Breastfeeding after 6 months...

[conkeyhead]

I overheard someone talking the other day saying that your milk is not as good after 6 months and there's not much point carrying on??

That's not true is it?

I can't be - can it?!

Does your milk change or something, is that what they meant?

Does anyone know where this could have come from?? I dismissed it at first but it's been niggling away....

there's no reason why your milk wouldn't be as good after 6 months. it's still the same milk.

this is absolute rot, don't know where to begin really,

some info here
I breastfed for over 2yrs

the misinterpretation comes from the advice that exclusive bfing is recommended for the first 6m.

she has incorrectly inferred that it is only good for 6m and after that is Bad.

which is bolleaux

Bollocks. Your milk does change as your baby gets older, but that's because your baby is changing too.

Also bfing is SO much easier after 6 months, you won't want to stop

I thought it was something to do with the baby's iron levels they were born with depleting and breast-milk iron levels not being enough. But given that weaning generally starts about the same time, I don't see why it would be a problem if that is the case.

DC4 is 10 months and we're still going strong.

Perhaps as weaning takes over, what the baby gets from it is different i.e. less necessary nutritionally, but still get the same comfort and closeness. I have heard the arguement that bf after 6 months is just the mother being selfish and not wanting to give up, when the baby doesn't actually benefit nutritionally.

the iron thing is a reason to introduce non-milk food, not a reason to stop bfing

and the 'no nutritional value after 6m' thing is just untrue. The milk doesn't become less nutritious after starting solids, it's just that it becomes one part of the baby's diet rather than the whole of it.

Good stuff here from Kellymom

complete rubbish - why would all the goodness of breastmilk not be great for a baby after 6 months.

Good, that's what I thought. Load of old tosh!!

Hoorah, feeling much better now!! (you know that awful feeling when you suddenly think you might have been really thick about something for a really long time?!!) Iron sarnies for lunch then!!

Thank you!