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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?

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Velvian · 15/01/2022 14:38

I stopped when DD was 21 months as we wanted to conceive and couldn't while I was BFing. With DS2 I had to stop at 14 months as he had a really nasty accident where he hurt his mouth. With Ds1 I was very young and succumbed to family pressure to stop when he was about 3 months.

For me it was far more natural and comfortable to carry on towards 2 years.

Norvo · 15/01/2022 14:38

Surely the question should be, why the rush to switch to drinking milk from another species.

milkieway · 15/01/2022 14:38

@Covidclaire

Because it was easier than stopping. We were in lockdown so it wasn’t like I could go anywhere on my own. It was free. It saved on the washing up. I didn’t have to go downstairs to get milk for them in the morning.

I think it’s more interesting to ask why people stopped given it’s actually a lot easier and less hassle to continue. I expect it’s mainly down to circumstances, e.g. needing to go back to work. When I went back to work after DC2 I was working from home with a nanny looking after the kids from my house. So there really was no need to stop BF. I could feed in the day if I needed to.

Definitely I'd be really more interested in the reasons why people gave up at 1 year - but no-one ever asks you that you just get "when are you going to stop?" sort of questions / are you STILL feeding comments

as like you said once it's established it's been the easiest and most brilliant tool to have at my disposal for a toddler - so we've all benefited hugely from it

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corblimeym8 · 15/01/2022 14:38

@Classicblunder

I think it’s more interesting to ask why people stopped given it’s actually a lot easier and less hassle to continue. I expect it’s mainly down to circumstances, e.g. needing to go back to work

My DS went to nursery at 12 months, didn't affect breastfeeding at all, he was down to morning and evening anyway.

Same. I didn't pump either. So no effort at all.

Literally just fed when I was there and managed to maintain some supply like that

JanuaryPinks · 15/01/2022 14:39

Like pps have said really. Yes there are nutritional and health benefits that last as long as you continue to feed, but more than that for me it’s the relationship side of it. Formula feeding is just feeding; breastfeeding gives them closeness and comfort and emotional regulation as well, and why stop that, often at the point when you also go back to work as well? Also, past age 1 it’s very different to newborn bf - you can maintain a supply with only 1 or 2 feeds a day so it’s easy to keep going and often harder to stop. I fed my first to 13 months but still going at 15 months with dc2 because she loves it so much.

Jewel1968 · 15/01/2022 14:40

Habit. By then it was easy. DD would not drink any other milk so I was a bit worried about calcium. I only stopped because I got very sick and had to take strong meds. I bf DD until she was about 2. She still doesn't really like milk but loves cheese.

DS was just over 1 about 16 months. I stopped because he used to bite me and not let go cos my screaming amused him. He would clamp down and laugh at the same time. I knew it was time then.

JugglingJanuary · 15/01/2022 14:41

Why would you give them milk from another species, when they can have milk designed specifically for them?

OVO1410 · 15/01/2022 14:42

I stopped when my babies self-weaned. DC1 was 18 months and DC2 was 12 months. I don't see why some people think it's a big deal breastfeeding past 12 months. By then my babies only had one feed before bed. Hardly inconvenient and just part of the bedtime routine.

JanuaryPinks · 15/01/2022 14:42

PS I stopped feeding DC1 at 13 months because my periods hadn’t returned and I wanted to ttc. Period came back when he was 14 months. As it happens, my period came back when dc2 was 14 months (still bfing) so maybe I didn’t need to stop with DC1 after all!

Frlrlrubert · 15/01/2022 14:42

Because DD wanted to, and I didn't mind.

It was easy, it helped her sleep (and I was closer than the fridge as her cot was attached to the bed, she was not a good sleeper), it comforted her if she was under the weather or hurt herself.

Weaning would have been more effort than carrying on, the WHO recommended carrying on, it seemed almost cruel to take it away from her when so much else in her life was changing (being one is hard, there was walking to do, talking to learn, she'd just started going to nursery).

So yeah, we just carried on, until almost 2, when she started only wanting to feed for comfort in a block from 3-7 am and I decided it was time.

Thirtytimesround · 15/01/2022 14:43

Because the World Health Organisation recommends that mothers breastfeed until the child is at least two, to give the child maximum protection against disease etc. I don’t know why you mention age one as a cut off, after that age there are still huge nutritional benefits to the baby from breast milk.

Plus young children often get ill and breast milk isn’t merely food, it’s also a natural painkiller, sedative and antibiotic.

Plus when out and about if child fancies a warm snack it takes only seconds to pop their head up a t-shirt.

Frlrlrubert · 15/01/2022 14:45

Oh, and she had formula up to one and cows milk after one for the the feeds she had at nursery, I didn't keep expressing once I went back to work.

Coyoacan · 15/01/2022 14:46

The WHO recommends breastfeeding until they are two years old and breastmilk is the best thing you can give them if they have a tummy upset.

AgrippinaT · 15/01/2022 14:46

It's a baby. There's not really a reason. Baby drinks milk.

BurntToastAgain · 15/01/2022 14:46

I really just don’t understand the cultural fixation with cow’s milk as a vital source of nutrition for toddlers.

If I think my child needs milk as an important source of nutrition, of course I’m going to use the milk I make myself. If I were unable to breastfeed, I’d use a breastfeeding substitute. I had no problems breastfeeding though, so that’s what I did.

Milk is just a foodstuff in my children’s diets. No more crucial than bread or broccoli or chicken. Tbh, it’s rarely a drink in itself in this house - it’s usually a component in a meal or a drink. The toddler gets breastmilk morning and night. Once he’s finished breastfeeding I won’t be ‘switching’ to anything. He’ll no longer need milk specifically and his nutritional needs will be met with a balanced diet.

Mummyoply · 15/01/2022 14:46

I think probably because it's completely natural and has many benefits past 12months. Much better to feed breast milk from a human to a human than to feed breast milk from a cow to a human. Toddlers can get many vitamins and minerals from their mothers breast milk( including 100% of their Vit D requirements) completely naturally, without this, there is a need to feed processed food to make up the shortfall.

GalacticGoddess · 15/01/2022 14:47

I carried on as she started nursery at 1years old and was so upset on going/coming home for the first few months of starting that I let her comfort herself after a nursery day. It was calming for us both.

Carrying on now at 16 months as I can't figure how to stop her ! I aim to stop around 18 months as I'd like to feel my body is just mine again for a little while.

TheVolturi · 15/01/2022 14:48

Because its less weird that drinking milk from a cows tit?

Seeline · 15/01/2022 14:48

I combi fed for 6 months and then swapped to bottles with DS because he just wasn't getting enough from me.

With DD I bf until 15 months. She flatly refused bottles, cups, formula and cow's milk in all combinations. I had no option. She didn't take to solids particularly well either so I felt I had to keep up with bf until she was ready to stop. She is 17 now and still doesn't have milk at all.

BoredZelda · 15/01/2022 14:50

I did it because my daughter had a CMP intolerance and her disability meant she struggled to use a cup, wouldn’t drink from a bottle either. It was the only way to get liquids in to her.

RedCandyApple · 15/01/2022 14:50

The reason why you stop giving formula is because they can drink cows milk and formula is expensive so why would you carry on buying it if you don’t need to, that doesn’t apply to breastfeeding so I’m not sure what you struggle to understand? Why would I stop giving my child my milk and give them milk from a cow instead? Just because? As it happens none of my children like to drink cows milk anyway and would never drink it

felulageller · 15/01/2022 14:50

It isn't 'no longer needed for their nutrition' - where did you get that idea from?

The WHO recommends BF until 2.

RavenclawsRoar · 15/01/2022 14:51

I fed both mine until 18mo and now bf dc3 - kind of hope I make it to 2yo with him but will see how it goes.
My reasons -

  • neither dc1 or dc2 liked cow's milk so bf remained important for dairy, calcium etc.
  • both dc started childcare at 1yo so breast milk was a great way to get fluids in them when they were poorly and also I felt like it would have been providing them with some antibodies. I also read bm adjusts when the child is ill to ensure the child gets what they need.
  • the benefits of bf actually increase the longer a child is fed. Since we were already up and running (and bf is extremely easy once it's established), it seemed pointless to simply stop because of the child's age when continuing could only benefit both of us.
  • bedtime is really quick and easy with bf, as is re-settling in the night which is especially useful when back at work.

I actually wish I had been able to feed for longer. With dc1 he simply lost interest and a heavy cold where he couldn't really nurse due to a blocked nose put paid to it. With dc2, I fell pregnant and that put him right off. I'll feed dc3 as long as suits as both.

Lifeisnteasy · 15/01/2022 14:52

@JanuaryPinks

Like pps have said really. Yes there are nutritional and health benefits that last as long as you continue to feed, but more than that for me it’s the relationship side of it. Formula feeding is just feeding; breastfeeding gives them closeness and comfort and emotional regulation as well, and why stop that, often at the point when you also go back to work as well? Also, past age 1 it’s very different to newborn bf - you can maintain a supply with only 1 or 2 feeds a day so it’s easy to keep going and often harder to stop. I fed my first to 13 months but still going at 15 months with dc2 because she loves it so much.
There is no link between feeding method and the mother/child bond. Sorry to rain on your parade!

bmcpregnancychildbirth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12884-019-2264-0

BoredZelda · 15/01/2022 14:54

Carrying on now at 16 months as I can't figure how to stop her ! I aim to stop around 18 months as I'd like to feel my body is just mine again for a little while.

I just stopped. We were down to one feed morning and night and I had to go away for work for two days. It didn’t seem to bother her at all so I just never started again. She was 17 months and had just mastered using a straw to drink so we switched to a bedtime drink of warm soya milk and that was it.