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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Breastfeeding past infancy - your thoughts?

26 replies

LDMF123 · 07/10/2015 18:05

Keen to know other people opinions, preferably those with first-hand experience, on nursing toddlers, and when is a child too old?

OP posts:
HaloEveSteve · 07/10/2015 18:06

How old is your child?

SecretSpy · 07/10/2015 18:08

When a child is too old to breastfeed, they stop breastfeeding.

JasperDamerel · 07/10/2015 18:09

I breastfed mine until they stopped. That seemed like the right length of time to me, them and DP.

LeChien · 07/10/2015 18:11

Why do you want to know?

Cel982 · 07/10/2015 18:12

I'm breastfeeding my almost-two-year-old at the moment. There was never any reason to stop, and it would have involved a lot of distress for her. She'll wean when she's ready.

Llareggub · 07/10/2015 18:12

I took the view I would be led by my child.

angryangryyoungwoman · 07/10/2015 18:16

I'm going for child led too, still breastfeeding at 23 months so far.

MrsDeathOfRats · 07/10/2015 18:16

Stopped dd at 18 months as she was ready.

Still feeding 13 month DS, and he is very much attached to his feeds.
My personal opinion is that 2 is a reasonable age to stop but I think it's about mum and child.

How old is the child in question?

LookingUpAtTheStars · 07/10/2015 18:16

Why do you care what other people think?

mummypig3 · 07/10/2015 18:20

School age

Iggi999 · 07/10/2015 18:20

My three and a half year old is bf on my knee at the moment while I'm trying to type. He just hasn't given it up yet.

Original poster
LDMF123 · 07/10/2015 18:22

That's very interesting. I wonder if reports, and surveys such as one done by Benenden, which I came across online, that state how there is a perceivd negativity towards, in particular, public breastfeeding past infancy, is something that the Mumsnet community emphathizes with? I'm looking into it as, depending on my findings, I'd possibly like to write about it.

OP posts:
Original poster
LDMF123 · 07/10/2015 18:22

Thanks to all for sharing - appreciate it.

OP posts:
CultureSucksDownWords · 07/10/2015 18:23

I'm not interested in what others think. A child will stop when they're ready, and it's between mother and child how/when that happens.

BondGate · 07/10/2015 18:23

They'll stop themselves when they're too old.

Incidentally, the World Health Organization recommends continuing breastfeeding up to 2 years and beyond. I found telling relatives that piece of information was a useful alternative to anything ruder when they suggested DS2 was too old to breastfeed after his first birthday.

www.who.int/nutrition/topics/infantfeeding_recommendation/en/

MrsDeathOfRats · 07/10/2015 18:23

So there is no child in question here?
And this is research?
Think that should have been made clear in your OP. Not sure why I think that but I just so.
Felt like you were asking for advice, not research

CultureSucksDownWords · 07/10/2015 18:24

You know, this board is meant for people to support each other, rather than pitch ideas for an article...

HaloEveSteve · 07/10/2015 18:26

Yes I felt the same MrsDeath. Don't feel too keen to offer up my own experiences when the motives for asking seem unclear.

Fwiw, I don't think breastfeeding past a certain age is welcomed by our society. It is looked down. Freak show style articles in the dm etc don't help.

LookingUpAtTheStars · 07/10/2015 18:28

The op sounded like a journo.

Iggi999 · 07/10/2015 18:30

What do you want us to say, that people are negative about bf toddlers and beyond? Yes they are. People are often negative about bf full stop, so that's hardly surprising! I don't need to feed in public much. It's a nighttime thing mostly at this age. If he wanted a feed when out and about I would either put him off or go to the ladies. I would never have done that when he was a baby though. Other child stopped much earlier - again, his choice.
(Why would I want to read a link to an article with negative results?)

MrsDeathOfRats · 07/10/2015 18:31

Agree that I don't think there is any issue with feeding toddlers in public.
Doesn't happen often as most toddlers or older children I know don't feed during the day.

A properly trained journo... Sneaky!!

JasperDamerel · 07/10/2015 18:41

My actual experience is that it's a bit like toilet training in that people write all sort of articles frothing about people not doing it at the "correct" age ( which is rarely a constant) but in real life nobody really gives a damn as long as the child is given the opportunity to move on when they are ready.

Original poster
LDMF123 · 07/10/2015 18:42

Apologies if I've upset anyone. I am a mother, and I do breastfeed and it is a genuine question, and I am being honest. I am thinking about writing about my experiences, which I find largely positive.

I am writing this while trying to get my little one ready to bed, so if it comes across as 'sneaky', 'blunt' or whatever else, then again, soz.

OP posts:
Original poster
LDMF123 · 07/10/2015 18:43

I'm thinking along the same lines as some here - I read some stuff, which prompted me to look into this, and it sounds far worse than the reality.

OP posts:
jorahmormont · 07/10/2015 18:46

I don't think I'd want to breastfeed beyond six months/the point where they start getting teeth, but that's just me. I'd rather exclusively express to be honest, but I don't care when anyone else feeds until, that's between them and their baby.