How was bf for you after 1yr?

[Tatties]

Ds will be 1 next week. I'm pretty much planning to carry on as usual with bf, but am interested to hear your experiences of bf past 1 yr. Obviously I realise that things won't change just because he is 1, but at the same time I know that we will eventually reach the point where he is having more solids than milk! So how did you get there? Did you actively reduce feeds, or were they dropped (or increased!) spontaneously? If you fed at night did that change?

Yes, teeth are dreadful. DS is teething with his molars at the moment and is absolutely miserable all the time. Hope it's over soon

Hiya
CC can also have long term effects for the child if they are left to cry for long periods, causes extra cortisol (the stress hormone) which has been demonstrated longterm to increase mental illness etc.
Berry

BB - totally agree. Research has been done on Romanian orphans to prove this. One has to look at this in context. A bottle-fed infant with no living parents, who is not cared for by people who genuinely love him, will be damaged in many ways.

However, I do think that leaving a child who is living in a loving home to cry for 16 mins. for 3 nights is going to cause permanent brain damage In fact I know plenty of people who leave their children to cry for longer periods than this right throughout the day, for no apparent reason (i.e. when they throw tantrums).

As I say, I am not an advocate of cc for most people or most babies, but one can take things too far by saying that in all situations cc will cause permanent damage to the child. My son is an extremely happy, sociable, intelligent child, 99% due to breastfeeding I am sure, and I would not have allowed extended crying. The reason it worked for us is that he is very much loved and constantly cuddled and kissed throughout the day and he feels totally secure.

However, I do think that leaving a child who is living in a loving home to cry for 16 mins. for 3 nights is going to cause permanent brain damage In fact I know plenty of people who leave their children to cry for longer periods than this right throughout the day, for no apparent reason (i.e. when they throw tantrums).

I totally agree, it is prolonged periods of crying that are an issue, but some of the cc stories I've read people have left babies screaming to the point they are sick, hit themselves on the bars of their cot flailing etc. I do agree sometimes babes are overstimulated and just NEED to whinge a minute, I could tell by my DD's cry which was a "give me 5 minutes cry" and which was a "argh panic" cry. Pitch/urgency of the cry, plus the age of the child I think all matter. I do think if it feels wrong, that is a mums instinct kicking in because its what the cry was programmed to do.

think i belong in here too (hi tipex:))

oh no - decidedly worse:) but i am not as bothered anymore!!!
:)
easter hols next week though which was my time scale to 'do something about it'
grrr

BB - you put it better than me ! Yes, the parents KNOW when the cry feels wrong. That's why I wouldn't have done this when he was very very small. I would never ever have allowed him to cry in desparation until he was vomitting. His cries at 10 months were more wingy, like "don't leave me yet stay longer", rather than "please, please come and get me I am so unhappy" !