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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

So how many of you mothers out there are breastfeeding your child beyond the age of 2?

70 replies

TheBreastmilksOnMe · 29/04/2010 22:57

I am looking for support really as I am hoping to feed my 19mth old DS for as long as he wants me to but I am just a bit anxious of the lack of support I might get from other people.

Even though I love doing it and I am well-informed of the benefits to both me and my DS, and to the general population as a whole (from seeing a child still being breastfed) I can't help but feel a little bit alone in my decision. I don't know of anyone who has breasfed past a year, certainly not until aged 4 or 5 and it would be nice to hear from anyone who is a natural-term breastfeeder!

OP posts:
mathanxiety · 30/04/2010 05:43

I did this with my last 3 -- the first 2 were weaned at 12 mos and 15 mos. Youngest DD is now 8 and she weaned before starting school at 4 (so she spent half her life bfing ). The other 2 whom I bfed beyond 2 kept going to about age 3. DD3 and her little friend from school used to reminisce together about their happy bfing days.

I agree about owning your choice. People have all sorts of neuroses about breastfeeding and I think a lot of them can sense a soft place to vent.

whomovedmychocolate · 30/04/2010 06:33

BF DD till three and a bit, still feeding DS (2 in July). You are not alone. Tandem fed DD.

Tell the naysayers to sod off.

Fliight · 30/04/2010 06:40

Ds2 is still feeding and he is nearly 3 (June)
I'm trying to wean him off a bit in the day, but he is still pretty keen...he doesn't like eating much!
But he is often persuadable nowadays. Nights are variable!

TrinityMeemaRhino · 30/04/2010 06:40

gecko is 3 years 3 months and would laugh at you if you suggested no more 'boobie'

she loves it

3 to 4 times a day and in the night

preggersplayspop · 30/04/2010 06:47

Hi I am Tandem feeding 2.11 yo and 5 month. Support on MN has been invaluable to me at times.

Can't see any signs of my nearly-3 year old self weaning, though I would probably prefer it if he did now.

Besom · 30/04/2010 06:55

DD is 2 in a couple of weeks and still bfing. Don't think we'll be stopping any time soon but I've had some negative comments from family along the lines of 'you need to learn to say no to her'.

I hate the implication that just because I bf her when she asks, I'm also going to let her eat chocolate for breakfast and stay up all night watching Peppa Pig.

mawbroon · 30/04/2010 07:37

Me.

DS1 is 4.6yo and DS2 is 8weeks.

I don't see DS1 weaning any time soon.....

StealthPolarBear · 30/04/2010 07:42

DS is 3 and feeds morning and night (and would in between if I let him!) and DD is 7 months.

LunarSea · 30/04/2010 07:42

ds2 has just turned 3 (hi kitty and elvis!)and shows no sign of giving up yet. Only first thing in the morning these days though.

Racers · 30/04/2010 08:01

Hello another one here

DD2 is 2, DD1 self weaned by around 18m. Agree it can be pretty tricky out and about or in certain company due to size and strength of DD2 and her booby pulling, shirt ripping antics! Still very enjoyable and good for us both so no end in sight here!

MrsSantos · 30/04/2010 08:10

DD 2.5 still has a bedtime feed (and a few others if she gets a cold or very upset after something like a fall). I must admit to stopping public feeds a few months back. I work in field that involves meeting bf mums and I didn't want to be seen to be "banging the drum". Nor did I want to have to defend my position on bf all the time (like to my idiot neighbour who said I was treating DD like a baby by continuing to bf her - err, her nursery keyworker says she talks like a four year old, can count to ten, has known her colours for months, goes to nursery three days a week...... she is not a baby in any way, she is a lively, sociable toddler who just happens to still really like a bit of breast milk alongside a full diet of family food. It is not just for babies). ]

I have no issue with people stopping whenever they want (or not bf at all if that is what they want). I do have a problem with people telling me that bf for longer is harming my child. There is no evidence to back up this claim.

Have you heard of "Breastfeeding Older Children" by Ann Sinnott? Also, have you got a La Leche group near you. I found them very supportive of natural term bf

MrsSantos · 30/04/2010 08:12

Oh and we worked a code word out for bf. I really wouldn't have wanted her saying "Booby please!" when we were out.

Cadmum · 30/04/2010 08:27

Thank goodness Mabroon beet me to answer your post. My dd2 is 4 and still bf before bed in the evening. She was down to once every few days and nearly went a week without once but life has been hectic with a big overseas move shortly after a late miscarriage that required a c-section and several days in hospital...

It is great as a comfort and part of the evening routine: bath, jammies, books, bf, brush your teeth, climb into bed, go to sleep.

Don't let others influence your decision to quit. They all get there in due time. Ds1 was 21 months, dd1 was nearly 3 and ds2 was 3 years 2 months.

pud1 · 30/04/2010 08:37

i still bf my dd1 who is 2.3 and my dd2 who is 9 month. i am getting to the point of wanting to stop. i didnt intend to feed past 6 months but dd1 still wants it. i think that if you do keep going it is a good idea to consider how you are going to stop. i am finding it hard with dd1 as she is older and knows what she wants and can ask for it. ia m hoping that my milk will stop when she goes away for a week with her nan and grandad. as for neg comments i get alot from pil. we were in the car the other day after swimming and dd1 was asking for milk. she was repeating her self over and over. mil informed me that its my own fault for feeding her too long. i pointed out that if she wasnt bf she would just be asking for something else over and over

WoTmania · 30/04/2010 11:15

I'm tandem nursing DS2 (2.10) and DD (14mnths) and intend to let them both self wean.
I would be quite happy if DS2 self-weaned now, frankly, but he nurses anything between 2 and 8/9 times a day (4 times so far today )
I get comments most from my Dad and one brother (he'll be 15 before he stops. He's too big now etc) and the single most supportive person next to DH has been my Grandmother. She's Fab.

Montifer · 30/04/2010 21:45

Thanks Foxytocin - that would make sense

ReshapeWhileDamp · 30/04/2010 21:51

Ds is nearly 26 months and I thought we'd stopped a couple of weeks ago, but he seemed sad about it, talked about his boobs a lot, and so I've re-started! He's not getting much - he literally only wants a 10 second suck when he's upset or has a bump, and I'm pregnant, so perhaps he'll go off the taste soon. I was surprised how relieved and happy I felt when I decided to offer him a feed after a week or so of no bf. (he was v happy too!)

BertieBotts · 01/05/2010 12:32

My DS is 19 months too and I think that he will probably still be feeding at 2.

I find it easier now - there was an awkward phase for a few months when he was old enough for it to be ususual to feed him in public, but he wasn't old enough to understand if I wanted him to wait until we got home. I did manage to persuade him to ask me nicely though rather than coming up and clawing at me. He now asks for "mimi" which is very cute

peachsmuggler · 01/05/2010 21:13

DD (26 months) is still feeding 3 times a day.

She has it in the morning and then before nap and bed and never asks any other time.

In terms of other people's comments, most people don't know, because she is not asking for it other than in her bedroom, and so am sure a lot of my family assume I have stopped. Have had a few surprised comments from friends but nothing unsupportive. In saying that I don;t know anyone around me who has fed for this long, but then maybe they have and I just don't realise it.

Ideally would like her to self-wean and am at the stage where I would be happy for it to happen now but she is not showing signs of it. I get the impression that if it came from me that it would not be too traumatic and she would, I think, maybe stop quite easily, but don't know if I could face it. Last night at bedtime she was feeding for over 20 mins and I was tired and bit grumpy and hungry and wanted to get away so kept asking if she was done and she said no. In the end I delatched her and took her to the cot. She was crying and saying "but I was drinking milk!" and it really broke my heart. She was fine a couple of mins after I left the room, but it made me realise I don't know if I could stop, without it being led by her.

Try not to worry about a lack of support, you can always come on here for support if you have nobody in RL

Herecomesthesciencebint · 01/05/2010 21:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LeninGrad · 01/05/2010 21:27

This reply has been deleted

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BouncingTurtle · 01/05/2010 21:27

DS is still going strong and he is 2.4!

He had milkies morning, bedtime, and 1-2 times during the day. Dh is starting to get uncomfortable with it though, keeps making comments about when he is going to stop. But I just ignore him. DS gets really upset if I try to refuse him. I am quite firm with him at the times I really don't want to feed him, and most times, he does accept it is not time for milkies.

Babieseverywhere · 01/05/2010 21:54

I'm tandem nursing 3.9 year old DD and 21 month old DS, with neither showing signs of weaning and 6 months pregnant !

Have you tried visiting your local LLL branch ? They often do coffee mornings and all nursing mothers are welcome and they usually have a mix of ages in the nursing children.

spiderlight · 01/05/2010 23:26

DS has just turned 3 and is still going strong. Apologies if someone's already posted this - have only had time to skim - but Ann Sinnott's book is very good and has strengthened my resolve to carry on. Not that I have much say in it anyway!!

telsa · 02/05/2010 10:55

Still feeding my 25m old DS. He shows no sign of stopping. Seems to really want his morning feed especially. My DD self-weaned around this age - but can't see him doing it. Really glad to see I am not alone - my sister fed her DD till 4. But now, I seem to be the only one who does it, amongst the parents I know at drop ins etc - at least in public (unwillingly, it must be said - but the insistence from DS is too strong) .