What age did you all stop breastfeeding?

[flawless29]

To all breastfeeding mamas, I have a 7-month-old and I'm just curious: at what age do most of you stop breastfeeding? I realize everyone's journey is unique, which is exactly why I'm reaching out. How long do you think we should breastfeed to give our little ones the best start? Thanks!

@Blippard and you have the cheek to talk about judgement.

What if the OP actually wants to stop breastfeeding? Did you consider that?

The stats posted here show that most mothers finish at around 6 months.

This thread seems to have been jumped upon by the outliers who continue for longer (some are saying they continued till their child is 5, school age) pushing an agenda and wailing about how anti-breastfeeding the majority of the population are.

There is a reason it's taboo. That reason is because breastfeeding a toddler and beyond is not necessary and is done for reasons other than nutrition. It's widely seen as a self centred act that does not benefit the child.

And get over the cow's milk comparison. Humans are omnivores who eat and drink the body parts and fluids of animals in our food chain. My Guinea Pigs eat their own turds because that's how their digestive system is set up. The lesson, human biology is different. Sheesh!

Exactly! The ones who are feeding for years and years and years and years are obviously being triggered massively here.

If you read my previous posts you will see I bf one and ff another actually. I did not however bf until they were in blinking year 3 of junior school though! And he is allergic to everything ha

There is a reason it's taboo. That reason is because breastfeeding a toddler and beyond is not necessary and is done for reasons other than nutrition. It's widely seen as a self centred act that does not benefit the child.

It may be taboo in the UK, a country with appalling breastfeeding rates. Don't assume it is taboo everywhere. If there was a genuine reason then it would be taboo worldwide, like marrying your brother.

And get over the cow's milk comparison. Humans are omnivores who eat and drink the body parts and fluids of animals in our food chain.

Cows milk and humans is actually quite interesting - not a given at all.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/famine-and-diseases-likely-drove-europeans-ability-to-digest-milk-180980483/

My own family weren't bf supportive so after about 10 -12 months we just started ignoring any questions about "still" bf as it does reduce down in frequency and past 12 months was nearly all done at home.

I got sick of people always bring up bitty from little Britain or bf at school gates when they try and get you to stop usually not long after I'd just got past bf problems and well before 6 months let alone toddler years.

Ultimately though most women in UK do stop before 6 months - so flawless29 has done well to get past that point.

We’re still going at 2 years and 2 months old 🤗 Always in the morning and always at bedtime, usually 1-2 times during the night but sometimes more and 2-6ish times during the day I think with more in the evening 🤔

The OP started a thread asking how long people breast fed for. Posters, yourself included jumped on them to tell them how it is 'unnatural' 'unhealthy for a child to suck nipples and drink bodily fluids' how the children will be mentally scarred from breastfeeding and posters asking why you would cuddle a child when you could give them a Teddy and stick a dummy in their mouth. One poster even said she bf one child and ff the other, and that her ff child is far superior, both mentally and physically. Imagine if ff threads were hijacked in the same way!

erm yes they do. Our cat has kittens. They all weaned from her at different ages. One kept having milk for ages past the others. On several occasions she got annoyed with it and carried it away to another room 😂 she was definitely over nursing it but the kitten kept trying to have milk.

@AvengedQuince I do believe that's why WHO recommends 2 years IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES.

So yes, may well be a necessity elsewhere. Is certainly not a necessity in the UK.

I breast fed exclusively for 6 months then was pretty much used as a comforter/dummy for the next 6 months. There was no nutritional benefit as my kids were weening but the breast milk certainly served me well and meant I didn't have to sterilise bottles if they woke at night. As I said before, comfort doesn't have to come in the form of a tit in the gob but it's certainly an easy option. You need to stop kidding yourself that you're not self-serving in continuing. The judgement you experience is for a reason.

There are many benefits to breastfeeding even in early infancy that extend beyond nutrition. How is continuing something that both mother and child want to continue self centred?

The reason it's taboo is because women's bodies are seen to exist to pleasure men and therefore breasts are considered sexual. It is not taboo in many other cultures because it is biologically normal. That's all.

@Blippard you're just making things up now. I breastfed my own kids so how could I believe it to be unnatural and unhealthy. Get a grip.

Yes comfort doesn't have to come from the breast.

But it can do and that's completely fine for those that wish to do so. Why are you so invested in the choices of other women and their bodies?

My bf son is allergic to dairy and gluten, cats dogs and so many other things ironically.

The WHO recommendation is for immunity reasons.

The immunity system of an infant doesn’t fully mature until they are two years old and until that point, having immunity support from the mother is of massive benefit. This fact does not change whether a child lives in a third world country or the richest country in the world.

Infants/toddlers can get their nutrients from places other than breast milk, but the same cannot be said for all the antibodies that their mother can pass on to them.

@Universalsnail I don't disagree with you about the sexualisation of women's breasts but the judgement doesn't come from breastfeeding a baby, it comes from unnecessarily feeding a toddler/child who's eating solid food.

@2pence exactly. Couldn’t agree more!

It's one of the reasons I introduced dairy early when weening. I had all sort of food intolerances when younger which luckily my kids didn't inherit.

But it is not unnecessary because there are many benefits to breastfeeding that are not just nutrition, and if it is up to individual to decide if those benefits are important to them or not in their personal circumstances. It's just a personal decision that's natural for our species. It shouldn't be taboo.

Well said 👏

WHO and UNICEF recommend that children initiate breastfeeding within the first hour of birth and be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life – meaning no other foods or liquids are provided, including water. Infants should be breastfed on demand – that is as often as the child wants, day and night. No bottles, teats or pacifiers should be used. From the age of 6 months, children should begin eating safe and adequate complementary foods while continuing to breastfeed for up to two years of age or beyond. https://www.who.int/health-topics/breastfeeding#tab=tab_2No mention of the recommendations applying to some countries but not others. Considering the appalling diet of many toddlers and young children in the UK, I'd think it would be of considerable benefit.

Exactly this! My second son was exclusively ff after I saw first hand that exclusively bf the first wasn’t what I was sold! It has some pro’s but far far far more cons for mum and baby frankly and it didn’t do anything to improve his immune system trust me-he is allergic to everything and has no physical or mental stamina. His brother who was ff excels in every way, allergic to nothing and never unwell. Could be a fluke but if my wonderful magical milk was that amazing surely it would have prevented these? Clearly not! And yes you’re 100% right the mums who do it past 18 months ish are doing it for themselves coz ‘they like it’ or just can’t be bothered to persevere with bottles or detaching from their children and/or don’t want them to grow up. Does not additionally benefit the child (that’s child not baby!!!) at all.

Funnily enough my sisters friends daughter just had a boy 8 months ago. She was adamant she would only EBF. Adamant it was natural magical essential. She had a nervous breakdown and is on Prozac. At 5 months he went to bottles cold Turkey with his dad as she went into hospital. He didn’t like it but his dad persevered and obviously had no choice. She came out of hospital weeks later and said it was 100% down to the hell of EBF and she wouldn’t never ever ever go through it again. Interesting that she actually felt ThAT would be best for baby!

@Mumbuns

Do you think these anecdotes are helpful?

@Universalsnail why am I so invested? Because I replied to a thread which asked when I stopped breastfeeding.

Each breastfeeding journey is different but the stats show most mothers stop at 6 months.

However, the thread has been hijacked by marathon breastfeeders congratulating each other on their longevity. This is outside the norms and if the OP posted in order to decide when she should stop, gives a very skewed viewpoint.

There's nothing shameful about stopping breastfeeding when you're ready. Once a baby starts solids is usually when most either cut down or stop completely. That's what's usual. That's what's normal in the UK.

Trying to push an agenda and create guilt and shame on those who don't fit in with your unusual worldview is an unkind thing to do. There's enough pressure on Mothers to persevere with breastfeeding, even when it's not in their best interests to do so without this pile on here. It feels almost like a competition to see who's the best Mum because you breastfed till they were bloody 7 years old!

Well said. Why stop at 7. There’s a medal to get to 10 apparently a lifetime of immunity and success 😂