BF a 9 month old

[NewbeeMummy]

I'm basically looking for a bit of support here.

I currently bf my 9.5 month old dd for her first feed in the morning and her last feed at night.

I didn't think this was unusual, but having mentioned this to a few other mums, I'm told this is very unusual and I need to stop doing it as soon as possible. I'm also getting pressure from my OH to stop feeding her now, as he feels she's too old to be BF.

I want to continue for a couple reasons
a.) I heard that it was good to feed morning and night because that's when babies need and use the most nutrients from their milk.
b.) I really enjoy BFing and feel sad at having to give up what I view to be s special time with DD.

Just to add DD settles herself happily, so I don't need to BF to get her to sleep, there have been occasions when I have had to leave for work before she wakes up and she will happily take a bottle instead of her feed from me. Although she has teeth, she has only bitten me 2-3 times in total.

Is it selfish of me to continue BFing, should I bow to the pressure and stop now? Is 9 months unusually late in a babies life to be BF?

I find it really helpful to have threads like these as it helps me remember that while it may not be the norm to still be breastfeeding my almost 14 month old, it is completely normal. Even when everybody around you is completely supportive, it can be hard to be the only one who is "still" breastfeeding.

I sometimes wish that breastfeeding older babies was much more commonplace in our culture just so that I didn't have to feel the "odd one out" for doing what suits me best. There's absolutely no reason for me to stop - she only has one feed before bedtime (had to give up the morning feed when I started back at work last week), and she will happily take a bottle if I'm not there, so it seems a no brainer to continue as it's just handy and not at all restrictive. But I just wish that it wasn't somehow perceived as odd. I guess I've just always been pretty conventional and mainstream, and find it easier to just fit in rather than do something different - but at the same time realise that would be a pretty stupid reason to give up breastfeeding.

you are doing exactly what i have been doing with dd2 since she was about 7 or 8 months old (she's 11 mo now) - bf evening/night/morning

it works really well for me, for dd2 and for all of us as a family

what reasons are you being given as to why you have to stop? none that make any sense I'll bet.

Keep going, for as long as you and your baby want to, you certainly not the only one bfing and older baby.

I've no idea at what age you are considered to be an extended bfer, is it 12 months?

Thanks everyone, I never realised so many people continued BFing past 6 months, which seems to be the upper limit of what is considered normal.

I have found it exceptionally useful when DD has been ill and will hold little else down, or loses intertest in all other types of food.

I hadn't thought that continuing to bf may actually give other people the confidence to carry on as well, that's a very good observation.

Thank you all again for taking the time to respond, OH has now been told that I will continue BF'ing as long as myself and DD want to.

Brilliant, well done for telling DH I have found this forum really informative and supportive so stick around if you need to ask anything else, there are a lot of people here that know loads about breastfeeding.

Aw ignore any ignorant person who tells you to stop! Feed as long as you and your baby want to! I am still bf'ing my nearly 15 month old morning and night

DS is 10.5 mo, and bfing much more than that (including through the night, but that's another story...). I was always planning to carry on anyway (bfd dd to 20 mo) but have had the additional bonus of more Weight watchers points - eat cake and lose weight, in essence, and that's got to be a winner.

DS2 is nearly 1. I still feed him lots more than you are - he'd exceptionally keen on the idea, more so than either of my older 2 were (they were both on 2 feeds at this age).

I feed ds about 2 or 3 times during the day, and more often than not a couple of times at night (we're co sleeping at the moment and so isn't arduous).

However, will be night weaning sometime in the next month or so, though will prob carry on day feeding for a while yet.

lol @ Habbidu or course extra fruit (in a cake? does that count?)

If you count the cocoa bean as a fruit then yes, absolutely!