breastfeeding toddlers above the age of 2 is "a bit odd"

[bamboostalks]

So says Su Laurent (supposedly emminent paedatrician) in her new book about your baby's first 2 years. She says that she herself bf for 6 months then stopped as it was appropriate for her returning to work. No mention that loads of bf mums return to work and contiue to bf successfully. She also then goes on to say that bf toddlers may resulting in "the sight of baby lifting up mum's top themselves in order to feed" !!! Shock, Horror. Am I the only one to find this a load of offensive tripe in a book published in 2007 and from someone whom I have seen on the television loads of time doling out advice. It really annoys me. I am going to write to DK, the publishers and complain.

Load of rubbish. Bf is the new black. Just don't buy the book. Plenty of people will. These people are good at marketing and no-one sells a book by saying "trust your instincts and do what you think is right" - be too short! I'm just a cynic at heart...........

Generally though, the book is fine and not seeking to be particularly controversial or anything. It was just that I couldn't believe a health care professional being so dismissive and demeaning about something that is so beneficial. It sends out the message that bf any baby above 6 months is freaky.

fancy that
narrow minded and offensive attitudes about extended bf
I'll go to the foot of our stairs
lots of mainstreamparenting advice is pretty negative about bf and many books don't even mention bf after a year.
What to Expect is the worst full of total crapola

i'm struggling to contain my shock and surprise.

oh, wait.

no, i've done it.

Nothing to do with her justifying herself then?

and how sad that women who have successfully bf for 6 months and want to continue give up because hvs, paeds, gps and society in general tell them there's something odd about carrying on past 6 months. Actually I think we need a lot more extended bfers proudly feeding their children to take us the next step to normalise bfing more. And I speak as someone who was useless at bfing.

Well ds is only just 1 (today ) and is already perfectly capable of lifting up my top himself to feed - has been for some time, in fact.

UrbanDryad -

same here ib, ds will be 1 5th Jan

(happy 1st birthday Ib's ds!!)

Thank you!

I bfed dd till around 19mths and tbh wish I had kept it going. She is now 2.1 and pointed to my boobs in the bathroom this morning - 'mummy boobies milk all gone' she said . I still miss it!

I stopped partly because of other people's opinions and partly cos I didn't want her pulling at my clothes and piping up 'mummy booby please' in public - in hindsight two daft reasons.

What a stupid woman this 'emminent' lady is!

I feel the same way, dd is 1 next month and many people ask when I am going to stop and I am feeling much more self-conscious feeding in public. She just loves it though and headbutts away when she fancies some. I wish that you did see bf older babies and children more often in public. That is why these careless comments made my blood boil.

the solution is not to teach your child to talk

DS2 was 2 last week and he can only say a few words. and none of them are " mummy please can i have some milk". having a backward child makes full term bf easier

lol though

if the worst she can say is that its a bit odd then...well thats not so bad is it?

I am quite happy to be seen as a bit odd in order to do the best for my kid. Actually, I am quite used to it

My two and a half year old shouts 'I want a booby mummy!' REALLY loudly when he wants feeding. If I shake him off he tries to negotiate: 'Little booby mummy? Short booby? Pleeese!'. Sometimes he points and says 'I want THAT one', or 'I like your boobies!'.

Also - he's big for his age - looks three or older and is very outspoken. He's a very gorgeous boy with long corkscrew curls, big brown eyes and rosy cheeks. I'm so proud of him and how confident, happy and healthy he looks. He's a total advert for natural term breastfeeding.

I find it hilarious that people are so mortified by him continuing to bf. It doesn't make me want to hide away and feed. It makes me want to laugh in people's faces - especially those women who think they're really 'right on' but who can't control their disgust at the sight of a bf older child.

Yeah, I think I have the correct response to these sort of folks, are you ready?:

phurt

Could it be the good doctor feels guilty that she put going back to work on a higher priority than nursing her baby? (Not judging but people rarely make comments without emotions IME).

Ahhh Sabire he sounds lovely. My 2.11 year old has gradually stopped breast feeding over the last few weeks. After ten years of feeding four children I'll finally move on.

I'm slightly rueful, but ready.

I wondered about that too whoatemychoc. You'#re right that people don't tend to critisise others without some personal emotional route to the critisism. Makes perfect sense.

I'd personally go onto Amazon and give her a shitty review though.

No it's not the worst comment I have ever heard just that it comes from a paedatricain and it has been published and will influence its readers. Very interesting to hear about your experiences Sabine, it's great that you are so relaxed. I wish that I could be, since dd started pulling on my top my dh has been saying it's time to stop bf. I feel under pressure tbh.

Great idea about Amazon choc!

bamboostalks - DD pulls at my top too and even unclips my bra if she gets the chance, but if you know the signs and watch closely you can pre-empt it sometimes. Also it's your decision, not your DHs - your LO is still getting massive benefits from it and it's a wonderful thing you are doing, have faith!

I'm two months pregnant and still nursing DD! If I can put up with the funny looks (I am already showing) so can you!

It's just amazing that with all the information in the world out there even health professionals STILL aren't able to take a step back from their own feelings and make statements based on fact rather than self-justification/personal hangups/social conditioning.

Don't they ever look at the stats and think "well yes this may be my gut reaction but you know what, all the facts are against it so why don't I put THEM in my book instead of my own frankly irrelevent personal views."

Grrrrrrr!!! Sorry, makes me so cross.

TYV, that's exactly what I was going to say - it seems bf is something where the health profession (I'm generalising) largely bases its advice on personal sensitivities and guilt. Weird. Damaging. And not very clever.

exactly Hunker. It wouldn't matter if the book was called "my private agenda and personal prejudices about child-rearing" but if you claim to be giving the facts about "what to do and when to raise a healthy, happy baby" then fgs give them.