to think that breastfeeding a 25 year old, even as a one off, is more than a little strange?

[Ewe]

Article here about when breastfeeding should stop and the author quoted two examples of 25 year old women bfing as a one off after a bereavement.

'two 25-year-old women who had suffered bereavement and went to their respective mothers for ?one-off comfort?.
"It probably started with a cuddle and led from there," she tells me'

Now I am very pro breastfeeding but I found this very strange/unusual. I just can't imagine a situation where I, as a woman in my 20s, would breastfeed from my mother but then part of me thinks if they've just suffered a big loss, who am I to think this way of coping is wrong?

So, less of an AIBU but more of a what do you all think?

Sorry, fishie but pro-breast feeding as I am, I still stand by my reaction of 'Ew' when hearing of a 25 yr old being breast-fed. And I would assert that I am not the one with issues in this case.

I think that some wires have got crossed somewhere. The bfing-a-25-year-old-following a bereavement scenario is so unusual that I can't believe she would have encountered two separate cases.

I bfed dd2 until she was 4, but can't imagine her ever wanting to bf as an adult.

25 is too old. Lol. That makes me feel positively ill [vom smiley]

hmmm Ann is a friend of a friend on facebook, i ought to track her down and ask her lol

yes definitely very strange i would be mentally scarred if my mother offered to BF me i am extremely PRO-BF and this is quite unusual!!

it's such a red herring though - the story is supposed to be about when to stop BFing children (or if there is a when) but just has shock value for suggesting an adult has had a nibble once or twice. (surely no milk involved!) it just sounds stupid to me.

Ooh, what a good webchat idea PuzzleRocks.

There is a nice story in Fresh Milk by Fiona Giles about a woman who spontaneously feeds a man who has been bereaved (I Think) and it is rather sweet

Nonsense. A 25 year old breastfeeding? I don't believe a word of it. For a start, the mother would need to be breastfeeding a young child, you don't suddenly relactate 20 odd years after finishing feeding. And adults can't physically suckle, children lose the reflex that allows it somewhere between 5 and 10.
Rubbish, bullshit and bollocks.

i don't think there needs to be milk produced though,
the point was just that these women nursed at the breast when very, very upset.

While there's much in this article I would commend, I must take issue with a few points. The two older women referred to are, as I made clear, hearsay, and therefore I have no idea of the circumstances. - Ann Sinnott's comment below.

I would have thought - even it if were true that actually a 25 year old would be sucking a boob rather than breastfeeding, surely no milk would come!

I have no idea why so many people are bothered about breastfeeding older ones - had an arguement debate with my mother about this yesterday - I said really how often do you see children over one bfed anyway - I've never seen it done in public - apparently her friend saw a 6 year old being bfed on a beach in Spain once and once (20 years ago) she was a bit uncomfortable when her friends toddler wanted boobie while she was round her house! Why? Why would you care even if you think ew, its not you doing it! Don't get it at all.

Good to get that off my chest.

Dreadful article and all heresay so I don't really believe it. However I did actually "laugh out loud" at this comment, by a womand your BF her 4 and 5yo:

"People tend to think mothers who breastfeed their older children are hippies who don?t shave their legs," she says.

"I am like everyone else ? I watch reality TV ..."

I prefer hippies hairy legs to that!

If theres no milk then its not breastfeeding, its something altogether different!

Ah,- i may well take a look at the breastfeeding treads mjinhiding, thanks for that!
I'm getting a bit nostalgic for the time when my kids were little and there were loads of what my dh used to call the breastfeeding mafia
around. Seems like they're still aliveand well ...
By the way,- lots of evidence about how wonderful breastfeeding is is highly contentious, but it gets buried.

They weren't getting breast fed. They were suckling. Not to be confused.

Had they been watching this??

But curryfreak even if some of the evidence is contentious - you can not argue that it is of greater benefit to mother and child than formula.

For me personally the fact that it was free, required no washing up or sterilisers and stopped dd crying instantly swung it. If it was proved without doubt tomorrow that it was just the same as Aptimal I would do exactly the same again (fed dd till 2), no brainer. Breastfeeding mafia? We will leave horse's head in your bed should you choose to make up bottles!!!

Mjinhiding. Thanks for the tip. I'll have a look at the BF threads.
I'm a bit nostalgic for the time when my kids were babies, and the breastfeeding nazis were alive and kicking!
Seems they're still around. My DH used to call them the Breastfeeding mafia
By the Way,lots of studies which question the suppossed superiority of BF,- they just gets buried!

Though my first post hadn't gone!

I do find the word 'nazi' used in that context offensive tbh. But whatever, you obviously have ishoos.

I have met Ann sinnott and she is a serious and thoughtful person,I am sure her book was meticulously researched.I was shocked at this too,(and I am pro anyone feeding their own child for as long as they want to),but when I thought about it I could imagine a situation where the whole comfort thing gets confused and a mother might nurse an adult child in extreme distress as almost a reflex action.I may be wrong but wasn't it a historical anecdote?I think it was in the US too,so in a rural and very innocent culture and age,and hardly common.
curryfreak that comment at the beginning is offensive and wrong.the WHO recommend a minimum of two years nursing,in many parts of the world children would die if they were not fed over 12m.

Your dh is neither funny nor original curryfreak. that goes for you too. Major ishoos.

Wonderstuff,- i breastfed myself for approx seven months. Unlike some of my friends i found it a doddle, and did'nt suffer with the usual sore boobs, and not being able to produce enough milk.
I decided to stop simply because it was the right time to do so, and it was lovely that other people could feed my baby, mainly my DH who wanted to be involved.
I Find these women who go on and on about breastfeeding being superior to ff obsessive, utterly joyless and dull
I also find women who breasteed their children for an extended period of time seriously weird.
It is obviously about their emotional needs, and nothing whatsoever to do with the childs
I saw a (prob2 year old) been breast fed recently when i was in a well known store having lunch with a friend. It literally turned my stomach!