Breastfeeding - so at what age do YOU consider it still acceptable?

[PontOffelPock]

Straw poll on what age child MNers consider tips the balance from acceptable to unacceptable for extended breastfeeding?

Honest opinions please, are you (secretly or otherwise) horrified by a 5 year old BFing, or does your horror kick in at 6 months?!

Asking because I am considering how long to continue BFing with DS (1 yo) and admit to be more than a little swayed by 'what people think'!

I don't care massively, but don't know anyone personally who has breastfed past 3 and would probably find it a bit odd to breastfeed a child in public past that age. But then I also feel a bit about 4 and 5 year olds with dummies and bottles.

I think its a bit shocking once they're school age. So beyond the toddler/preschool years and into confidently going out into the world.

Very tricky, and I expect to be flamed!
I think for me over 2 feels a bit yucky. However DD is 3 months, when she is 1, 1.5, 2 I may feel entirely different.
I felt a bit yuck about bf at all to be honest but now I feel so proud to be doing it and love it. So I think it's a bit of a weird question for others to answer, only mums who have been in that position can know what feels right.
It's not for anyone else to judge what is or isn't right for a mum and her DC.
That all said, within the annonymity of the internet I'll still say that at the moment 2 feels yucky to me. Apologies...

At no age.

I'm going to go out on a limb early and say that polls like this are potently really hurtful to loads of people. You are basically creating a thread where people say other women's behavior is wrong and unacceptable. I think it's a tad mean.

The age you should stop feeding your child is entirely dependent on how you, and your child, and to some extent your partner, feel ready to stop

Under school age I wouldn't bat an eyelid, but we stopped at 14 months as baby self-weaned though. I wouldn't worry what others think, mostly over 1 or 2 years old you aren't BFing in public anyway most of the time, I would've thought it was a morning/evening thing by then?

For me personally, with my own child, a year was long enough. I don't judge others who feed for longer but then I have never come across really extended breast feeding in real life. I think if I saw a pre-schooler still feeding I would find it a bit uncomfortable.

Whatever's right for you and your child. Nobody else's business. I fed DS2 until he started school at 4.5, but only in private and at bedtime, and if I wasn't there he was fine without it. I saw a woman feeding a pre-schooler in a museum, and while I respect her right to do it, I felt it wasn't really about meeting the child's needs and it seemed a bit like attention-seeking. I personally think it might be better for that child to know that it's OK not to have his every wish gratified instantly and he could have had a drink of water instead. Just feed until you don't want to any more.

See, there is is, Kiki thinks what I do is yuck.

Sorry Kiki I couldn't help but use you as an example because it was so perfectly timed. :)

I think late 40s -50 is pushing it a bit.
If DS2 is anything like DS1 I'll be mid 40s and bf

biscuit do you think you could be projecting your own assumptions a little onto that woman ?

For what it's worth

Breastmilk changes to meet the needs of a child. It continues to provide excellent nutrition, immune and other health and emotional benefits for as long as a child continues to breastfeed. Source : www.breastfeeding.asn.au/bfinfo/breastfeeding-fact-or-fiction

hazchem - sorry I really didn't mean for it to be provocative (was genuinely just interested) and I for one am very pro extended BFing for as long as is right for Mum and child.

hazchem I really do apologise, I have no right to disapprove of how you feed your child. I agree with the pp who said polls like this can be harmful and hurtful. I kind of wish I'd kept my opinion to myself now, but I'm up all hours trying desperately to get dd to fucking sleep! And filling my time being rude and disrespectful on mn... I think I'm in an anti baby mood.

Oh dear - I do wish I hadn't started this now as the last thing I want is to discourage people from BFing!

OP, I think the problem lies in your being 'swayed by what people think'. This is the minefield of parenting. However you do any of it, someone else will be tutting and disagreeing with you at every turn. So steel yourself to not give a shit what other people think of how you do it. Make decisions on the basis of what works for you and your baby and stuff anyone else's opinion. If we all did this the world would be a better place Practice saying 'I'm happy with doing it this way and it works for us' with a serene smile

For me I think when children can string a sentence together it's time to stop. I breasted twins for a year and could of gone easily to 18 months, maybe 2 years at a push, each to there own though.

kiki please don't worry that I'm not hurt or upset ect by your comment it's just it posted straight after mine as was an excellent way to illustrate my point. It was for only that reason that I said it. I hope baby sleeps very very soon.

PontOffelPock have you not seen the twitter/social media shit storm that has kicked off this week about extended breastfeeding?

DS is not yet three, at some point I gecided natural, self weaning is a good idea, sadly I am 48, most nights I think natural, self weaning is a bad idea, but I do not want a fight with a screaming toddler (not in the middle of the feckin night).
This is usually about 3am. when he crawls into my bed.
Come daylight when I see my beautiful boy, streets ahead of his peers, I think that this ancient saggy titted hippy is getting it right,

Then 3 am comes round again....

decided

No Hazchem I have not seen it.

I believe that a lot of people use MN as a barometer for RL and it is useful to understand what you will be dealing with in terms of public opinion.

Yes Mellow, in an ideal world I wouldn't give a shit - but truthfully I do care what people think, rightly or wrongly.

And actually this thread is rather encouraging, as I expected people to come on and say 1 year!

There is loads of other blog post but this one by best daily or this one from baby milk action give a good run down.

I dont know anyone who has bf as long as me in rl and ds4 is only 11 months. I really dont like it anymore and would be quite happy if he decided tomorrow hed had enough (fat chance)

Everyone I know seems to think 1, 18 montbs at a push and ive been getting comments from family members for months now.

Im hoping he will at least cut back to morning, evening and maybe nap time soon. I could cope with only 3 times a day

It's not my business, and I don't particularly care how long other people breastfeed. I do think, in all honesty, a school age child would be a bit much. But I've also read about women with an ample supply, who were bf and expressing for their infant, and ended up giving breastmilk to their school age child in a cup from the excess. If I was lucky enough to have that ease of milk, I would do so.

No babies yet so this is all imagination and dreaming... I personally don't think I'll breastfeed past two. But I'm all for people who want to breastfeed longer, it's their choice, their family.

DP and I had a fight recently, he showed me a picture online - this pro-breastfeeding pic with a woman bf from a parked motorcycle - and dp was horrified "that child is three years old!" First, he wasn't, baby was about 18mos, which I pointed out, as well as the fact if the child was three, he still shouldn't give a fuck. At which dp told me, "even if he's two it's too much!" Oh I let him have it. Sorry to trail off into a rant... still angry about it! Grr...

OP There isn't an acceptable age.
The acceptable age is what feels right to the mother and child.
DD2 fed until she and I decided it was time to stop. When that was is no ones business, but our own!