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?

Brainer

I stopped bf my second child when she was 3 years old. She went onto cows milk when she was 1 during the day. However, she still liked the small feed at night and if she woke up in the night. She also liked it when she was distressed or poorly. I think it was the comfort and she didn't rely on any thing else for bedtime. I had got her off this by the time she was 3 and just said no more.

Because they enjoyed it and it seemed crazy to me to deliberately stop feeding them myself while they still needed milk, only to substitute my milk with cows' milk

With my dcs, they had bottle after about 11 months (because they had to go to nursery) and weaned onto solids from 5 months. I continue to breastfeed way into the 2nd year and with ds, until he was 3.

After the first year, they did not feed for nutrition, mostly for comfort, particularly at night. Dummy refusers. Both were fussy difficult babies in their own way and atrocious sleepers. I also co-slept with them all this time.

@Zandathepanda

At 13 months my Dd was hospitalised with chickenpox and secondary staph and strep infections. She refused water and food. It was really difficult to find a vein. Even the consultants were having problems (and this was when she was too ill to resist). But the one thing she would do was feed from me because of comfort. The junior doctors were a bit horrified I think because she was over one (?) (by this stage I didn’t care who saw me feeding) but an old consultant came in on his rounds with loads of students round him and said, ‘this ladies and gentlemen, is the best thing this mother can do for her child’. I cried and the situation felt less hopeless.

I love this ❤️

It has nutritional benefits past 1 year old
It changes to suit the babies needs
It comforts
It doesn’t always taste the same for the baby whereas formula does(and smells rank)
It’s free
It’s designed for a baby
No baby calves had to be taken from their mothers so my child could drink milk.
The longer I breastfed, my risk of breast cancer reduced ( there’s a reason why breast cancer was/is called The nuns disease )
It’s always on tap
It’s natural and what boobs were designed for

BF is not just the nutrition 🤷🏻‍♀️ it's fantastic to relax them, to calm them, when they're ill or in pain....

I intended to BF DD1 until 12 months I wanted to TTC for no2 and then started to replace some with FF. After she had her MMR instead of continuing to dwindle the supply down I had to reboost in a hurry as she has an AMAZING immune response of hitting sky-high temperatures and going off food and drink. Breast milk was about the one thing she'd take.

So with DD2 I kept going until 14 months and then she was a bugger for taking any other milk so it limped on to about 16-18 months. Perhaps because I didn't start the overlap of BF/FF as early.

Very much recommend those finishing at 12 months to wait a couple of weeks until after the 1yo injections!

I know it's not the most extended BF example. When I started I intended to do a few days for colostrum and see how it went after that. It worked well (despite DD1 having an epic and undiagnosed lip-tie which was a bit painful for me) as I hate faffing about getting ready and didn't have to plan for formula feeds. I'm not anti-FF - I was FF from birth by choice and I have no problem with my mother making the best choice for her situation.

@WhiskersPete

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.

Actually they mentioned in their official documents that many cultures do it to 5-7yo

Because my son wasn't ready to stop.
Because my son had a dairy allergy.
Because WHO advise breastfeeding until the age of 2.

Because it was advised to continue until age 2 alongside solid food. Much easier and cheaper with far more nutritional benefits.

@rainbowdaz

"TabithaTittlemouse

Because they want to

The question was why"

Why do babies want to do the thing that they've been doing for a gazillion years and provides them with a multitude of health and psychological benefits?
hmmm let me think ...

Because it is still required for their nutrition, according to the WHO.

OP You say your baby stopped having formula and started on cows milk, but I thought regular formula was usually made from cows milk

Both mine were EBF because it was just so much easier, no faff with sterilising, temperature, having it to hand, it was best for baby and best for me.

@Narutocrazyfox

Because its the best possible start for a baby. Breastfeeding until 2 or older is the norm in many places around the world - it's only seen as strange in Western cultures.

The U.K. has the worst breastfeeding rates in the world. It’s not necessarily a western thing. The US for example has far higher breastfeeding rates.

Yawn.

Because the WHO recommends it to age 2 and beyond.

Because it was a brilliant bonding experience, calming / comforting for them, and did wonders for their immune systems. Because as a species we evolved to feed until cca 4-5, rather than drink the stuff cows make for their young.

I fed 2 DCs until they wanted to stop, which was at the age 2 for one and age 3 for the other.

I absolutely despise breastfeeding shaming (and it’s opposite: formula feeding shaming).
Up to each family to do what’s right for them

The U.K. has the worst breastfeeding rates in the world. It’s not necessarily a western thing. The US for example has far higher breastfeeding rates.

Do you believe every woman should make a feeding choice that suits her, @Emms86 ?

You might not give formula past a year but you can, they make it. People switch to cow milk because it's cheaper and easier than formula. You don't just stop giving them milk.
So if you're breastfeeding and happy why would you suddenly stop? They still need milk. It makes no sense beyond personal choice to swap from human to cow at this age.

The WHO actually advise until 2 I think but I would say that covers a lot of deprived developing countries whose kids may not have access to nutritious food. I fed my first to 15 months and he kind of gave it up himself. I'm still feeding my second at 11 months and plan to until he doesn't want it anymore. It's nutritionally best for him and easy for me as tool to settle him, especially during this transition to nursery and with teething. And i also still like that I can eat a bit more cake and breastfeeding burns the calories haha. Although I'm probably kidding myself there as hes only having 3 feeds a day haha

Because it's bloody difficult to get a toddler to stop breastfeeding, and it's recommended for 2 years.

Actually nutritionally it's beneficial until natural weaning which is around 6 years old, after which humans don't need dairy. I eat dairy, love cheese, but actually humans aren't "meant" to eat the milk of other animals, cows milk is for baby cows evolutionary speaking.

I fed mine until 18 months a piece, so convenient.

Unless you’re 100% dairy free, breastfed babies and toddlers will be drinking cows milk that has passed into your own, won’t they?

@Lifeisnteasy

The U.K. has the worst breastfeeding rates in the world. It’s not necessarily a western thing. The US for example has far higher breastfeeding rates.

Do you believe every woman should make a feeding choice that suits her, @Emms86 ?

I believe that every Mother should be educated and supported fully in doing what is most beneficial for her and her child’s health.