'Extended' breastfeeding

[Tatties]

What are peoples opinions on this? When do you consider it 'extended'? Do you think there is an age past which BF is unacceptable?

Hi Tatties
My hv congratulated me on 'extended bf' when dd was around 10 months old.I'm still bf her at 15.5 months and i'm not sure if i think it is extended or not as i bf my ds2 till he was 2.5.Other peoples opinions annoy me when they talk about me still bf dd at her age.

This thread from a few months ago went into great detail on this topic - it's a very emotive one.

I would say that techinically 'extended breastfeeding' is anything from 6 months/weaning age. I suppose I, personally, consider it 'extended' (not bad!) after a year or 18 months. For me, I think 2.5 is where I would draw the line.

If you want to get really contentious, then I think breastfeeding after 4 years old is pretty wierd

technically

One year is my limit. I got up to 8 months with ds. I don't have a problem with those feeding after that, it's just not for me.

Toddlers and breastfeeding though - can't quite get my head around that somehow!

did any of you see 'this morning' a few months ago? women who were so pro-bf they were happy to let their 4/5 yr olds self wean from bf and still co-slept.

my dd is starting to point and pull my t-shirt up to try and help herself.not attractive going round asda i can tell you.

I'm struggling with the shirt pulling too. I'm ok with BF on demand. I'm ok with "extended" bf. (DS1 fed to 18 months, DS2 is 14 months, and will no doubt carry on) But I don't like having someone stick his arm down my top when we're out and about.

So I'm mostly feeding at home now.

dd is nearly 16 months.i never intended to bf my kids for more than 6 months to a year but neither of them (ds1 was 2.5) and dd now will give it up so waht do you do? could say no and make them miserable i suppose but i hate to upset her

NotQuiteCockney,did youe ds1 give up on his own?

I had to sit my 2.5 yr old down for a talk.told him he was too big and we would just do bath cuddles and 2 storys instead of one and he was fine.do you ever have any negative comments from either people you know/don't know?

Not really. I'm fairly scary-looking, not English, and outspoken. So people don't dare, essentially, especially English people.

Well, they do say "are you still feeding him?". But I just shrug and explain I fed DS1 to 18 months, and carry on.

good for you notquite!!!do you mind if i ask what you are if not english? and are you really that scary looking?

I'm Canadian. Which means most people think I'm American.

And I really am pretty scary looking. Big, butch, short hair, glasses.

Do you get negative comments much?

(Oh, I also find it helps to point out that the WHO suggests that women bf to at least two.)

Don't have a problem with it at all although personally aim to give up (if ds is ok about it!) at around the 1 year mark. Seems to make sense that if it is unadvised to drink cows milk before 12 months then bf should continue to at least this point.

my dp parents think it's all a bit much if i feed in front of them.my in laws all wander into another room at the same time so they don't have to listen to dd slurp and my god if they caught a glimpse of flesh i think they'd die on the spot. hmmm might not be such a bad idea!!

Oh, that stuff is always tricky.

My MIL tried to get my FIL to take a picture of me BFing, after each birth. I'm not opposed to a picture of me breastfeeding, but I don't want FIL to take one! And I'm pretty sure he doesn't want to, either!

(I'm fine with them being in the room when I'm bf. The only time I've found myself uncomfortable was at a work do, with my old colleagues, in a pub. I just couldn't bring myself to BF! They knew I was breastfeeding, but going ahead and doing it was just too much.)

I've fed mine to two and three years old. It has just petered out naturally. I'll never forget ds2 looking up at me with utter satisfaction, wiping his mouth and saying, 'Ugga shide' (other side).

I can't even remember a day when they stopped. It was seamless.

really would not want my fil taking pics of me bf,god the mind boggles. in laws are away to their flat in cyprus now till april so maybe dd will have given up by then.then again i'm not holding my breath.i bf everywhere,even did at ds1 parents evening,teacher coped and kept his eyes averted while all the strange noises were going on.lol

By the way tatties it's only in the western world we practise curtailed breastfeeding. Internationally the average age a child stops bfing is 6 or 7!

oh spidermama that is so funny,what age was he when he said that?

my son used to go booby booby booby till i gave in and stuck him up whatever i was wearing,my mil used to go green at those words

Ahhh Agalch.
My ds was somewhere between 2 and 3.
My MIL used to look with a mixture of horror and interest. She soon warmed up. I think many people do when they see just how natural and lovely it is.