me, but they'll stop when they get wise to my selfishness.

Yeah, well known fact that all the nutrients just vanish. Poooof.

Glad you agree

I really absolutely don't. As well you know.

I read it. It’s imbecilic.

Erm... no one is suggesting a toddler should be exclusively breastfed... They eat solid food too. Most toddlers are breastfed before bed and perhaps once in the morning when they wake up. It's not their whole diet.

Breastmilk is very rich in nutrients, adapts to the individual child's needs, and also provides a degree of immune support. Health visitors recommend young children drink cow's milk everyday... but cow's milk is tailor made for calves, so if cow's milk is good for young human children, their mother's milk is even better.

All of this. Plus it helps them to self-regulate if they are angry, hurt, sad, tired, etc.

Teeth are definitely a sign to stop. Not milk teeth though (why do you think they’re called milk teeth?) but the second dentition. When we lose the milk teeth that really is the body’s message that BF is nearly done! So age 4-7ish.

So much research prove extended breastfeeding benefits mothers and child for their whole lives

A health visitor once tried to tell me breastmilk has no nutritional value after one. After telling me my child needed to drink a certain amount of cow’s milk per day. I mean, come on, just think about it logically for more than one second - we’re supposed to believe breastmilk is the perfect food for infants, with everything they need, tailored to each child, and then suddenly BAM, 1st birthday and it’s basically no better than water. And the milk produced by another species for its own young is better suited to human children than their own mother’s milk. How is that in any way believable?

I personally couldn’t breast feed a two year old I feel they are too old and they don’t need breast milk at that age but that’s not up to me because I have made the choice not to do so but that doesn’t mean what I’d do is right for you.

We stopped at around 2.5 years OP. It just naturally slowed and then stopped. We dropped 1 feed at a time until in the end it was only the bedtime feed. And then he fed less and less time, I don't think i was really producing at this point and didn't get the let down sensation anymore. It was a lovely way to deal with it as we didn't have any tears and the feeds became cuddles. My friend is still going at nearly 3 year but she feeds her little boy multiple times a day. I think if you want to continue you need to keep up some level of consistency.

Breastfeed as long as you and your child want to. Just make sure that anyone prescribing any medication knows, there’s usually an alternative version of whatever that is breast milk friendly if needed.

I fed DC2 to nearly three. My first had self weaned at two, so when that didn’t happen with DC2 I spent a few months trying to decide how and when to ween as it felt like I would be feeding forever!
In the end they did eventually self ween, I stopped offering and initially they still asked and fed every evening, then they would forget for a day, then it would be forgetting for a few days and eventually they just never asked anymore. I was so pleased I hadn’t pushed weaning and I left it a little longer for them to do gradually stop themselves.
Im all for extended breastfeeding, but for myself in the end it did feel like DC2 was a bit too old to still feed so I was happy to stop, but also really pleased to have been able feed till they were ready.

I think…..because what you said is just an opinion with no facts behind it. And it’s illogical. Some babies have a tooth by 6 weeks, others not until they are one.

The WHO recommends until 2 which is generally thought to be best practice scientifically/healthwise for both mother and baby.

Alas I only made it to six weeks with both of mine.

Edit to add - when I typed my comment in reply to yours I hadn’t read all the other controversial comments that followed. Bfing always does cause a big debate!

It’s rare to see a thread that doesn’t end with name calling. And the women in charge seem to think it’s fine. So that gives you and anyone else the green light to reciprocate in kind if the urge takes you.

I breast fed all of mine until they were toddlers. 22months, 4 years and 3 years. Purely for my own selfish reasons, I was producing just water after the age of 1, and I just loved all the benefits such as being kicked in the face, having to breastfeed toy cars and almost losing a nipple when the child turned their head suddenly because they heard Peppa pig start. After that we weaned onto red bull and full sugar coke. My kids are very clingy as a result and we still cosleep even though they are adults.

Seriously though what are these needs we have?

No thoughts whatsoever. How you feed your baby is 100% your choice and nothing at all to do with anybody else. I am all for zero opinions on some things - feeding, being one of them.

I fed my son until he was 3.5, and he self weaned. He had been dropping off slowly over time.

The poster about teeth is KIND of correct, natural weaning would normally occur when adult teeth come through, so up to about 7 years old.

Not when baby teeth come in! Maybe that's what they've heard and have just been misinformed?

I think it’s absolutely fine and mothers should do as they like in this respect.

The only thing I don’t think is really good parenting is to let a child who is old enough to walk and talk bf on demand, or just walk up to you and open your top (which I have seen!). Not saying it shouldn’t be done in public, but once they’re old enough they should learn that Mum’s body is her own.