Not a rant, genuinely curious - breastfeeding

[DidYeAye22]

I combi fed my baby who’s just turning 1, and I’m so confused by some of the attitudes towards bottle feeding that I’ve come across now she’s turning 1…

1. Why is a woman who breastfeeds her baby until 2 or older praised and encouraged, but I have to take my baby off formula ASAP now she’s 1? I am cutting down to once a day before bed but I’m just genuinely really confused. If it’s supposed to be an alternative to breast milk, why is it so so bad that she still gets some milk past age 1?

2. The whole thing about the bottles and their teeth. Surely if the majority of modern bottles are designed off a woman’s nipple (“closer to nature” etc) then the kids getting breastfed would be having this big panic about getting buck teeth. As they’re supposed to be designed to be as close to the real thing as possible?? I just truly don’t get the panic about transitioning from bottles to sippy cup so soon. She will only go to bed on a bottle so I’m not giving that up yet.

Genuinely curious, have come across a lot of weird attitudes towards this!

I thought the rush to stop formula at one was because cows milk is just as good for them, and for a lot of families it’s a big expense compared to normal milk. Maybe not in your circles but the women I work with it makes a difference. Also you don’t need the faff of preparing it (and risk of preparing it wrong, either by mistake or watering down too much to save money).
I never gave mine formula so maybe I’m missing something but I don’t understand why you wouldn’t make the switch to cows milk as quickly as baby will accept.
The type of milk is separate to the bottle issue - dentists definitely prefer to stop bottles as soon as you reasonably can. The bad teeth I’ve seen have been 2-3 year olds who drink sugary drinks out of bottles.

Both my DC stopped using a bottle themselves - one at 14m and one at 11m. Made life easy for us.

I would have stopped them myself not too long after if they'd not stopped - mainly so we could get bedtime sorted - brush teeth and into bed and I wouldn't want them then having milk in bed after brushing their teeth.
No harm in formula for them, especially if food is still a work in progress.
Also, I think stopping it when they're younger is easier than stopping it when they're a more wilful toddler but I'm just lazy!!

Such an interesting post @BertieBotts

She. It wasn't in English but that was the basic translation.

I know. Total gibberish. I think she meant there's no nutritional value in it and is just an emotional crutch after a certain point. She was all for it until then, and at 18 months it wasn't A Good Thing anymore.

I agree with PP. I am also constantly asked when I'm going to stop breastfeeding my nearly 20 month old. I don't feel praised for still feeding him at all. I feel like I'm constantly justifying myself. My response is usually 'it is his comfort'. Not that I should have to justify! People are shocked when I say I would like to carry on until he's 2..

Following. Was thinking about this last night while I nursed my 1 yr old. She’s been exclusively breastfed, aside from the solids I give her, and still very dependent on breastmilk/breastfeeding for relaxing and nourishment. The science says she’s still benefiting from that, as breastmilk is ever changing and complex. Breastmilk is loaded with nutrition, and babies still benefit from it greatly.

you don’t need me to tell you that formula is no match. It’s unnecessary because it reduces appetite for food, which is where they’d be getting most of their nutrition.

in some ways I’m peeved they won’t just come out and say “we don’t recommend it because it’s shit, honestly. It’s inferior.”

This is shocking!

What absolute bullshit!

(This is in reply to using the breast as a dummy past 18 months. The quote didn’t show)

OP you asked 2 questions and I think majority of posters have answered them in a straight forward approach with the information of where the advice to change comes from and why. Nobody is jumping on some sort of bandwagon of I can't believe you still do X they have simply explained why it's not necessary.

Yes and once you get to two if you want to keep going everyone in my life comments on you said you'd stop at two. I didn't. I just said I'd like to get to two. It's also frustrating to try to explain it's a parenting tool so useful for when they're older too.

It's because mothers can't do right fur doing wrong. Infant feeding is just the first time you encounter it.

@DidYeAye22 I'm in south London. There's a lot of breastfeeding around here, but very little past 12 months, and unfortunately that's when the judgement starts.