HOW DO YOU FEED A 7 YEAR OLD???...................EXTENDED BREAST FEEDING.............

[RTKangaMummy]

CH 4

TONIGHT

11.00

It is a repeat but thought some people may have missed it 1st time round

.

But Fran, if the mothers don't want to carry on there must be a point that they say "no". I know that's not LLL appoach, but I do think that there is a problem if mothers feel that they should continue to give in to the whims of a 7 yr old (and OK I'm assuming 10 yo will be pushing it).

As someone said before the breast milk isn't the real issue it's all about the boobs it's kept in, after all most of us in the world drink the milk from cows, goats and sheeps which comes from their boobs it's just we get in it nice neat bottles (I know some people don't drink animals milk)

I think the real problem is how we are made to view breasts through the papers, t.v ect and thats as sexual "toys" for men (and women too of course trying so hard no to offend anyone) and also as children get older ( which seems to be getting ealrier) they also see this on t.v etc.
I was at the park with my twins on Saturday and a group of boys around 8-9yrs were talking about womens boobs in the way men do so I think that's one of the reasons it doesn't sit very well with some people.
I mean would people feel it was 'still o.k' or still wrong' if the progamme featured a 10yr boy b/f instead of a girl or maybe an 11 or 12yr old g/b.
To me children are growing up so fast these day (probably sound old now) but thats because our world is changing and so are our views of whats acceptable in society.
I think the fact that the girls didn't attend school but were HE was a large reason for them being so comfortable about wanting to be b/f as they didn't have the outside influences as many of us have (well they didn't seem to) if they went to school I would imagine the kids would have been very cruel about it and maybe adults too.
That will have made a differnce to them, without the outside influences of society they think it's completely normal to ask for breast milk from their mum.
I just wonder how they will feel about it being on t.v just wonder how they will feel seeing it when they are older..?

Women feed babies breast milk (if we choose to) because it's made for them to have as babies as it holds everything they need until there bodies are able to cope with solid food after that it's a drink or comfort.
B/F is a personal choice, I wished I had done it longer myself but personally not do it as long as some of the mums on that prog as it wouldn't be right for us.
I'm hoping HE my children and I have found people to have the same hot debates and views about that so who am i to say what's right and wrong for everyone else, I only know what right for me and my family.

Lets just face it these types of programmes are either

a, Bad bad mummy doesn't breastfeed lets make her feel guilty

or

b, wierd freaky breast feeding mother lets all go yuck.

The programmes are made to draw in the viewers, contoversy does this just fine.

that's a very nice post luckymetwins (are you new? or am I being dim?)
yes, please do feel free to ask actual extended bfeeders questions if you like, rather than making rather grubby assumptions about something about which you know dick all and that would make me very happy.
actually. bummum the process of a baby being fed by a grandmother is well established and used to happen, for example, if the mother had died in childbirth. If a woman has lactated before then it is perfectly possible (though possibly difficult to establish) for her to feed a child later on. the only reason that this all seems so weird is the association between breasts and sex. grandmothers can supply cuddles. grandmothers can suckle. the only difference is our cultural baggage about what breasts are "for"

It's been nice to watch this debate. Did say I was going to watch, but DH came home unexpectidly early & videorecorder is not working.
I think the main points here are:

1. If both mum & child are comfortable & happy to continue bf'ing until the established norm, then that is their choice
2. I think that the cue to stop should not just come from dc, there's 2 people involved here & as soon as 1 of them feels unhappy about it then it is time to stop (gradually).
3. Our western ideas regarding the length of acceptable bf'ing in definitely too short: I did it until nearly 2y
4. What is 'normal' is subjective. I might find it normal to do something (e.g. eat chocolate spread on my toast) while other people find that very odd indeed.
5. Yes we need more programmes that make bf'ing past 1y normal not freakish

Right that's my little bit added now. Time to go home & leave this computer behind Have fun everyone debating this a bit more.

Thanks for the explanation harpsichordandcarrots... but why did the Grandmother do it... The mother hadn't died! I must admit out of all the program, this did seem odd to me.. well that and the dad saying that he drank breast milk as well!

I wasn't quite finised there: I did it until 2 and many people thought that was far too long, although I also got many words of support.

BumMum - The reason the grandma fed the baby initially after the birth was because the mum was able to. They didnt say specifically why but birth complications were mentioned so Im guessing maybe something like a pph or retained placenta.

veronika in own words

now I know "of" her through other channels...and she is, from what I know, an utter fruit loop. She has camps where you are expected to wash by hand in a stream your baby's washable nappies, and so on.

But think she explains herself rather nicely here.

LadyMuck, there is a difference between not being the person who has chosen to continue the breastfeeding relationship, and not wanting to continue it. Sorry, it is hard to explain what I mean clearly. My post was about the fact that it is the children, not the mothers, who have the emotional needs and who are keen to continue. It doesn't mean that the mothers are not happy to continue, for the sake of their children, just that, left to themselves, they would probably not choose to prolong it.

LLL advise to breastfeed for as long as both mother and child are happy, actually, not to go on breastfeeding when you are not comfortable or not happy with it. I have no idea where you got that idea from. There is an excellent book published by LLL called "How weaning happens" which deals in depth with both natural weaning, and also how to gently wean when you feel it is time, for whatever reason. Many mothers do gently wean when they reach a point where they choose not to breastfeed any more.

I saw that programme and agree with people who said it makes long term breastfeeders seem freaky when we're not. I was still bf ds when he had started school - but it was very infrequent by then and rarely public. I can remember once offering him the breast when he was about 5 and was crying because he had just fallen over. We were out on a family walk. There may have been other people about but I didn't care what they might think. Ds latched on for about 2 seconds and was comforted; stopped crying after that. I think it was just a case of being allowed to do it, and be cuddled. He weaned himself so gradually I can't remember when he had his last feed.

Incidentally I have bf in public in many different situations over a total of 7 years and never ever had any negative comments. If I had "dirty looks" I never noticed. I've had plenty of positive comments, (mainly from older women) and practical help - getting buggy on to train for instance - from men.

I've been ready to explode with righteous indignation if any one should dare to suggest that I shouldn't feed my child in public, and never had the opportunity.