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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Health professionals assuming bfing will stop at 1 year?

53 replies

reastie · 01/12/2011 18:33

Had a mw visit today, dd is 9mo. I was asking her advice re: feeding and going back to work with logistics and how dd will adapt. It seemed like she had an assumption that I would give up bfing at a year and give dd cows milk. She said as long as DD has the equivalent of a pint of milk (which can also include dairy products eaten) a day she would be fine. I was under the impression that the longer you are able to bf the better the benefits for DD.

Is it unusual to feed beyond 1 year? I wondered if it's common for health professionals to assume you don't bf past a year. I felt a bit Hmm as I'm sure I read the WHO recommend it to 2 years, and I had hoped to do one or two feeds a day in morning/evening until DD didn't want it any longer, or until she reaches 2, whichever comes first.

OP posts:
HappyCamel · 01/12/2011 18:39

It's unusual but recommended. I had a v similar conversation with my HV this afternoon who was stunned DD has never had formula. She insisted she should be climbing up the centiles rather than following them, I think because most people at least mix feed and when they do that's what happens so now she thinks DD is below the norm.

Your DD will be fine, offer feeds before and after work and give either full fat cows milk or follow on milk when you are away. Start doing so before you go back so she has the chance to get used to it.

Original poster
reastie · 01/12/2011 18:45

happy I recognise you from another thread but can't think which - were you on the pg and with GD thread? Hmm

I'd never heard that centile thing - I thought so long as they stay about the same all was fine (which DD does do). HV also told me once DD was 10 months I could drop her afternoon feed and offer her a snack of solids instead - does that seem the norm as I thought they had an afternoon feed until they were 1 year Hmm

OP posts:
ChunkyPickle · 01/12/2011 18:45

I know that anyone I talk to is still a bit Hmm about me still feeding my 15 month old. He's very slipped in to morning/nighttime feeds (and sneaking the occasional day time one if I'm working at home) so in my experience it works very well all round

There's nothing like being welcomed home by an enthusiastic toddler trying to strip you half naked !

Original poster
reastie · 01/12/2011 18:46

chunky do you tell people or keep it secret? I wonder if there's some secret thing that lots of people do it but not many admit or chat about it

OP posts:
StealthPolarBear · 01/12/2011 18:48

no reason to stop at 2 either.
IME most HCPs have been fine about it, but I think I have been lucky. None of them knew how long I fed DS for though (until he was 4!)

RobynLou · 01/12/2011 18:49

lots of people feed longer than they let on ime - of my nct group 4 bf past 2 but they all said they actively lied about it to people other than the rest of the group as thy didn't want to be 'labelled'.

DonInKillerHeels · 01/12/2011 18:55

Apparently only 5% of women in the UK are still BF at 6 months, let alone a year! So yes, very unusual! But still very good for baby. I only stopped at 15 months because I had to go abroad, and he was down to only onefeed a day anyway.

kickingking · 01/12/2011 19:06

I breastfed for a year, no formula.

Round here it is assumed by HVs that you won't breastfed at all. Sadly, with good reason. DS had to go to hospital with a virus at nine months and the doctor asked me how many oz of milk he was drinking. I told him I didn't know amounts because he was breastfed. He was Shock but then started telling me how amazing I was to never have used formula at nine months, and got a few colleagues to come and have a look at me congratulate me on breastfeeding for nine months.

Apparently, I don't look like a breastfeeder Hmm by which I assume they mean I don't have giant saggy boobs. (which seems to be a popular misconception about bf mums)

thereinmadnesslies · 01/12/2011 19:12

I think HVs assume that most mums stop BF after a week or two. Mine helpfully told me that it spoils her coffee to see a child older than one BFing in a cafe Angry

I went back to work when both DS were 1. They were fine on morning and bedtime feeds, I just cut down in the month leading up to it.

Greythorne · 01/12/2011 19:12

I exclusively bf my DC to age 2 and a bit. No formula was ever required. Never expressed. Never gave a bottle of any sort. Introduced solids at 6 months.

Two fabulously healthy DC now aged 5 and 3.

Carry on. If you want.

rubyslippers · 01/12/2011 19:12

My DD is 2 and I got a handshake from my gastroenterologist for still feeding!

TruthSweet · 01/12/2011 19:28

I'm currently bfing DD2 & DD3 (4y & 2y). I don't think it is very very unusual to go past 12m but I do think we sort of form 'enclaves' if you will (be it online or in real life). From personal experience once mums get past 6m and it goes well there seems to be less incentive to stop bfing (baby can be fed by others, can go a lot longer with out a bf, might not feed overnight, etc, etc).

I have had so much guff from HCPs about bfing it is unreal.This ranges from being told bm has no nutrition past 12m (obv. it turns to water on day 366 of lactatingHmm) to being questioned about DD2's feeding habits when it was DD3 ill in hospital.

Sr. Paed. Cons. 'Are you sure you have milk to feed DD3?'
Me 'Yes I'm bfing a toddler too and she would tell me if there was no milk'
Sr.Paed. Cons. 'How can you make enough milk for 2?' (obv. no one has ever bf twins before@@@)
Me 'DD2 only feeds for 10-20 secs both sides every other day so she doesn't have much'
Sr. Paed. Cons. 'And she doesn't eat solids????'
Cue sniggering in the back from the Junior Drs......

Having said that DD3's regular Paed. is very pro-bfing - she hand expressed for all of her children while she worked (was working in a country with no breast pumps!) - and is full of sensible advice and help.

I personally know of at least 10 people who have bf past 1 year in my very low bfing rates town (some areas have initiation rates of less than 40%) so it can't be so rare.

RecursiveMoon · 01/12/2011 19:33

DS is still BFing at 15 months - he BFs when he wakes up in the morning, and again before bed.

I went back to work when he was ~1 year old - he wouldn't drink cow's milk during the day at 1st, but now he'll drink some. He's happy to have cereal / yoghurt / cheese etc too, so I'm happy that he's eating enough dairy.

WoTmania · 01/12/2011 19:37

It's quite common for them to assume this IME. When DS2 had his MMR he nursed immediately afterwards and the nurse watched him then ticked the 'not BF at a year' box. She corrected it when I pointed this out. There have been quite a few other instances and a couple of nurses who have asked how I managed to get pg while BF.

stuffthenonsense · 01/12/2011 19:45

I am also pregnant and breastfeeding my nearly 18m DD4. In fact DD2, DD3 and current pregnancy were all conceived during breastfeeding...and it was not just nightfeeds either. And no, they were not accidents.

I find a lot of HCPs just dont know enough about post 6month feeding to pass comment without sounding offensive/ignorant.
There are so many wonderful benefits to continuing that it seems silly to stop.

Original poster
reastie · 01/12/2011 20:46

truth Shock at the doc

ruby Grin to gastrointerologist

Re: getting pg when bfing my GP gave me a handout telling me bfing was a good form of contraception Hmm Shock

OP posts:
Crobbie · 01/12/2011 23:34

Studies have shown that human offspring do not have a mature immune system until they are 6 years old. In other mammals ages of cessation of BF correspond roughly with maturity of the immune system so the same studies extrapolate to say that humans are therefore meant to BF until children are around 6.

Go all of you who are feeding beyond 1, 2, 3 etc.!

Immunological benefits continue as do those of IQ, nurturing and comfort. So often we dismiss the emotional importance of comfort as somehow being an incorrect use of the breast - it is one of the key benefits of BF.

As for getting pregnant whilst BF, I seem to have managed it too ;) Due Jan.

iFailedTheTuringTest · 01/12/2011 23:46

Crobbie - thank you, I had heard that 6 was the natural age to stop, but no one could explain why. Other than losing milk teeth!
I'm still going at 18mo, but can't be arsed to discuss / justify it irl.
And can attest to the emotional benefit for us both. But wouldn't mention that irl either.

highheelsandequations · 02/12/2011 00:09

I told me HV I was planning to bf until at least 12 months, probably longer. My response was that bf has no nutritional value after 12 months Hmm

Crobbie · 02/12/2011 02:17

Grrrr! Where does she think all the nutrients magically go????? :)

CaptainMartinCrieff · 02/12/2011 03:51

On another note... Does anyone know the answer to this?
I'm still breastfeeding my 20 month old (only morning and bedtime now he has cows milk throughout the day). I'm quite secretive my family and friends don't know I still do it (they'd be horrified but that's another matter).
I know the benefits to DS of extended breastfeeding but out of curiosity will this adversely effect my health in any way in the long term because my body has to continue to produce the milk after all this time? I'm just curious I plan on continuing to breastfeed until he's 2.

StealthPolarBear · 02/12/2011 06:46

BF HAS health benefits for you and it seems theonger you do it the better. Of course that's in general, but I have been BF for over 4 years now and think I'm ok

AntsMarching · 02/12/2011 08:36

I've only just stopped bf my 18 month old DD. we only stopped because she stopped taking it. I had decided at the start I wanted her to self wean and she did. I was a little sad but as I'm 4 mo pregnant, it won't be too long before I start bf all over again.

AngelDog · 02/12/2011 08:43

Yes, I think some of the health benefits for the mother are dose-specific. So IIRC the breast cancer protection increased the longer you bf for.

I think bf past a year is more common than you think, you just don't see it. We have high bf rates to a year here, but amongst one big group of people I belong to, where 'everyone' bfs and stops at a year, I did a quick count and worked out that at least 40% of 1-2 year olds were bf (might be more as I don't know about all of them). I've only ever once seen one other than my DS bf in public though. (23 m.o. DS does his best to make up for that though and bfs in public several times every day if we're out. Grin)

worldgonecrazy · 02/12/2011 08:58

I think if you get to a year, most women keep going. It's just such a small percentage that actually get to that year. I stopped bf at 15 months because it was right for us both, but I am incredibly proud of myself for managing to ebf and go back to work full time when DD was 4 months old.

As for HVs not understanding what centiles mean (it would quite literally be a huge problem if all children suddenly went up to the 98th centile!), or have a lack of understanding of the nutritional and health benefits of continuing to feed after a child is getting most of their nutrition from solids.

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