OK so a new one for me from HV today ..is THIS true?

[NotanOtterOHappyDay]

I said that i was thinking ( sorry but i am frazzled and have 6 children and and and ...loads of excuses ) thinking of introducing some thing else - ie formula to supplement my breastfeeding as ds will be four months in a couple of weeks

she said ' 16 weeks is the main target for breastfeeding - that is up until when the baby will get maximum benefit. after 16 weeks the benefit is less but still remains beneficial until 8 months'

ds is 17+ i think

sorry for bad english

any basis for this statement?

tia

Sounds like something she's just made up tbh...

Imo (and according to the WHO guidelines as I understand them) the baby will get maximum benefit for the first 6 months, then significant benefit for at least another 18 months. (btw I don't mean to comment on your choice to consider introducing formula, just mentioning my understanding of the guidelines)

16 weeks might be her local target for breastfeeding, but the WHO still recommends 2 years as far as I am aware.

I don't agree that 16 weeks is maximum benefit, sounds like bollocks to me. There is lots of evidence to suggest that breastmilk changes as the baby grows older to help with each stage of development. Someone mentioned on another thread about how breastfeeding helps with the development of facial muscles which in turn helps with speech development.

At the end of the day you need to make the decision for you and your baby, I'm sure your HV meant well.

For what I've been mix feeding DS for 2 years now, but I appreciate that I've probably been lucky in maintaining my milk supply this way. So I can appreciate where you are coming from.

I have been mixed feeding since 6 months - dd now 15 months. I sometimes wonder if it is worth continuing (she only has one small morning feed now) but my gut instinct is to keep going while she still want to.

the guidelines are 6 months just bf & then bf with other foods until 2yrs or longer.

Yes, yes, still here! Does the estate begin with an H?

Yes (apologies to the OP for shameless hijack) llareggub will start a special little thread in chat for us.

i am enjoyinng it!

You are welcome on our new little thread too then. (not that it will be exciting particularly)

Sounds a bit random to me? Has she been a health visitor for long - guessing the 16 weeks might have been from the old idea of introducing solids at 16 weeks and getting mums to breastfeed until then. No idea where the 8 months has come from.

I havent come across anything suggesting these ideas - only the target to breastfeed exclusively til 6 months then up to two years and beyond and I have done A LOT of reading (phd on breastfeeding)

xxx

Sounds like she made that up to me. Anything I've ever read about breastfeeding doesn't give any targets for how long it is beneficial for - basically it's beneficial for as long as you do it.

yes she is 50 ish

muttered about the gut and something....

said best shot is exclusivity till 16 week minimum

She's talking through her arse.
Take it from me.
Stop press.
Another fuckwit HV.

think scientific evidence is clear that benefits continue until child is 2.

they probably continue after that, but all the research lumps all the over-2's together so they can't work out if/when there's a stop.

Would the same HV tell you that there is no nutritional benefit to milk or oats or meat after a certain age?
Er....no.

So why the hell would that ridiculous maxim apply to the only product in the world uniquely designed to meet the nutritional needs of a small child.

As I said, arse chatterer.