Please will someone reassure me that extended bf is NOT just for lentil weavers therefore my hv and gp are talking rubbish.

[TheOlihantheIvy]

DS2 turned 1 last week and I'm coming under pressure from my hv and gp to stop bfing him.

I don't want to, I'm not ready to and ds2 certainly isn't ready to.

My hv's reason was that I've been pg or bfing almost constantly for the last 5 years and my body needs a break. She told me to switch him onto cow's milk (her suggestion for getting ds2 to take cow's milk was to add hot chocolate or Nesquik to it ) and start taking a multi vitamin myself to replenish what pg and bf have taken out of me.

My gp's reasons were the same as the hv's, plus I'm 'obviously not an earth mother, you don't wear lentil burgers on your feet, you're not hugging every tree you see' (his words so why am I thinking of carrying on beyond a year. Other reasons were that I have a lot of stresses in my life at the moment so it's one less thing to do; 'as a gp, I can tell you that it has no real benefits after the 6mo/1yr mark'; bfing past a year makes for very clingy babies; and ds2 will never sleep properly while he's still bfing.

Deep down I know they are both talking utter crapola but it's dented my confidence in what I'm doing. I'm wondering whether I am just doing it for myself and if I am actually making life harder for myself by carrying on. My mum is starting to drop unsubtle hints about me stopping too so I'm feeling a bit got at.

I've also got to see the GP again in a couple of weeks so I want to be armed and ready with some evidence and facts on the benefits of feeding past a year if he starts to put pressure on again.

Someone reassure me, please?

Also, BF until at least 2 is recommended by WHO - IMO they shouldn't even be calling extended BF until then.

Surely to be either pregnant, breastfeeding or both is the natural state for the fertile female body?

In which case, I'm very glad I live in today's world because neither was very good for me at all

Olihan yes I used to be Mossy.

I have been known to weave the odd lentil, but they've come from a tin, not organic lentils or anything.

I'm not a lentil weaver (I do confess to the odd dhal though), and am bfing my 19 month old. As twinklemegan says, it would be the natural state of the adult female to be pb or bfing, so I doubt you are genetically programmed for it to be a problem. A multivitamin with a full rda of calcium and vit d would cover anything off.
But, do think that your hcps are bonkers !

Well everyone else has said it all really. But just to stick my oar in, I am feeding my 17 month old and wouldn't even know how to weave a lentil. As you can tell from this thread, you are not a freak .

Btw, my periods came back about 2 months ago shortly after we cut down to one feed a day.

i have 2 friends that are still breastfeeding older children. one is 3.3 the other is 4.5 and just stopping.

"but there is waaay less evidence for benefits at 1yr + than for benefits under a year"

Yes - because in Western cultures so few babies are bf for this long that it's almost impossible to do the research!

Personally I'm appalled by your GP and HV's attitude and feel that you ought to write down verbatim what they say and make a formal complaint about it to the Trust.

They're supposed to provide you with evidence based information. The EVIDENCE points to natural term breastfeeding as a) the physiological norm and b) beneficial for both mother and baby.

BTW - I have also been pregnant and/or breastfeeding for 5 years, PLUS I'm 41 so no spring chicken. My health is fine because I eat a good diet. Of course I get tired as a mum with young children, but breastfeeding helps me cope with the stress. Don't these health professionals understand anything about the basic hormonal response involved in lactation?

Hi
Just wanted to add my reassurance too!

I am now pg with number 6 and have bf last 3 for at least 1 year and my last ds till he was 20 mths....always stopped when we were both ready and not before!

Don't let anyone pressure you ... you are doing a fab job and more mother's should take a leaf from your book. HV should be using you as a good example to other mums and not putting you down... report her!! Does she have any children....mine doesn't and is almost at retiral age...however, she knows better than to try to advice me any more.

Good luck!!

www.un.org/womenwatch/osagi/pdf/UNICEFBreastfeedinguidelines.PDF

Here's the UN guideline.

Of course, as the others have already pointed out Kelly's site is great.

1 year is still a baby - it's NOT extended bf. They're bonkers.

If you are happy and baby is happy and you feel well, then it's fine. If you really have ahealth issue and need to take a rest then it's different. Let your body guide you rather than these nuts.

(And no, I am not a lentil weaver and I did bf till ds was 18 months.)

Btw, I stopped at 18 months beacuse baby stopped... Personally I would have gone on till 2.