Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Infant feeding

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

Flip

1 2 3 4

Original poster

Is it too late to start breastfeeding my daughter again at two and a half??!!

77 replies

spiderpig · 08/08/2008 14:16

Ok strange question I know!

But I am breastfeeding her two month old brother which she has been quite intrigued by, she has asked for 'mummy milk' a few times but I just gave her a taste on my finger.

However today she has been a bit out of sorts and while the baby was asleep she pretty much begged for me to let her try a breastfeed, so with much trepidation I did and..............

She loved it she hasn't had a breastfeed since she was 6 months old but latched on really gently (with no biting ) and my milk let down instantly so she got quite a bit, after she said 'mmmmmmm nice drink'

Soooooo if she wants to try it again would that be ok? Or is it too....well I want to say weird but that's not the right word iyswim? would it affect my milk supply for my baby? or do you think I should be trying to gently discouage her

Help so confused lol!

OP posts:

DisenchantedPlusBump · 08/08/2008 16:07

Why is it 'extended' breastfeeding?

extended past what?

Why is there a limit?

Surely its just breastfeeding?

3 is still so small!

GreenMonkies · 08/08/2008 16:07

LOL

LynseyKCalvert · 08/08/2008 16:08

What not immaculate conception Tinker? (wink)

LynseyKCalvert · 08/08/2008 16:09

Disenchanted, I like "fullterm" BFing.

LynseyKCalvert · 08/08/2008 16:11

Tink - LOL I know, he's fab!

TinkerBellesMum · 08/08/2008 16:11

Well he was on secondment at the time and the dating scan puts him well and truely out the picture! But it did with Tink too

onwardandupward · 08/08/2008 16:30

It is interesting, though, isn't it.

If a woman breastfeeds beyond a year she must be, what, sexually or emotionally unfulfilled, or not willing to let her child grow up, or basically deeply screwed up in some way?

If this is so, then there are a hell of a lot of sexually and emotionally unfulfilled women, and deeply screwed up ones, in Africa, the Indian subcontinent, south America, Asia, the Middle East... in fact, since it's a Muslim duty to breastfeed your child till 2 years old (in the Koran), then that's an entire religion of screwed up mothers, if this "breastfeeding beyond a year is disgusting" claim is true.

Let's open our minds beyond the assumption that the industrialised West has all the answers!!!

climbs, somewhat laboriously, back off soap box

popsycal · 08/08/2008 16:42

lilymolly 'Its just in my "humble" and "very limited" experience....... my friends who choose to extend breastfeeding had issues with their partner/husbands so I presumed (may have been wrong) that they extended this bf to make the close bond last a little bit longer cos they where missing it from elsewhere.'

yes, your 'theory' is bollocks

LynseyKCalvert · 08/08/2008 16:42

The West so doesn't have the answers. We have "stuff" we aspire to get more "stuff" and instead we get miserable.

sweetkitty · 08/08/2008 16:55

Just been thinking about this as I have a 2 1/2 yo DD2 who was BF until about 15-16 months and a newborn. I could never imagine DD2 latching on and feeding now, why I don't know to me she is a big girl now and that stage of her life is over?

Both my older girls have had a little taste of EBM though it would just seem weird feeding her now I guess it's because we have had a gap of a year now.

StellaWasADiver · 08/08/2008 16:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

bluegreysky · 08/08/2008 17:12

I SAY GO FOR IT.

don't worry about pratts that say, after one its for the mothers benefit, it just shoe what idiots they how and how little they know.

the poor fools.

what a great way to include your dc with the newborn.

fabsmum · 08/08/2008 17:28

"I just think that breastfeeding children over the age of 1 is something mothers do for themselves rather than their children.
It may be a controversial point of view, but thats how I feel sorry "

Unfortunately your view isn't controversial. It's quite common for people to see weaning at a year as being at the limits of acceptable bf behaviour. It's got a lot to do with living in a culture in which it's socially normal to wean a vulnerable baby from the breast at 3 or 4 weeks. Just a bit of a shame really.

terramum · 08/08/2008 21:38

DS has just turned 4 and, I thought, had weaned a couple of months ago....but has surprised me a couple of mornings recently, when we were all having a lie-in, in the last, by asking if he can have some "boobie milk". I put it down to a bit of curiosity/wanting an extra bit of comfort/wanting something to drink and was happy for him to have some...not sure how much is there, but he seemed happy enough. I suppose he would probably show more interest in feeding if I had a little one & I will be happy to feed him if he asks in the future and if/when we have #2.

TinkerBellesMum · 08/08/2008 22:30

terramum it's a common misunderstanding about older nurslings that they nurse as much as babies or toddlers. From the women I've heard talk about it they are usually asking quite infrequently, I've heard some say once a month, when they think about it, aren't well or over tired. It could be he has gone into that kind of pattern, your body will cope. I've heard people complain they still have milk six months after stopping. The BF lady (MW or HV, can never remember which one is which) I used to see said she still tingles when she hears a baby cry and her children are grown up

chipmonkey · 08/08/2008 23:52

I don't think I ever stopped producing some milk even though I had a 6 year gap between ds2 and ds3

Nancy66 · 09/08/2008 11:23

I know it shouldn't and I know it's my issue - but i find the idea a bit 'icky' - you've not fed her for two years and she just wants to do everything the baby is doing.

given her a taste is fine but the idea of fully breastfeeding her as if she is a tiny baby all over again is a bit strange.

kazbeth · 09/08/2008 11:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

chipmonkey · 09/08/2008 12:09

Nah, kazbeth a cow's breastmilk isn't icky at all!

onwardandupward · 09/08/2008 12:12

Yup, Nancy66, it's your issue. So you should be trying to burden the OP with it, really, should you?

I love that way of seeing it, Kazbeth. Most western babies and small children are forcibly weaned off human milk way way way before their bodies and minds are ready for it. An older child asking to nurse again when a new baby comes is a glorious opportunity for some to give their children a second chance. And for those who only weaned relatively recently, and self-weaned, then it's a real [shrug] about whether it really counts as "starting again" or just "having breastmilk again after a particularly long gap of not thinking of it".

GillianLovesMarmite · 09/08/2008 12:20

Having now been bfeeding for 6mo - I find the idea of giving a child cows milk realy icky... it's from a cow - it has just made it so weird for me.
I think it's fine to let your dd try the milk - I think it will probably just be curiosity thing. My ds is 6mo and my friends 3yo dd wanted to bf off her mum (who ff anyway... after seeing me feed ds... I think it's just a novelty thing.
Plus, there are so many benefits to bf that it's good for them - I hope to still be bf when ds is 2! as it's beneficial to HIM! (any doubts see this in New Scientist www.newscientist.com/channel/health/mg19926641.700-making-formula-milk-more-like-mums.html or look on the WHO website.

annoyingdevil · 09/08/2008 13:11

My dd was only 15 mths when ds was born. I had always felt really guilty for only managing to breastfed her for 4 mths and was desperate to have another go with her.

Unfortunately, she was having none of it and shook her head whenever I tried!

Elasticwoman · 09/08/2008 13:26

I was an extended breastfeeder and there were no problems between dh and me.

People who describe the bf of a child over age 1 as "icky" are admitting to a prejudice which goes against WHO guidelines for infant nutrition. They are entitled to their prejudices and I don't mind hearing about them on MN.

To the OP I'd say not every one will approve, but if you worried too much about that, you'd hardly do anything at all. I say fine: the only disadvantage I can think of is that you will have less energy and time for yourself; but the likelihood is the toddler will stop when the novelty wears off, quite quickly. I agree with your philosophy of let them revisit babyhood if they ask for it, when there is a new baby.

I offered the breast to my 2 yo when she wanted to try it again, when the new baby arrived, and she couldn't latch on.

MrsBates · 11/08/2008 22:34

Think it's fine. Just don't start offering it to the daddy if he's feeling a bit left out.

NikoSatellite · 06/11/2023 00:30

CDC says BF past 2 years is still beneficial to the child. I don’t get any kind of emotional pleasure from my toddler BF, it actually gives me a lot of anxiety but she asks for it from time to time and I just don’t reject her. It makes me happy knowing she is happy. Definitely controversial when it shouldn’t be.

Flip

1 2 3 4