Don't you think this is a jolly odd thing to ask a bfing mum? Do other extended bfers get asked this?

[wendylovesbob]

I am (still?) bfing my nearly 3yo. Obviously this very rarely comes up in conversation because, well, why would anyone need to know?

On the odd occasion when it does come up and people realise with surprise that I am "still" bfing my ds, I am often asked doubtfully "is there still milk?"

Well.

Yes.

Of course there is. Otherwise I would be letting my son suck my nipples every evening with no purpose. And that would be odd, to say the least.

Do other people get asked this?

Do people really believe that extended bfers continue to let their children suckle milkless breasts?

It's just one of those silly things they say before they think!

yup, speaking before thinking

It begs a smart answer.

"No, once your child turns two you produce Carlsberg."
"Don't be so silly! Milk after 3 years! Obviously it's yoghurt now - you can change the flavour by eating lots of fruit before you feed."
"Yes but I've decided to only produce semi-skimmed now, apart from bedtime, when it's Ovaltine, of course."
"No milk now - it's sandwiches. Tiny weeny sandwiches come out."

Well, I've been bf for 4 years (two babies in succession) and I asked a friend bf-ing her 5 year old when milk usually dried up.

Two friends of mine milk stopped at just over 3 years, which made me curious.

It's only odd if you think it through in the way that you have; for someone living in a culture where extended bf is the norm, I think it's a reasonable question.

Oh yes. Having bfed all 3 dc's until 3 yrs old, I've heard this many times. It's just ignorance. Sometimes I get into the demand and supply conversation but mostly I can't be bothered. About to happen again as I'm nearly 39 weeks pregnant with no.4.

You've made me smile .

I suppose if it's just speaking before thinking that's not so bad - but I have been asked by a couple of friends who have known I am bfing for a while and have definitely had time to think about it, and wanted to know the answer.

Teeny tiny sandwiches

at Clarnico's responses, must steal remember those!

PMSL at Clarnico's "Don't be so silly! Milk after 3 years! Obviously it's yoghurt now - you can change the flavour by eating lots of fruit before you feed."

Brilliant!!!

I PMSL at the tiny weeny sandwiches - excellent!

It sounds like a stupid question but it's not surprising that people just don't know whether it's possible, they just phrase it badly. It's very rare for women to breastfeed for that long and even rarer for people to actually know about those that do so there is little knowledge about it.

teeny weeny sandwiches

Ok so this is an ignorant question - I have always assumed that as long as DD keeps sucking, I will keep making milk. Is that correct?

I am doubting myself because of what Rosebud says about her extended breastfeeding friends.

Also - I have a friend who asks every time I see her whether I am still breastfeeding (DD has just turned one). She keeps saying "but I've SEEN her eat real food...."

RJ does your friend have children? If not perhaps she just assumes babies go from breast/bottle straight to mushed up food and then real food.

I think you keep making milk until children stop feeding. Milk can dry up if you get pregnant though, which is often around 2-3 years later? :) I have always read that the absolute end to breastfeeding is at around age 7 when the adult teeth come through and the child's mouth changes shape. But most children choose to stop before this.

You can stimulate milk production though again at any time - in breastfeeding cultures where formula is rare or non-existent, grandmothers sometimes relactate to feed their orphaned grandchildren.

I dunno, I wonder this occasionally and DD2 is only 1.

My breasts are pros now at the whole lactating thing, so I'm not aware of it like I was with DD1.

Sometimes I think "Is there really milk coming out?" but then she'll dribble a little bit and I'll know there is. :o

The thing is that it never occured to me that it would be weird be keep doing it if there wasn't milk, as long as she still wanted to. I guess she wouldn't want to if for some reason there wasn't milk, but I'm pretty sure there are times when she has to work harder for it, and she does.

No she doesn't have children, I don't think she can understand that I might want to carry on breastfeeding if it's not strictly necessary for nutrition. I don't mind explaining it to her (and have pointed out that children do drink milk even though they also eat sandwiches) but she still asks me.

Also no mushed up food here so she was double confused.

I don't mind, just find it amusing and a tiny bit exasperating.

teeny weeny sandwiches