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Parenting

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Original poster

Why do people breastfeed past 1year old?

420 replies

Mommabear20 · 15/01/2022 14:07

Not a bashing thread, I'm genuinely interested in peoples reasons!

My DD was formula fed and once she was a year old and could drink cows milk, she stopped formula completely and no longer uses bottles at all.

So my question is, if you have breastfed your DC past 1 year when it's no longer needed for their nutrition, why do/did you continue?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

TabithaTittlemouse · 15/01/2022 14:08

Because they want to

TupilaLilium · 15/01/2022 14:11

It would have been a lot more effort to stop than to keep going. The DC was happy, I was happy. One day turns to the next - no one starts breastfeeding a toddler. There is then a moment where I, or the DC has had enough, and we stop. Mine all stopped around age 2.5 years.

miltonj · 15/01/2022 14:11

Loads of reasons.
It's hard to get a baby to stop
It's an easy way of getting them to sleep/calm down when fractious.
The WHO recommends doing it for a year as it's good for them.
Some babies arnt interested in drinking cows milk.
Babies and infants like it.

I combi fed my daughter with formula before she was one so I'm in no way a militant breast feeder.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

1 year olds Families General parenting

Haggisfish3 · 15/01/2022 14:12

They wanted to and we both enjoyed it. There are still health benefits for mother and child.

MsChatterbox · 15/01/2022 14:14

It's recommended to feed until 2. Lots of benefits such as reducing risks of certain cancers etc if you feed longer. My main reason is my daughter feeds to sleep and resettles herself in the night latching on (we cosleep) and I cba for the upheaval of stopping that!

ISaySteadyOn · 15/01/2022 14:15

Because it felt right to continue and, once the full set of teeth were in, tailed off naturally.

Tay17 · 15/01/2022 14:17

Same as previous posts. DC wanted to & I am happy to so don’t feel the need to stop as I know there will come a day when they don’t want to anymore ❤️

picklemewalnuts · 15/01/2022 14:18

My sons were milk intolerant.
It was easy and available whenever needed- baby hungry because out longer than expected? No problem.
Baby liked it.

Basically there's no real downside, so why stop?

rainbowdaz · 15/01/2022 14:19

@TabithaTittlemouse

Because they want to

The question was why.

AlphaAlpha · 15/01/2022 14:19

I stopped at 16 months, because my child finally started sleeping.
I went through hell - sleeping was shit and breast feeding was the only way to get to sleep and they refused all bottles.
On the flip side, I found BF easy from the start and I thought I was doing the right thing by not introducing bottles early on as I'd read it could cause nipple confusion.
It was convenient and I never garnered a comment or stare when BF in public.

Women do it because they want to or have to. Simple as that.

Life's too short to be concerned of what others are doing.

Derbee · 15/01/2022 14:19

In the very early days, infection prevention, reduction of newborn mortality. Children who were breastfed are less likely to be overweight or obese, they perform higher on intelligence tests etc. They are generally healthier.

Longer duration of breastfeeding reduces the risks of various cancers.

The WHO and UNICEF recommend breastfeeding for at least 2 years.

It hardly seems surprising that people would want the maximum benefit for their children?

WhiskersPete · 15/01/2022 14:19

The WHO recommends doing it for a year as it's good for them

WHO recommends 2 years as there are proven benefits for mother and child including immunity and gut health an lowers risk of breast and ovarian cancers for mother. There was research on this published just last week.

milkieway · 15/01/2022 14:20

Thanks for asking the question as think it's really good to talk about as there's still so much misunderstanding about this in society

Breastfeeding is recommended by the world health organisation until 2 years and beyond. There is evidence it continues to protect babies from infections and continues to provide a balance of nutrients

It's more than just food / nutrition though. It's part of your relationship. Breastfeeding my toddler has been a life saver - it has sometimes been the only comfort when he's been poorly (eg hand foot and mouth wouldn't eat or drink anything but continued to breastfeed) it's immediately settled him when he's hurt himself or got really upset.

rainbowdaz · 15/01/2022 14:20

I did for another month or two past 1 year for settling and comfort (definitely the most effective way to soothe your child esp. at night) but it started making me uncomfortable and I stopped a while later

AnneLovesGilbert · 15/01/2022 14:20

Why wouldn’t you if you both enjoy it? It’s the quickest way to settle them, comfort them, there are nutritional benefits. Health benefits for the baby and the mum. Human milk doesn’t stop being nutritious when a baby turns one.

BurntToastAgain · 15/01/2022 14:21

It’s no longer the main source of nutrition. That doesn’t mean it’s nutritionally worthless.

I’m not sure why people are so fixated on the nutritional value of drinking cow’s milk and think human milk is weird.

Slayduggee · 15/01/2022 14:21

I could feed first thing in the morning whilst still lying in bed. I could feed DC to sleep lying down and they would fall asleep. I would then put them in their cot and they would sleep all night. It was nice cuddly time at the end of the day

It doesn’t create any washing up either!

milkieway · 15/01/2022 14:22

@BurntToastAgain

It’s no longer the main source of nutrition. That doesn’t mean it’s nutritionally worthless.

I’m not sure why people are so fixated on the nutritional value of drinking cow’s milk and think human milk is weird.

I agree I do think it's sad it's more acceptable in our society for 1 year olds to drink milk from a cow !!

ancientgran · 15/01/2022 14:22

Because they were babies not calves.

Lancssss · 15/01/2022 14:22

WHO recommend breastfeeding until 2 years old at least. Breastfeeding gives the child immunity to all sorts of illnesses. When the Mum comes into contact with a cold virus or norovirus or something, as soon as her body starts making antibodies they get passed to the baby in her breast milk, so the DC is protected from catching the illness. One of my DC fed until nearly age 3 and is very healthy, rarely catches anything, never needed antibiotics for an infection. My other DC was only fed for 6 months due to health problems and is much more susceptible to catching stuff and has had 3+ antibiotic courses and is much younger. I always wonder if it’s because they weren’t able to breastfeed for as long.

Plus all these reasons -

Enhanced longer-term health. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, breastfeeding for longer than six months helps to protect your little one against a variety of conditions like type 1 and type 2 diabetes and childhood, adolescent, and adult obesity. Additionally, babies who are breastfed for longer than six months are also less likely to develop childhood leukemia and lymphoma than those who receive formula.
Reduced risks of osteoporosis and breast, ovarian, and endometrial cancer for moms. Research shows extensive breastfeeding health benefits for moms, such as:
Proven benefits to long-term maternal bone strength
A 2% reduced risk of endometrial cancer for every one month of breastfeeding
A reduced risk of breast cancer for every year breastfeeding (combinted total for all children), with moms who breastfed for a lifetime total of longer than 2 years receiving the most benefit
A reduced risk of ovarian cancer, particularly for those who breastfed for longer-term periods.

Fallagain · 15/01/2022 14:22

The NHS and WHO recommend until at least the agr of 2 years for a whole host of reasons, fantastic nutrition, if feed direct from breast then they receive tailor made antibodies to virus and bacteria hours after they have been exposed to them, reduced risk of ear infections, reduced risk of some childhood cancers, reduced risk of developing diabetes or crohns disease and loads of more reasons I can’t remember without looking up. More Mum it reduces the risk of several cancers, osteoporosis and diabetes. Cow’s milk is a substitute for breastfeeding rather the other way round.

Philandbill · 15/01/2022 14:22

Because there are lots of health benefits for the toddler and the mother. A quick google will show them but here is a starter for you. www.laleche.org.uk/breastfeeding-beyond-a-year/

RonaCoaster · 15/01/2022 14:23

Milk is still needed for nutrition after a year old and I’d rather give my children the milk that they are supposed to have than substitute milk optimised for baby cows. You don’t have to worry about over feeding on breastmilk but with cows milk if they have too much it can make them anaemic or be bad for their teeth.

Hugasauras · 15/01/2022 14:23

Antibodies, bonding, soothing, human milk is more suited to babies than milk for baby cows in general. Lots of reasons!

DD stopped by herself at around a year, just lost interest, but I would have gone on a while longer if she had wanted.

Lancssss · 15/01/2022 14:23

@ancientgran

Because they were babies not calves.

This seems so obvious doesn’t it, yet it isn’t for so many people

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