Made to feel disgusting for bf my 17m old ds

[katieskids]

Can I ask for your opinions please? I was out at a toddler session today with my ds and 2 children that I childmind. Whilst at the group I was talking to the development worker from the childminding assoc (known her for over 10yrs)when my ds walked over and asked for 'mik,mik' i sat him on my lap and discreetly fed him. Very sharply she asked 'how old?' I replied, she then asked how much longer was I going to feed him. Now this is where I've got no idea as I never set out to feed him for this long, its just happened & I've gone along with it, but pushed to reply I quoted the WHO guidelines of 2yrs. To this she told me about her sister's dd who came in from school and bf at 6 & how she told her sister that it was'disgusting'. I said I wasn't sure how to go about stopping yet and she told me to send him to my parents for the week to 'break him of the habit' or failing that swap children with my friend for the week. At this point I was feeling ambushed, then to put the knife in she said that not only had I put the apron on him but I was also holding the strings??!! Why by feeding him, he is an independent and very determined little boy who loves to challenge himself, what have I done wrong??
I left in floods of tears feeling very rubbish & my confidence has plummeted, I feel a very bad mother and don't want to go out again in case anyone else says the same.
BTW her job is to advise new childminders that they must respect parents wishes, their culture, values and choice - except mine . Am I weird for still bf?

I am at the rudeness, attitude and audacity of this woman who does not know you from Adam, and is supposed to advise CM on respecting parents wishes and cultures. Not suitable for her job imo. Though I dont agree with extended bf past 2, i would never ever do what this woman did to make another mother feel like crap.

You're not at all weird. V rude of this woman though!

How dare she?! Unbelievably rude and ill-informed. So annoyed for you, and so sorry you were upset Have a read of Ann Sinnott's book 'Breastfeeding Older Children' to confirm to yourself just how wrong she is and brerastfeed for as long as you want to, with your head held high. You're doing a wonderful thing and don't let anyone tell you duifferent! I'm still feeding my son at 3 and fully intend to carry on until it comes to a natural end - I love the description of bimbling along.

I BF my DD for 3.5yrs, likewise I never set out to do this, but owing to allergies and just habit I guess, we did. I recall a funny situation where we were out for lunch with friends, in a beer garden one time. My friend had a newborn who she was BFing , she went back to her car in order to feed in privacy, whereas I (brazen by this time) fed my DD who was approx 15mths old at this point in full view of all the beery chaps at the pub. No one ever commented to me during all the time I was feeding my DD, but sadly I have just experienced my first negative reaction with my DS who was just a teeny 7 weeks old or so at the time, I was feeding him at the local park, and an elderly couple left in a great huff whilst tutting at me. I was dismayed!

Really glad you are writing a letter, I have been called disgusting before for feeding a baby over 6 months. I was very, very upset, partly because it was so unexpected.

I'm still feeding ds1 who is 2.3 and tandemming him with ds2 who is 8 months, I took great delight in tandem feeding them at the same time in full view of the person who previously called me disgusting with my head held high. Don't change what you are doing at the group, carry on feeding him there if you go again, don't let her petty prejudices change your behaviour.

I love the thought that breastfeeding is catching, my dd's feed their dolly's by shoving them up their jumpers and my dn told me the other day that she will be breastfeeding her babies.

poor you. Our society is totally f'd up when it comes to children and babies in so many ways and unfortunately it's so often OTHER WOMEN who push their warped values onto us. I wholeheartedly sympathise - EVERYONE was on at me to stop bfeeding DD as soon as she hit 6 months. My dad even told me he thought that it was 'kinky' !!! WTF!!! I kept going to 26m and v glad that I did too. My Nan was the best - she said that women used to bf til 3 or 4 when she was young, it was free, people were poor and it was best for the children. Go Nanna.
Only thing I would say, from personal experience, is if you are feeling teary often - get your vitD level checked - as a bfing mother you are at risk of it being low which can have effect mood and energy levels. big hugs.

Surely the 'natural' thing is to feed them until they no longer need milk, after all milk gained from a cow is not meant for our children!

Oh dear Wills what do women who for some reason are not able to bf do then Me being one of them

As long as baby is being fed bm if possible formula or cows milk if not than so be it!

Katieskids, how awful! DS still bfs at 23 months. You are far from disgusting.