Breastfeeding....When should it end?

[berlinsmommy]

I voted 2 yrs old. I can see up to 2, no problem, and even a few months after, depending on the kid.

Now, maybe this is just my experience, but the few people I've known IRL that BF after 2 were not doing it for the kid or for nutrition. They were the type that need to be needed and don't want the kid to grow up.

I remember when my DD was 3 and we met one of my coworker's nieces who was also 3 and was still BF. It wasn't so much for the kid as for mom. This mom also didn't like the kid being independent and bemoaned every milestone of this kid no longer being a baby, like her walking, talking, etc. and still encouraged the kid to crawl and talk baby talk. My coworker tried to put my DD and this kid together for a playdate and it was terrible. You know how 3 yr olds don't exactly know about manners and such, so my DD kept asking things like "Why does she crawl?" and "Why does she talk like that (baby talk)?"

[jenjacobs]

I nursed DS for a short time and have no problem with women nursing/not nursing etc - I really don't care how women want to feed their babies/toddlers or for how long. But I find it distributing that a child is being breastfed at 8 years old - I think their are some physiological and emotional issues going on here by both the mother and child that should be addressed.

[abond0017]

I agree with PP that as long as the mom and child are happy, who are we to say whats right and wrong?

hmmmm....I just cannot agree with this....I mean back to my pp about diapers....if they were both ok with them still being in diapers at 8 and more comfortable with it being that way....is that not wrong? Even if they are both perfectly happy and fine with the situation...there has to be limits to things.
I feel that if this opinion is used for breastfeeding....it would have to apply to others as well. I can think of alot of situatins where this logic would seem totally outrageous and where the situation would require it to be other people's business because they might in some way be damaging to one or both parties involved.
Just because breastfeeding starts out as one of the most natural things in the world...it doesnt meant it stays one of the most natural things forever.

I would also have to agree with the poster just above that when the child is 8 and still breastfeeding, there must be some type of deeper need problems going on--maybe with both the mom and child--that need to be addressed.

[jonnysmomma]

Maybe I should have said that I dont agree with an 8 year old breastfeeding, as I dont agree with that at all. I do agree that super-extended breastfeeding means theres deeper issues. I am talking about breastfeeding til about 4 or so. Im sorry I was clear as mud.

[abond0017]

Maybe I should have said that I dont agree with an 8 year old breastfeeding, as I dont agree with that at all. I do agree that super-extended breastfeeding means theres deeper issues. I am talking about breastfeeding til about 4 or so. Im sorry I was clear as mud.

LOL...no problem....I thought about making another poll option to say somethng like "as long as it takes but before ____" but I figured that the "before entering school" option would take care of that...maybe I should have just continued further with the yrs. old options...

[Mom2my3sons]

I would like to clear up some misinformation that was stated in this thread. First, no matter what the age there are ALWAYS nutritional benefits from breastmilk. Breastmilk is packed with vitamins, proteins, antibodies, minerals, etc. . . . There is no age at which we no longer need these things or at which breastmilk no longer has these things. There is also no other food on the planet that has all these things together. Breastmilk is the most nutritious food for any person, anywhere. It is such a perfect food that it is used for adults undergoing chemotherapy.

As adults we take vitamin supplements because we know that it's very difficult to get everything we need from our food. This is exactly what breastmilk does for children.

The health benefits of breastfeeding have been shown to be dose specific. Meaning the larger the dose of breastfeeding, the larger the health benefits. The longer a child breastfeeds, the greater the health benefit. This goes for the health benefits to the mother. The longer a mother breastfeeds, the more her health risks for things like breast cancer and osteoporsis decrease.

That being said, breastfeeding is not all about nutrition. Nursing is also about a connection between mother and child. As toddlers because more active they are more likely to get more bumps and bruises and get into more situations that stress them. Breastfeeding is an incredible way to comfort them.

I cannot answer the poll because there isn't an answer I am comfortable with. I don't think weaning should happen until both mother and child are comfortable with it. If that doesn't happen until after 4 then I'm fine with that. I do think it's sad when it happens before age 2. Most babies don't wean naturally until after that anyway. Those children that do wean before that usually do so because of the introduction of sippy cups and are inadvertantly incouraged to wean by their parents.

We also need to realize that toddlers don't nurse the way babies nurse. Babies need to nurse 10-12 times a day for 30 to 45 minutes each session. Toddlers usually nurse just a few times a day for less than 5 minutes. Mostly it's just to 'check-in' with mom and have a minute of quiet time before heading out for another adventure.

With all that in mind, children also need limits in everything they do: when they play, what they eat, where they can go and this is no different for breastfeeding. What those limits are are different for each family. My kids stay up until 10pm. This works for our family because my dh usually isn't home until 7pm or later. This give my kids some time with dad every day. This schedule obviously wouldn't work for every family.

The same is true for breastfeeding. Some families will have different limits for breastfeeding. I'm fine with that. I don't want anyone telling me what time I have to put my kids to bed, what shows they can watch on TV, what games they can play, or how long they can nurse. I will also do the same for other parents. I am not going to tell them how long they can nurse their child.

[Mom2my3sons]

hmmmm....I just cannot agree with this....I mean back to my pp about diapers....if they were both ok with them still being in diapers at 8 and more comfortable with it being that way....is that not wrong? Even if they are both perfectly happy and fine with the situation...there has to be limits to things..

My oldest still uses Goodnights. I am comfortable with that I don't think it's wrong. It's something he still needs and as long as he still needs them, I will provide them for him.

I do agree that children need limits though. Those limits vary from child to child and from family to family. What my child needs is different from what the neighbor kid needs. I am not going to tell any mother I know better than she does what her child needs.

[Mom2my3sons]

Wow, I just looked at the poll results and was saddened to see most think children need to be weaned by 2. The WHO recommends nursing for at LEAST 2 years. 2 years is the MINIMUM.

sad

[kdownie]

I nursed my DD until a little after she turned 2. By that time, she was mostly nursing at bedtime or when she got hurt, for comfort. It was a wonderful bonding time during those two years. Part of me would like to still be nursing her. I teasingly asked her if she wanted to nurse a few weeks ago (she turned 2 in Jan.), and she looked all confused when I lifted my shirt, like she has "forgotten." It was strange. Then, a week ago, she actually wanted to nurse.

I definitely plan on nursing baby #2 at least 2 years also. My DD still hasn't been on antibiotics and was the picture of health overall until I stopped nursing and she started being at a child care (while I worked out) also starting in January.

[hbaqueen]

Wow, I just looked at the poll results and was saddened to see most think children need to be weaned by 2. The WHO recommends nursing for at LEAST 2 years. 2 years is the MINIMUM.

sad

Didnt you just say above that it was each persons decision but now your saying how sad you are that most people answered that way and also that 2 is the minimum. So arent you doing exactly what you didnt want people to do to you? And who says The Who's reccomendations matter to anyone?