please can someone clear up once and for all how extended breasfeeding is viewed from a child protection point of view?

[StealthPolarBear]

Is ebf initself considered a concern? Is there any official guidance?

Yes, honestly we all agree TSC. But people on yhr other thread were saying that bf a 7yo was abusive in itself.

Maryz, agree with your points.
Before SS help a relative, aged 8 was talking to her mum as an equal, mainly because she was running the house and her mum was the child many ways.
There was a TV stand, but no TV
There was a pile of washing by the machine, but it would stay there for days

Another relative calls his Dad by his first name and will chat to him as would an age equal. This is their parenting style and although his grandparents hate it, both child and parent are happy and well adjusted.
Coslept through choice till 4, but there were enough beds for 1 each

There was only one child I was worried about

Each case is different and the whole piture needs to be knowen and takern into account.

BF becomes hard when a child gets there adult teeth as it changes the shape of the month and makes feeding difficult - i take this to show that nature made us to feed up till the time the adult teethw come in.

If there is a concern of course it should be investigated. But where do you draw the line to different from adusive - this is left to the SW and if they have no clue of the spectrum of parenting then the wrong judgment call is made and has huge concesqes for the family.

Have name changed. My experience is that anything slightly alternative rings huge alarm bells and some professionals appear to have a very narrow views of alternative as I am like my friends which is not very odd although perhaps not totally mainstream. I dont co sleep, do use sling, serve healthy food and breastfeed although have not done so past age 2 but dont disagree with it.

Our handwritten records noted no TV and was triple underlined with some comment about very alternative parenting (but we do have several TVs albeit I must have mentioned I dont watch it or that the kids dont watch adverts as we pre record). Huge concerns at my breastfeeding at all and certainly up to age 2 as the kids were small but actually were not underweight just short and didnt gain weight faster once not breastfed. The slightest thing outside the norm raises huge concerns. One of our professionals had documented that my child was given a tiny bed ? actually it is a normal adult bed just in an enormous bedroom, presumably the children she visits have 10 foot bedrooms. The assessments carried on like this with everything being raised as a concern.

Any one who has been through the experience will know that you start to doubt every decision when being observed such as what food to serve, how much assistance to offer the children when feeding etc etc as desperately trying to choose the mainstream option. It was the most awful experience that makes even the best of parents unable to function.

Appreciate those who say no child is removed from their parents without a court order etc but it is still a traumatic experience to go through the investigations due to false accusations and have dreadful things put on your records just for having slightly different views to them.

As a co sleeping, breastfeeding, sling wearing parent to a 2.2 year old this thread terrifies me. Particularly as my son has frequent hospital admissions due to asthma and each is followed up by a health visitor call. I'm getting a bit paranoid and wondering if I ought to make sure they dont know about the bf.