Daily Mail article on extended breastfeeding

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Here. But you know what it says, and you already know what the comments say too....

See this, this is me yawning this is

that article was really quite encouraging!

(didn't read the comments, obv)

Rachel, the mum in the pic, is phenomenal. She helped me stay sane when I was desperately worried about my dd, and a year later when dd was 18 months or so she spotted me bf in public and came over to congratulate me on feeding an older child. Lovely woman. Nice to see someone like her used to portray 'normal term' bf.

Annoying that they didn't use you too, GM, though.

Nancy only one of the women featured in the story was pictured, the other two weren't. I would happily provide them with a photo, I'm not at all shy, but DP got all twitchy about it so I backed off. (not annoyed at all, honest ) They gave me a load of bull about picture quality and needing a professional shot etc, but used a very old low-res pic of Ann and her daughter, the whole thing smacks of them not using me because I wouldn't conform to the image they wanted me too.

Ye, Bedlam that was me, he's such a nice, wholesome, educated chap.

Good article but refusing to read the comments as they just make me angry

Not sure where they got their figures from re. bf statistics in the UK. I was under the impression they were much lower than the article suggested. Here is the same study but the figures are different (I think, but maybe I have nappy brain!)

Ellsbelle, I think the difference is between exclusive bfing (your link) and feeding at all (article). Both sets lower that you'd hope for whichever you're looking at.

Told you it was nappy brain!

While I support breastfeeding, its completely normal and natural and would feed until the WHO recommeneded age of 2 if possible, I just dont agree with feeding a school age child. I heard of an 8 year old who was still feeding, and I just dont agree with it sorry however much it is justified. Whilst I appreciate its up to you what you do and none of anyones business, Iam talking in a general sense about the subject mot aimed at anyone person.

the question though is WHY would anyone stop your 5/6/7 year old BFing? If they're still doing it it means that their jaw is still capable of suckling, therefore they need it.

How is it a bother if they have a feed before bed, or when they wake up?

does not mean they should be doing it. Surely the role of a parent is to guide the child towards independence and autonomy and this is not it imo

iliving need it ? I cant imagine a 6,7,8 year old needing to be bf, imo a baby/toddler needs to by bf not a middle school child.

"does not mean they should be doing it. Surely the role of a parent is to guide the child towards independence and autonomy and this is not it imo"

This is a cultural notion. an equally valid (Japanese) cultural notion is that children when they are born are outsiders need to be guided into the family unit so co-sleeping (with the whole family unit) and breastfeeding are seen as positive ways of integrating them into the family and community.

What if they still want to do it when their 8,9,10 when do you draw the line and say no? What if they are in school/middle school and still want to be bf on demand not just in the morning and evening, when they want it, especially in public. What if they have a sleepover or stay over at someones house and want a bf before bed. Imo its limiting the child, like tying the child to the mother.

I breastfed and co-slept until DD decided of her own accord to sleep in her own bed, and that put paid to the breastfeeding for good.

Interestingly, that moment coincided with DD becoming a lot more independent in other ways, again, entirely of her own volition: we have always tried to give her plenty of opportunities to do new things but have always tried to wait for her to tell us to go away/that she wants to do things without us, rather than pushing her to do things on her own before she feels ready.

The whole independence thing "took off" in a huge way between 4 and 5.

I know that this is not the same thing but a comparison, my dd has just turned three, in the coming months I got her off the dummy and bottle, I felt good knowing that she was moving forward an gaining independence and leaving those things associated with being a baby/toddler behind, she is starting fulltime preschool so will need to not have these things. She still is in nappies, that is a tricky one as she is not quite ready yet (several failed attempts to PT thats another thread), but will force her out of nappies in the summer, I ve had enough

Your dd is still is nappies and is 3

My dd was out of nappies when she was two.
I think all children should be out of nappies at 2. Nappies are for babies and a 3 year old is not a baby. Are you trying to keep her a baby?

THe WHO say to 2 and beyond not up to 2.
DD started montessori school at 2 - should I have stopped bf then? SOme children dont start school till their 7. SOme childrn are home educated so never start school. I think if I were going to follow the logic of not feeding a school age child it could get pretty confusing.

pigletmania, The simple answer is it depends on the mother and child pair. Most children self wean between 2 and 4 years old. That said I have a 3.6 year old daughter who shows no signs of weaning. I honestly have no plan, I'll nurse her as long as the relationship works for both of us.

Breastfed children in general tend to be pretty independant and secure. By school age breastfed children can easily go days or weeks without feeds. There is no reason an older nurseling can't go on sleepovers or other short seperations from their mothers.

My oldest at 3.6 years old does not miss her breastfeeds when she is at nursery (3 days a week). Through she is very amused that they keep offering her cows milk (she doesn't like the taste)

What are you doing with an opinion on when other peoples children should be out of nappies?
Keeping her a baby, what a riduculous idea.

Yes rainbow shocking isent it, I would like you to come over and you try . At the moment her psychology and physiology does not support pt. I am hopeing that once she starts pre school she will get the message. I certainly do not want her in nappies by the time she starts school. I am sure that dd is not the only 3 year old in the world who is still in pull ups, I know a few myself. Its pointless to potty train is if their biology and physiology does not support it at the moment, but she is showing signs of readiness which is good. I have my training pants at the ready. The teachers though when they did their visit last week told me not to start training until she had been in her new nursery for a coupld of motnths as she could regress.

I agree Babies I do keep an open mind, just dont like the idea of demand feeding at school age child, have visions of child coming out of school wanting a bf

rainbowinthesky, Bit judgemental

Who cares what age your child was out of nappies ? Every child is different. Nothing wrong with a child being in a nappy at 3.

Just to give you another point of view, in the ECing world 2 years is very old to be out of nappies. My EC'd DD was out of day time nappies by 5 months, clean and dry by 12 months. However my part time EC'd son is still in backup nappies at 18 months and very hit and miss on his potty. No idea what number three will be like maybe still in nappies at 4

If you want understanding about breastfeeding ages, you should really extend the same courtesy about other parenting issues to the other posters.

Well my SIL son just a few months older than dd, was in pull ups at dds age, when he was 3.2 he decided for himself that he wanted to use the toilet, is clean and dry day and night at 3.3 years, this all in the space of a couple of weeks. As i said I do keep an open mind, and want to express my views without being insensitive or nasty.

"visions of child coming out of school wanting a bf "
Yes, it does happen. But not launching at your chest the moment the child sees you, they are more balanced and able to wait.

With my DD, she skips out of nursery, walks home with me chatting about her day. Maybe plays in the park with her friends on the way home. When we get home she sits on the sofa and when I sit next to her she asks for a cuddle and milk.

"Being out of nappies" is not an achievement in itself, nor is it the sign that a child is fully toilet-trained.

I haven't come across any two year olds that are fully toilet trained. If you want to make toilet training a long drawn out process with multiple stages, that is of course up to you. But plenty of parents these days choose to go straight from nappies to full toilet training. You can do it overnight when children are tall enough to use the loo/basin on their own.