Breastfeeding till the age of 4 - what do you think?

[lisalisa]

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I think the more people who bf toddlers (and older if they and child are happy to continue) the better as hopefully one day it will become more generally accepted in our society. I intend to continue bfing my son for as long as we both want to, it can only do him good if you ask me. I am a bit worried about negative remarks starting as he gets bigger but will deal with those if and when they happen. Hopefully there wont be any for a long time as he is only six months just now.

I think words like "repugnant" and "repulsive" are a bit strong - there are a lot of awful things in the world that can be described as repugnant, it seems a shame to include breastfeeding amongst them. Most people wouldn't bat an eyelid if an older toddler was still taking drinks from a bottle, so why not from the breast?

I breastfed for 2 years, and if dd had wanted to continue for longer than that then I would have done. By that age most toddlers are only being fed morning and evening in the privacy of their own homes, so what's the big deal? To my mind here are only two opinions that matter when it comes to breastfeeding - the mother's and the child's. Nobody else's opinion is important.

For those who've said they can't imagine breastfeeding their toddler, of course they can't!

Nobody's asking you to suddenly feed an older child, but if you've done it from when they're a baby (which, of course you will have done), you don't see them as "suddenly" three years old or whatever.

If someone had handed me a 15mo child to breastfeed when DS was a month old, I'd have said "Er, no thanks!" But 14 months later, it's a different story. I can't imagine feeding him when he's two, or three, or four, but if he still wants it and I'm in a position to offer, whyever not?

And if it turns people's stomachs, they can just fuck off.

actually sneaky I find the concept of bottle feeding a 4 year old equally repugnant

Don't be shy hunkermunker... Tell them how you really feel!

I love these threads! So FUN to watch people get all wound up about how other people do or do not feed their own children... So strange how passionate we all are about this particual subject.

particular subject even

breastmilk or a tin of coke.

I certainly know which i'd choose.

cup of water, cow's milk or diluted juice enter the equasion anywhere dejags?

definitely twiglett, I just think it's personal choice. BFing until age 4 certainly wouldnt be my choice, there is a certain weird factor about it but it's down to the individual.

Lets face it, there are too many young children out there drinking crap like coke and eating rubbish (dejags sticks hand up in advance for giving DS's crisps).

I don't think it's wierd, it's natural. Wouldn't want to do it myself though, I liked the convenience of not lactating when I gave up bf.

Realise breastfeeding is a choice for some people, realise it's not an option for others, realise loads of things, am very supportive of any way you want to feed, blah, blah, blah - I've said all this countless times before, but am increasingly fed up with how breastfeeding past about five minutes is looked upon as a weirdy earth mother fecking hippy oddball thing to do by people who should just butt the hell out.

Did somebody spike my tea with cranky juice today?

Hunkermunker

exasperating isn't it?

You old wierdy earthmother feckin hippy.

Butt the hell out sounds reasonable to me. Why is it anyone else's business anyway?

And to be honest, if it makes you cringe or feel repulsed then it's you who has the problem, not the woman doing the feeding.

always dreamt of being called an earth-mother. sadly a breast reduction denied me the choice of breastfeeding, so I am a bottlefeeding monster .

so glad I don't take this so personally anymore, truly I am a lot happier

Has it kicked off yet?

it can't caligula....

it's so old now, even I can't be ar$ed to fight about it

Oh there must be some newbies around who'll get stuck in...

will check it out later to see if you are right.

Caligula: I am so tempted...

I have not been a regular on any of the bf threads YET...

I just had a great booking in appt today so I am feeling full of insane energy...

Will I let this baby feed until he/she is 10 just to wind people up?

I'm not a lactivist but I am a mum who has fed one child to her 4th birthday and am on course to do this same with my current child. (Have fed others to 2 and 3, but pregnancies seemed to get in the way).

I don't see what's repugnant about it - it's far more repugnant to drink another mammal's milk, surely?

Breastfeeding isn't for everyone, for whatever reason, guilt-inducing or not. Extended breastfeeding isn't for everyone.

But why do those it's not for have to be so judgmental and offensive about it? Agree totally it's more to do with their own mindset and think I shall simply pity them from now on. That way I can feel smug. Lovely!