Why do people breastfeed past 1year old?

[Mommabear20]

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?

@FolkSongSweet

OP: does anyone still go swimming with their child once they can swim themselves? Loads of posters: yes, it’s really fun, we both enjoy it, bond over it and it’s good for both of us Lifeisnteasy: but the health benefits of swimming are negligible and really overstated Karen lol Parker: WHY for the love of god can’t you just accept that my decision to play tennis with my child is just as good

🤣

😭😂

The health benefits of swimming are not negligible if you go often enough you could do both, breastfeed in the pool and then pull a sad face for a newspaper when you get asked to leave

But because I am neither as humourless nor as serious as other posters I did laugh & think that’s a great analogy Folk

@Lifeisnteasy

The health benefits of swimming are not negligible if you go often enough you could do both, breastfeed in the pool and then pull a sad face for a newspaper when you get asked to leave

They are negligible if compared to tennis as exercise for kids go though.

For all of you that think all women can breastfeed.. rather than be derogatory saying formula tastes/smells rank etc what about women who have had cancer and a double mastectomy? Women with breast hypoplasia? (I have this). Women with hormonal conditions preventing them from producing milk? Stop being so rude and narrow minded. Yes it’s amazing if you can and it works for you and your baby/child and you should thank yourself lucky. But honestly, the way some of these comments come across are just spiteful.

@HR313

For all of you that think all women can breastfeed.. rather than be derogatory saying formula tastes/smells rank etc what about women who have had cancer and a double mastectomy? Women with breast hypoplasia? (I have this). Women with hormonal conditions preventing them from producing milk? Stop being so rude and narrow minded. Yes it’s amazing if you can and it works for you and your baby/child and you should thank yourself lucky. But honestly, the way some of these comments come across are just spiteful.

Another person posting on the wrong thread it seems. Please can you point to a single post where someone has said that all women can breastfeed? Or anything derogatory about formula? No one has said any of this stuff. I mean this kindly, if you have breast hypoplasia, what did you think you would get out of clicking on a thread where people shared their experiences of extended breastfeeding? Do you think that every single discussion about breastfeeding has to acknowledge that some people can’t or don’t want to do it, or do you accept that that can be taken as a given and/or isn’t relevant sometimes?

For all of you that think everyone can swim, some people can’t! Some people never learned and don’t want to learn, and others are disabled and just can’t. It’s so rude and narrow minded to talk about how much you love swimming.

🤣 true!

@FolkSongSweet 😂 I loved that analogy. May steal it.

@HR313 you have got to be joking?

I breastfed both of mine for 15 months each. I loved it. I stopped when they were eating more food and were busy exploring places when we were out and about.

I wouldn't say it to friends, as everyone makes their own decisions...but I hated the idea of mixing formula and feeding it to them.

Once I stopped bf, they then just drank water instead. Even now they rarely have cow milk, unless it's with cereal for breakfast a couple of times a week.

I haven’t read all 17 pages so am sure I am repeating.
My kids need to drink something and as drinks go breast milk is probably the most nutritious of them all so why not? It is also a lovely bonding experience.

I don't get it. Literally asked 'why BF beyond 12 months'. Give reasons why and then get judged. For the record I have nothing against formula.

I have several friends and relatives who can't BF or it didn't fit with their lifestyle. I would never pass judgement on any of them and I won't stand for any in return.

Pretty sure this is a post about pros of BFing past 12 months. Ranting about formula on this thread is a bit like saying 'Not all drinks' or 'All drinks matter' this thread isn't for you. Start one about pros of formula or even formula v BF.

IMO babies are happy when they are fed, however that works for them and their caregivers.

I stopped at 13 months as my milk supply practically dried up when I became pregnant or i probably would still be going! He still has 2 5oz bottles a day of breastmilk at almost 15 months, i frozze lots for when i did stop, its allmost all gone now, a few weeks left😢 im dreading how poorly he could get and all the illnesses from nursery he could pick up as at the moment he very rarely picks anything up and i put that down to him having lots of antibodies and goodness in the breastmilk! Im debating to cut him down to 1 bottle a day to make it last longer!

I breast fed both of mine and am very pro breastfeeding. However I disagree with PP who said breast milk is the most nutritious. The quality of breast milk varies and I'm sure that benefit declines over time as mothers become busier with the challenges of balancing babies, children and home.
I'd agree it's good to get the colostrum into them and that there are some benefits to breastfeeding in the early days. Yet I was totally bottle fed and have an amazing immune system.
No one should ever be made to feel guilty about not breastfeeding at all or stopping whenever they choose. Happy heathy babies need more than milk, including happy, heathy mothers.

If I'm honest about why I breast fed, it's because it was easier. No sterilising bottles or making feeds. No listening to a crying baby while the bottle warms then cools.
I personally wouldn't want to be breastfeeding a toddler. Can't explain why but just didn't sit right with me. My decision but each to their own.

My first was breastfed until 12 months then bottle fed expressed breast milk for another 4 months before having formula until she was almost 3. She was allergic to cows milk so drinking cows milk wasn’t an option.
My second was breastfed until he was 18 months because I had developed a dislike of the dairy industry so don’t really see moving onto cows milk as a good thing….. milk for baby cows and all that.
My third is under 12 months and I’m not sure how long I’ll breastfeed her for. It gets tricky when I’m back at work basically so that has limited breastfeeding for my older two. But I would rather she avoid cows milk as a drink!

Surely not many babies are having formula after 12 months. Most people move their babies onto cow's milk at that point. So surely discussion of formula has no relevance to this thread whatsoever.

I'm sure that benefit declines over time as mothers become busier with the challenges of balancing babies, children and home.

Is this backed up by science or just a random assumption?

Are you still here, OP? If so, I just wanted to say that I think the reason some posters have been a confused or even snappy, is because your original question is based on a faulty premise. By asking why BF a baby past 12 months when you can just give them cows milk, you are assuming that cows milk the default/norm, when in actual fact of course, it's the other way round. Human milk is the biological norm. Just because at 12 months, it's considered safe to give babies cows milk rather than breastmilk or formula, doesn't mean that this is what should be done. It just means it's an option. I won't add any more as the last 17 pages have covered it.

Yes, I too am trying to feed until mine turns 2 as per WHO’s recommendations! Also, somebody mentioned above that they stopped b/c they were ttc, I am currently pregnant with no 2, BF didn’t stop me from conceiving!

I EBF my two DS’ I took their lead, DS1 stopped at a year, before I knew I was pregnant with DS2. DS2 stopped by 9mths. I would have feed for longer if they wanted too.