Just read this - one year old is hardly extended bf, is it?

[bagaboo]

www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,8123-1599256,00.html

Don't know how to link but just saw that article, I know 1 year is longer than a lot of people bf for but i hardly thought of it as 'extended'. Not that whether its extended or not matters, but i felt quite offended by reading that - her tone seemed to be that anyone feeding that late is a bit strange and selfish - or am i overreacting? Sounds like she has a few issues to me...

What a pile of rubbish.

'One of my own early memories is of being ill with measles as a small child, and my mother bringing in a jug of lukewarm water to give me a bed bath. It was a rare kindness and I remember lying there, loving her the most I ever had. But as far as she was concerned she was giving me a wash.'

I find that paragragh very sad, especially about it being a rare kindness.

here's the link - will read it once I've posted and clicked

I can't be bothered to read further. I really don't think it's worth it.

"A child who is breast-fed for too long may not even know when it is hungry."

This woman is a plum!

That really is a pile of crap, though I do pity her her loveless childhood, and think it explains a great deal.

A bf child may not know it's hungry?

Thats all i'm going to say,what a load of shit!!!

I hate the suggestion that 'extended' bf occurs because the mother "can't let go"

glad its not just me!

I only bf for 4.5 months but bloody hell, how can they think that 1 yr old is extended !!! Utter shite!

I'm still BFing my six month old DD and plan to BF until she is one when I can give her cow's milk. As far as I know this is absolutely in line with all the advice from my health visitor and although I'm in the minority of other mummies I know to be still on the boob, I'm really surprised that anyone can think that a year is extended breast feeding. If you don't want to introduce formula, you don't have many other options, for one thing!
Pinchy xx

FFS springs to mind here!
Had a HV and her assistent sprouting things along those lines out to me...

It always makes me laugh though that pharmacy companies use the exact line of the -not fully develloped immunesystem until they reach 6 years of age-...and people are rather willing to believe it then...but yeah, obviously a different issue when it is about something a person can do naturally...

Also, if it was true that children bf longer if they feel that their mums want them too...why are there so many women , just like me, that want to bf for 2-3 years or so and the children will have non of it....surely my ms and ys should have picked up on my need and done me the flipping favour...must have right brats then, as they just weren't having non of that, sgh...oh, maybe I just didn't want it enough then, hohum

agree, the authors unloving childhood must have a lot to do with it, lol

ah yes of course..breastfeeding past a year means you will end up with your 40 year old son living in your spare room...yes right. not reading anymore.

I love the idea that one year olds only breastfeed to please their mothers. It's just SO mad. She's a famous pyschologist

Don't forget6 if you breastfeed until they can talk, their first and only word will be "Bitty"

Lol Colditz. I shall have to teach my 16 month old to say 'bitty'

"It?s very easy to become a martyr to breast-feeding ? and it?s not necessary to do this to yourself."

Er, so what is your point? Either women do it because they are selfish and impose it on their babies or they are martyrs to it, it can't be both, love.

Stupid article, gross simplifications, complete misunderstanding of toddlers' needs.

It's because our culture finds breastfeeding awkward enough for babies let alone toddlers. Grrr!

I like the shocked "Apparently, thousands of women are breastfeeding their one year olds at this very moment..." (paraphrasing a bit here). You half expect her to continue: "...It could be taking place in your town, your village, even your street - and you wouldn't even know"... before calling for all these perverted/damaged/damaging mothers (for I think all of these things are implied) to be rounded up and publically lynched.

Who was it said something like "Physician, heal thyself!"?. For a so-called mental health expert, Dorothy Rowe isn't half exposing a lot of "issues" here.

also loved the idea that you could persuade a baby or toddler to do something for someone else's benefit! and this mother that was breastfeeding because she 'couldn't let go', how did she manage to travel 3500 miles?

Oh, I don't know, she seems like a pretty mental health expert to me

Very muddled thinking here. It's like she's written an article about children learning about independence and then been told to make it about breastfeeding at the last minute. Odd.

I can't actually see the point in the article. What point is she trying to prove? Obviously not much happening in the world at the moment if that is newsworthy.

I wish the Times would pay me money to talk a load of utter gobshite instead of her!

Or as someone more polite than yours truly may say:
Would you kindly provide the evidence for your theories and extrapolations, dear?

It's an old story and an old feature. I remember the story. The mother in this case was quite bonkers! But the feature is still utter shite.