To think BF-ing a 2yr old is, um, weird?

[Lucy85]

Well what do you think? I know it's a very emotive subject, but I've seen it a couple of times and it makes me come over all strange.
I BFed my baby exclusively until 7 months when I went back to work, but the thought of doing it now is just plain odd, - not wrong, it's just I can't imagine doing it to someone who can walk, talk, get their own drinks, eats proper food and is too big to lie sideways on my lap.

because it is INSULTING and UPSETTING to have people say that the way you look after your child is weird and makes people feel creepy
do you get that?
we are real people reading this and many of us have or do breastfeed our toddlers
the OP is saying this is weird and makes her feel a bit sick
have some imagination, how would you feel about that?

sorry that was to pigletmania

My older 4 children self weaned at 15 months. DD2 is still BF at 3.3years.

My boss said he'd seen something on TV about someone still BF a 2 yo and how odd it was. As he was FF his under 1 yo I could see why he found extended BF odd. As I explained to him, you don't start off feeding a 2 yo. You start with a weeny tiny baby who gets bigger.

No "boobies" in this house. DD demands num-nums.

'why are people swearing and being rude to the op, a simple YABVU would do and explain yourself properly.'

Because op is quite obviously a troll.

slushy i don't agree, she has come back to respond, and many many people have these views, i have seen them time and time again on MN

you are entitled to your opinion, if you think it's weird then fair enough. I don't think it's weird or wrong each to their won and all that. I bf dd for 7m and ds for 5m. i stopped both times because it was making me ill, and quite frankly doing my head in. All the snidey comments about artificial powder etc. are unnecessary and make the pro bf lobby look even more sanctimonious and preachy than they are already.

My opinion is that bf much beyond the age of 2 in a developed nation is unnecessary for health reasons and is primarily about the needs of the mother and possibly a reflection on her relationship with her partner.

If you're waking up to bf a toddler through the night because they WANT it (they don't need it they should be sleeping through by this age) then that's your call, but they don't NEED it.

I dont feel like the op, I just dont agree with it tbh, everyone is entitled to their opinion. If I saw someone bf their preschool child/child I would never say anything and walk on by without looking.

But she's being so deliberately provocative...I don't know why I'm even bothering to respond, I doubt anything we say could change her mind.

[star reminds herself it's a lovely sunny evening and there's a cold beer waiting somewhere]

"My opinion is that bf much beyond the age of 2 in a developed nation is unnecessary for health reasons and is primarily about the needs of the mother and possibly a reflection on her relationship with her partner"

ok
so you are saying that i am using my toddler for sexual / emotional gratification because i am not getting enough from my partner?
is that right?
and people wonder why there are some ANGRY responses on this thread

How
fucking
dare you

Prob going to get flamed here but what i couldn't stand or cope with would be a verbal mobile child either shrieking "booby" at me clambering all over me and trying to wrestle my boobs, a part of my body out of my top. I could not STAND IT. I baby nuzzling and rooting is one thing a child demanding access to a private part of your body quite another.

I would feel violated tbh. Know I'll get attacked for that viewpoint but it's just the way I feel.

Coupleofkooks I am sadly aware that many people have this view on mn and in rl .

minx your comments on this thread are saying an awful lot about you and the strange view you have of breastfeeding and sexuality, and not anything worth shit about the parents who choose natural term breastfeeding

YABVU. It's normal, it's society that's not.

there's not need to respond with such vitriol. I certainly don't think it's about sexual gratification or not "getting enough". I do however think it may be about meeting a mothers emotional needs in some cases.

regarding relationships often women who bf for long periods co-sleep. I've known of many cases where the marital bed has a child in it too, long term and in quite a few of those cases the husband/partner has been de-camped to another room. Sorry for not explaining this further. That will clearly have an impact on a couples relationship. I'm sure this isn't the case everytime but SOMETIMES it is.

IF you are not a troll and actually a proper poster....

YABVU

I wish was still BF-ing BOTH of mine. Age 4 and 17 months. I LOVED BF-ing.

WTF is wierd about it?

I thought the WHO clarified this argument a few years ago, by stating that it was important that children in developed nations were breastfed until the age of two.

I find it kind of difficult to respond to this, because I breastfed my children until they were just over two, and I really don't understand why many women choose not to take the advice of the WHO (I know some can't, but that is clearly different). So I really can't get my head around people complaining about people like me who have followed the WHO guidelines.

Obviously breastfeeding is usually enjoyable for the mother. I suppose this thread just adds to the many things that women do for others and then are seen as being crazy/selfish/silly if they enjoy them.

applauds coupleofkooks

minx - My opinion is that bf much beyond the age of 2 in a developed nation is unnecessary for health reasons and is primarily about the needs of the mother and possibly a reflection on her relationship with her partner.

You are sick. What a disgusting thing to say - it reflects only YOUR issues.

I don't know anyone that has been an extended feeder so I guess I do find it a bit odd if I hear of it but no more than thinking its odd when I see a toddler with a bottle.

It's not a strange view coupleofkooks it's an alternative view. As I've stated I don't think bf til age 2 is odd at all. It's great if it suits and good for the child. For me personally and I bf both mine between 5 and 7 months whivh is longer than most people, it's not great.

Breasts have a dual function. the primary one is feeding infants, but they also have a sexual function too and sometimes women want their breasts "back" as it were after a period bf, I see nothing wrong in that.

Minx, I think co-sleeping is a whole other controversial thread topic. My children have always come in/out of our bed, and each others beds. DS stopped at about 10. We also have two dogs sleeping in our bed. It really has no impact on our relationship.

Aha! I see COK has actually said the unsayable (well unsayable by those who dance around the "mothers needs" argument until their feet are bleeding)