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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

Breastfeeding beyond one year - any disadvantages?

22 replies

MiniMarmite · 26/05/2009 22:26

DS is nine months and I'll be going back to work when he is one.

I currently feed him 3 times per day and intend to drop one of those feeds by the time he is one so I'll be doing a feed first thing in the morning and before he goes to bed. I know what the benefits of extended breastfeeding are but I'm trying to anticipate any possible 'inconveninces'.

for example:

if I need to go away for work is there likely to be a problem with him settling for sleep at night?
will it become difficult to stop the longer I continue (in terms of his awareness that something is being taken away from him).

Looking to benefit from your vast collective eexperience MNers

OP posts:

Frin · 26/05/2009 22:50

Only disadvantage for me was that DD got more vocal in public about her love of the white stuff as she learned to talk. "Lovely boobies! Milk in nere!"

I thought it might be difficult to stop, but eventually she just gave up of her own accord, a week after her 2nd birthday. (She'd been on bedtime feeds only for about 6 months by then.)

babyOcho · 26/05/2009 22:50

DD is 14 months now and I cannot think of any 'inconveniences.'

I work 3 days and on a couple of those days I miss a morning or a bedtime feed (and of course the afternoon one on all 3 days).

I was terrified that DD would be mad all day, or not go to bed and be upset at night because she wouldnt get a BF. But she is fine and doesn't really notice it when I am not around.

CMOTdibbler · 27/05/2009 10:33

It didn't cause us any problems - I fed DS until a couple of weeks before he was 2, and I am fairly frequently away for work. He stopped that of his own accord

I did separate bed and boob though - he had a feed around 6 so that it wasn't part of going to bed as such

lagaanisace · 27/05/2009 11:07

One big plus is that you have something that never fails to comfort them that you wouldn't have otherwise. Great for jabs, for example!

wigglybeezer · 27/05/2009 11:12

Watch out for their teeth, seriously, I got into the habit of feeding DS3 as a bedtime thing, he usually feel fast asleep and therefore teeth brushing was skipped a little too often (same with naps). I feel, but can't prove that this contributed to his tooth decay problems (he also is a snacker) it is a bit embarrassing as a middle class , slightly lentil weaver type to have a child breast fed 'til 3 that has tooth decay and excema!

In my experience older DC's eventually find BF a bit boring and are happy to swap for a quick slug of milk from a cup.

mrsjammi · 27/05/2009 11:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

gabygirl · 27/05/2009 11:20

I stopped bf my two and a half year old last year - unwillingly (I was ill in January and had to stop after losing half a stone in two weeks).

No disadvantages that I can think of, other than the nipple twiddling thing mrsjammi mentions above, which he STILL wants to do, a year and half on .

LupusinaLlamasuit · 27/05/2009 11:23

I am currently feeling it will go on for ever. 21 months and counting. I could do without the 'pinching' regime that goes with it too. If I could cut it down to once a day would be happier too.

But it makes him happy and he's the healthiest kid of all of them... I might be a bit more forceful around 2 though...

cornflakegirl · 27/05/2009 12:46

DS is 4 in a week, and I think he may have just stopped breastfeeding (hasn't had any in over a week). [sniff] He has been feeding just morning and evening since he was about one (with occasional feeds at other times) - although it's been much more sporadic for several months now.

The main advantage of keeping feeding for me was the lovely cuddly time together. It didn't really seem to work as a comforter if he was hurt or having a tantrum - he wasn't interested.

When he was younger, I felt that I couldn't go out in the evening until he had had his bedtime milk. However, this was more to do with me than a real disadvantage of continuing breastfeeding. (I work fulltime and DH is a SAHD, so breastfeeding was my thing, iyswim.) He does still try to play with my nipples occasionally, but I think that's more because they're there, and my reaction amuses him, rather than a disadvantage of continuing feeding.

gussymooloo · 27/05/2009 12:53

OMG MrsJammi, my DD is exactly the same, drives me potty!!! shes always tweaking the other nipple or trying to get down my top... thats what really makes me want to stop feeding now.. shes 16months.

preggersplayspop · 27/05/2009 12:56

The nipple twiddling is a pain (literally). I really wish my DS would stop doing that, for me its the main disadvantage.

Definitely find a name for it that's no so obvious as when they start speaking they will yell 'BOOOOOOB' on a plane or somewhere equally embarassing.

My DS gets upset if I am not there in the evening, even though I have managed to get him to wind down for sleep without it now (eventually). He still associates it with bedtime.

All in all, I think the positives outweigh these niggles though.

StealthPolarBear · 27/05/2009 13:00

Nipple twiddling
I do think it would be harder to stop if you needed to the older they get - DS is just over 2 and I'm at the stage where I can not give him a feed if I really need not to (e.g. rushing out of the house in the morning). A few months ago there's no way that would have been possible. However he is a milk monster and not too keen on food so that might just be him!
If you want to have another one ttc might take longer I think and your nipples might be in agony while you're pregnant

mrsjammi · 27/05/2009 13:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

wastingmyeducation · 27/05/2009 13:05

I've been trying to teach DS (12months) to say 'boob'.

I haven't figured out how to get DS to go to sleep without a boob in his mouth yet, but don't really need to yet. But that's as much an advantage as a disadvantage.

StealthPolarBear · 27/05/2009 13:10

Swap you one mrsj!
Mine were agony ealry on, then got better, and are now sore. Being careful with the latch does help, but I never used to have to be, and DS likes latching on in a variety of odd positions, not to mention whipping his head round with no notice when he wants to watch the TV at the same time

Original poster

MiniMarmite · 27/05/2009 13:36

Thanks Ladies - sounds like there aren't too many downsides and LOL at the nipple twiddling and yelling about mummy's milk/BOOB (although I'm sure I might not LOL quite so much when I'm actually in that situation)!

SPB, yeah I guess I was thinking about the TTC aspect (both in terms of fertility and libido ) too.

Also, DH is v supportive and happy for me to continue as long as I want but has anyone felt that their DH's would have preferred them to stop (for whatever reason, even if they didn't actually say anything about it). I think maybe DH is assuming that I will stop at a year and that our sex life will get back on track!

OP posts:

StealthPolarBear · 27/05/2009 13:47

I ttced when DS was 18 months and only took a couple of months, despite not having my periods back when I started trying! I know plenty other MNers haven't had a problem either, but I think in general it can affect fertility even when the child is older.

cornflakegirl · 27/05/2009 14:35

I don't think that continuing to breastfeed has to impact your sex life at all, although I guess that depends on the frequency of the feeding. I think after a while it's just the day-to-day side effects of having children, rather than of breastfeeding, that really get in the way of sex.

Feeding DS also didn't seem to have any effect on my fertility. My periods returned quite early, and I fell pregnant quickly when we started ttc when he was turning three.

turtle23 · 27/05/2009 14:42

Just to echo how irritating the twiddling is.
I'm 14 weeks with DC2 and am soooo sad that my milk is vanishing. I don't think DS would care if nothing came out, but am using this as my decision maker. It's very sad. Keep going as long as you enjoy it because it's very sad when it stops!

cornflakegirl · 27/05/2009 15:23

turtle - I'm 6 months pregnant, and I figure that's probably part of the reason that DS is giving up (although he did seem to be still getting milk out - he said that he was). Part of me is pleased that he's giving up - he's getting so big now, and it just feels right that he's moving on. But part of me is quite sad. Fortunately he has developed the habit of coming into our bed in the morning, so I still get lots of snuggles.

mrsjammi · 27/05/2009 15:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

beanbearer · 28/05/2009 00:06

I went away for a weekend when DD was nearly 2 and she was fine going to bed without me and I didn't even need to express - I think your body must just make milk on demand by that stage.

We used sign language for milk to reduce the chances of random strangers knowing what she was asking for - but she very rarely asks in public anyway and usually will wait until we get home.

I'm currently trying to stop DS (11m) developing a nipple twiddling habit by holding his little reaching hand whenever he tries to do it.

Definitely think it gets harder to stop because they become better able to express the fact that they enjoy it so it doesn't seem like only your decision any more. But if that's the only problem then you may not want to stop, iyswim.

There's a big thread here that covers more or less anything you care to name about feeding through toddlerhood.

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