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'Mother breastfeeds 5yo son' Is this really news?

189 replies

Disenchanted3 · 29/04/2010 22:22

BBC article here

Really amazes me the stuff that is classed as news these days

OP posts:
ZephirineDrouhin · 06/05/2010 13:46

Thanks cote. I read your post and now I've re-read it. You responded to an explanation of extended breastfeeding with the comment:

"I disagree with that. As their parents, we gently guide them towards different comforts as they grow - ones that encourage their emotional development and don't cause them physical harm."

Whether or not you intended it (and I'm glad you don't), your post reads as though you believe that extended breastfeeding falls into the category of comforts that don't encourage emotional development and do cause harm. Otherwise why mention it?

But actually it's the emotive nonsense about putting boobs in children's mouths that is really irritating. If you don't want an emotional reaction, try being a little more rational in your own assertions.

ZephirineDrouhin · 06/05/2010 13:49

Sorry cote - just seen you were responding to a different post. Fair enough on that point.

stressedHEmum · 06/05/2010 14:28

It was me who was the thumb sucker and no, neither I nor my brother have an overbite. Neither do any of my children, who have all been ebfed. As I said, all my kids have perfect teeth, as well as beautiful, straight, even teeth, but then, they never had a dummy/sucked their thumbs or whatever.

Even if I did have one, it's hardly physical damage, really is it? Many people have sticky out teeth and suffer no ill effects whatsoever.

Re: the comfort thing, most women who BF older children do it on a don't offer/don't refuse system whereby the children are not given the breast at the drop of a hat, only if they ask for it. EBF does not hinder a child's emotional development. There are many ways to comfort a child, the breast is just one of them. I think that there are many misconceptions surrounding ebf and how a child matures. Children who are bfed longer than average are just normal kids with normal lives who do all the things that other little children do. My eldest son is now 20, in 2nd year at one of the countries top unis, doing one of their most challenging courses. He lives away from home and manages his own life. DS2 is 17 and will be starting college after the summer, in spite of having AS, My other three are aged between 13 and 7 and are all normal, well adjusted children who have friends, hobbies etc. They ahve not been harmed or held back in any way, in fact ebf halped to give them the confidence that they have because they were allowed to move at their own rate.

As for never having heard of anyone nursing past 2, that may be because we tend to keep very quiet about it because of the negative attitudes and judgmentalism that surrounds breastfeeding past babyhood.

CoteDAzur · 06/05/2010 16:42

I think I would know if any of my friends were still breastfeeding

A deformation of the upper jaw is of course physical damage. It might not fit into your world view but you can't change definitions because you don't like them.

LeninGrad · 06/05/2010 17:06

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ZephirineDrouhin · 06/05/2010 17:36

An unknown proportion of thumbsuckers, Lenin. Do keep up.

Are you sure you would know, cote? If you were my friend I think I might not mention it actually.

LeninGrad · 06/05/2010 17:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SecretPollingBooth · 06/05/2010 17:51

Cote, I rarely tell friends - only if they ask, which some do.

CoteDAzur · 06/05/2010 18:19

Extended periods of thumb sucking and dummies.

Unlike the nipple, they don't flatten and the sucking motion deforms the front part of the palate (which is still rather malleable at their age) forward and up.

CoteDAzur · 06/05/2010 18:20

Extended periods of thumb sucking and dummies.

Unlike the nipple, they don't flatten and the sucking motion deforms the front part of the palate (which is still rather malleable at their age) forward and up.

LeninGrad · 06/05/2010 18:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ZephirineDrouhin · 06/05/2010 20:03

Phew. Glad that's all sorted.

CoteDAzur · 06/05/2010 20:04

Nipple doesn't deform upper jaw. We were talking about dummy & thumb sucking.

stressedHEmum · 06/05/2010 20:32

Well, as I say, I don't have an overbite and sticky out teeth is hardly a life threatening condition, is it. As a parent, I would rather allow a child to suck his thumb if he so chose and found comfort in it, than actively prevent him and cause him distress in case his teeth stuck out. Many kids need a lot of orthodontic work and have overbites without ever having sucked a thumb/dummy, it's hardly a major issue.

And I told almost no one about our nursing habits, unless they actually asked.

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