Normalising Breast Milk

[Babieseverywhere]

I was nursing my tired toddler in the local library during a children's group, last week. A new mother to the group was asking his age and expressed her surprise that we are still nursing (he is not yet 2 years old) and asked me if I had an issue with giving him cow's milk.

I laughed and asked why would it be better for me to wean my child off my breast milk and onto cow's milk. She was equally perplexed as to why I couldn't see this as a natural progression.

It is amazing how normal it is to use cow's breastmilk as a healthy drink and an important part of our children's diet, yet using a mothers own breastmilk to feed their own child is seen as strange.

No real point to this thread, it just made me think how far breastfeeding's value has dropped in our modern western world.

Mine tastes like coconut milk this time, last time it was like sweetened condensed milk.

I was always struck but the bit in Baby Led Weaning that described the invention of Baby Formula as being a way to increase milk consumption at a time when there was a glut of cows milk in the USA.

I'm now wondering if the reccommendations about the transition to cow's milk is part of the same strategy?

I wonder how many people would 'choose not to BF' if the other option was a wet nurse rather than Formula...?

Just to calarify I wasn't feeling sorry for them because they use formula, but because they feel they need to explain their choice of using formula.

Can I just take a moment about those BF rates? I have been in many a heated conversation on here about BF/FF and those rates are often quoted to demonstrate the dire situaiton in the UK.

However those rates are for exclusive BF, which is rather a strict definition. So for eg I BF my DD1 for 14 months. However when she was about 2 months I tried her with some formula to see what she made of it. She wasn't keen, but she took a little. Anyway she didn't have any formula again after that. But according to exclusive BF rates, I would not be included after 2 months.

Given that in the UK many women give some forumla at some point, maybe when they go out or some give a bottle in the evening or some may have given some formula once in desperation while establising BF etc etc. These people will not show up as they have not exclusively BF.

If you look at the stats for women giving breastmilk at various ages the results give a very very different picture and indicte (I think) that the reason people don't BF is to do with lack of support, rather than not knowing/not wanting to etc etc

I will try and find the stats

Harivana I agree, though I personally dont agree with bf a toddler past 2, I would never make someone feel bad or pass nasty comments how awful is that! I would not even ask questions either, just carry on doing what I am doing.

can't find the bloody stats

Didn't realise that isnt, would be interested if you find those stats.

found it! you have to scroll right to the bottom and the key facts include

Initial breastfeeding rates in 2005 were 78 per cent in England, 70 per cent in Scotland, 67 per cent in Wales, and 63 per cent in Northern Ireland. In England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland the incidence of breastfeeding increased between 2000 and 2005.

In 2005, 48 per cent of all mothers in the United Kingdom were breastfeeding at six weeks, while 25 per cent were still breastfeeding at six months. Between 2000 and 2005 there was an increase in the prevalence of breastfeeding at all ages up to nine months in both England and Wales and Northern Ireland. The pattern of fall out was broadly similar across all countries.

which is a big difference to the exclusive rates which are the ones always quoted - which is a shame I think as it steers the conversation off in the wrong direction I think. In say England the initiation rate is 78% which to me says the breast is best message is out there and women understand it - I think the problem is lack of support with BF - which anecdotally on here is the reason many women give up.

I also think that in our society wheer formula is accepted, to take the baseline as women who have never given any formula is unreasonably harsh, and paint an unnecessarily dismal picture. The stats above show that 1/4 of women are BF at 6 months - a very different story to the 3% at 5 months showing on the exclusive stats.

that is really interesting. In rl i sometimes feel like bf is a minority activity and the exclusive stats confirm that. Perhaps if the mixed stats were more widely quoted people might not feel it was so improbable to bf till weaning. Thanks for finding isnt!

I agree that one of the main reasons that women give up bf'ing is through lack of support and lack of correct info. one of the biggest myths is that women ofetn dont have enoug milk to feed their baby, when, in fact, its quite rare for a women to be physically incapable of feeding due to low supply. Cant remember the exact stats, but think its roughly between 2% and 5% of women that this applies to. If woment got more support and more info from the word go, then surely they would be more likely to understand whats happening and when, what is normal and what is not?!

For example, I had no idea about growth spurts - no NHS professional ever mentioned them to me. I got a shock at the 3 week spurt! I was convinced that my boobs must be empty and that that was why my DD kept feeding for hours at a time. If women were armed with the info, I believe that they would feel more prepared and ready to give it a go.

today i met the only other person i have ever met that has fed past a year. i met her at our BF support group when our dcs were weeks old (they are 2 days apart) and i saw her today after not seeing her since and she is still feeding her ds(14 months). i was really pleased. i dont know anyone else who has fed this long. i was feeling like an oddity.

I read this thread and just had to comment even though I had to ff my ds due to medication I was taking (have tumours on 90% of lungs so have to take opiate based painkillers ie morphine). Due to the meds my ds had to be weaned off them after birth so I was told under no circumstances should I bf. I was looked at in disgust regularly by health professionals for ff ds and was generally treated like an inferior second class mum. I wanted to come off the painkillers before TTC but was told the 'chemicals' the body realeases when in severe pain would be much worse (possibly causing growth problems or brain and nerve abnormalities) than the painkillers. Anyway I have done alot more research since ds was born as seeing him in so much pain and distress when coming off them was heartbreaking and I blamed myself alot (and still do). From this research I am currently weaning off the painkillers (more than 75% reduction over 6 months) so am determined to bf next dc.
After reading this thread I am absolutely appalled at other peoples judgements on when you should stop bfing your dc. This feels like stepping back 10 years to when my sister often had to bf her dc in a toilet (often sat on the floor if no toilet seat lid) as bfing in public was seen as 'disgusting' and 'a sexual act'. If I am able to bf next dc I would bf discreetly in public until dc self-weaned. My ds self weaned from ff at just 9 months as he was getting what he needed from his food so would refuse it (started weaning at 6.5months). The only time I would encourage dc to stop would be if they were about to start school. The world health organisation recommends milk feeds to be exclusively bf until 2 years and in most cultures ie Spain and Africa it's acceptable until 5 years old.
The only thing that I've seen that I didn't like re bf was a 10 year old girl and 9 year old boy still being bf (I saw this in public in Leeds). Even then I would never ever say/show how I felt as it's none of my business.
Final thought; If it feels right for you and your child and your dp is ok with it then go for it. It's nobody elses business. Be proud of yourselves for giving your dc the best possible start in life (I only wish I could've done for ds) x

That sounds horrible MummyTo, you have had a really rough time. Good luck ttc a little brother or sister for your DS!

Am at what you saw in Leeds though

MummyWith, not MummyTo, sorry

i live in leeds! That's not me though! Not sure how i feel about that!

Mummywith you sound like a wonderful loving mum. good luck with everything