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.

Damn I was looking forward to squirting people!

I don't think its 'weird' I may think 'oh' if I see a toddler being BF and then go on with my day!

I think sometimes it becomes a comfort thing more than a 'need' as such.
My nearly 2 year old Ds still has his num num (dummy) and my 6 year old Dd still likes to drink her bedtime drink out of a bottle!

Does not affect anybody else, so I let them have these things. BF as long as you like ladies!

OK so to clarify, no I do not think anything is wrong with it. Maybe because it is so unusual, maybe because it is, umm, weird, but I do agree that it's better than biscuits etc etc. And, really I just can't imagine doing it to someone who can feed themselves, and so it makes me feel weird.
I just wondered what you all thought.
Clearly there are people who agree, and who disagree ... it's interesting that, whatever your feelings, it evokes strong feelings in all of us and I'm not alone, so thankyou for that.

op couldn't agree more it is very weird imo.You will have the dairy herd outraged though

The people who say it's for the mother's needs not the toddler's are making a mistake. Honestly - you are way off base. It just doesn't work like that - you simply cannot make a toddler breastfeed if they don't want to. Breastfeeding a toddler is what happens when the baby you are breastfeeding starts to toddle, and in the meantime you haven't taken active steps to stop them breastfeeding. That's it. There's no pushing to extend it or make them want it for longer - you just couldn't do that, even if you wanted to.

You have to get away from the idea that your walking talking toddler who is not breastfed would not walk up to you and ask for a breastfeed, so if you gave them one you'd be forcing it on them. Don't project that onto other toddlers who are breastfed and who do what's normal for toddlers who haven't stopped yet, which is to toddle up every now and then (shoes on or not) and ask for a quick drink and cuddle.

If you have a breastfed baby and you don't take active steps to wean them in their second year or whenever, then most will still be happily having breastfeeds during that year and even beyond. Mostly they ask gradually much less often as time goes by and drink less. It tails off - some faster than others.

It's not bad for them - it hasn't got too much sugar or salt or whatever like a biscuit, it's nutritious and it's a good way to touch base with their mum. It eventually stops by itself and any mum has the option of deciding to force it to stop sooner if they want to. So long as the mum doesn't mind carrying on and the toddler's still asking for it, where on earth is the harm?

Yes shimmerysilverglitter.....that's so "brilliant".

Next time anyone holds a view that doesn't happen to concur with mine, I'll just tell them to fuck off. How charming.

Why all the troll cries just because it's a provacative qu? The troll hunting is boring.

Do I get aggressive when someone criticises my parenting choices? Only when it's my mother! Otherwise who cares, I am genuinely at peace with my choices, including not BF-ing.

And it's not 'ignorance' - it's an opinion. The WHO may well advocate BF til 2, but one is allowed one's opinions on other emotional effects of late BF-ing.

Agree with you GetOrt
I find bf a toddler a bit weird and hence did not do it. There are mothers who are happy and comfortable doing so and they should (and hopefully do) carry on.

I can't get my 2yo to put her shoes on if she doesn't want them. How do you get an unwilling child to bf then?

to the OP - i know what you mean to some extent; because it is not the norm to feed older children in our society, i think we can feel uncomfortable or peculiar about it
obviously letting that stop us from feeding our children for as long as we want, or making other people feel uncomfortable about feeding older children, would be stupid

i fed ds1 till he was nearly 4 and sometimes i felt a bit weird about it
there are strong taboos about older children and breastfeeding - there are associations with breasts and sexuality forced on us by popular culture all day long, plus older children feeding is not something you see every day, so we might find it unusual or strange to look at

i think the answer is for more people to be open about breastfeeding their older children - a lot of people feel uncomfortable to speak about it or do it in public because they are afraid of meeting bigoted attitudes
if we can normalise it a bit that will help

i only skimmed the thread but thought the OP deserved an answer
to anyone who is posting things about mothers only doing it for themselves, it being creepy etc, you are only showing your bigotry and ignorance

Mooooooooo

"To be honest in the grand scheme of life long parenthood, it doesn't really matter what you do."

I think it totally does matter what you do.

If bfing reduces the risk of cancer is both mother and child, doesn't that matter? Reduces the risk of obesity - doesn't that matter?

If you think about the costs to the NHS that could be reduced from all that, in the grand scheme of any life, it matters. A lot.

Gee thanks for the permission izzybiz

The thing that leaves a nasty taste in my mouth (no pun intended) is the sneery "Whose needs are being met" stuff.

What exactly are you driving at? I'm pretty sure I know exactly what you're getting at, but I've never seen anyone have the actual BALLS to say it.

(uh, and I breastfed my children until they were 12 weeks - I didn't want to do it anymore after that - I don't judge people who don't BF at all, and I don't think EBF is "weird". Doesn't affect ME does it?)

It actually makes me feel a little sick that people find it 'icky' or whatever.
If you think I'm doing something 'icky', then what do you think of me?

OP is definitely entitled to post her view, no question at all.

I am am entitled to think that view is bizarre, uninformed and just plan stupid.

Breasts are for feeding children with - so it isn't weird to use them for that purpose, it is weird not too.

itsgrim

I did BF! now am I to understand that cos I ONLY BF for 6 months I will spread cancer and cost the NHS money!!!!! this is silly

but thnaks for giving me something new to feel guilty about

Focus on those of us who don't find it icky wastingaway. That's what you do.

How come it isn't considered weird to give a toddler cow's milk?

morloth [hmmm]

I must admit I do have trouble 'letting go' of a surefire way to make dd have an afternoon nap when I want to do some chores, or of keeping quiet whilst I have a chat with my friend/solicitor.

Sometimes when I get her she comes screaming 'no, no milk mummy, no milk mummy' (honestly) but when I put her on, she licks her lips and latches on after 5-10 mins or so will say 'turn over', which meants turn her over to the other one.

It is good for ME to have the hormone release as I have skated dangerously close to depression with the fight for getting my SN ds met, and been unable to exercise due to time constraints, and it has been fab for ME to have some bonding with her that has enabled me to type a case statement at the same time.

All in all, it works very well for ME. Luckily it keeps dd contented, healthy, happy and feeling loved.