Welcome to Debate Club! Please be aware that this is a space for respectful debate, and that your ideas will be challenged here. Please remember to critique the argument, not the author.
Breastfeeding older kids (over 12mths old)
Options
Replies
-
4legsRbetterthan2 wrote: »HealthyBodySickMind wrote: »
And for the record, we only quit breastfeeding a few months ago, and only then because I set her up to quit. Otherwise that child would have kept going right into preschool, not that there's anything wrong with that. The idea that breastfeeding that long is selfish on the part of the mother is absolutely laughable. It was selfish of me to cut her off, but I was so over it, and I had to wait to get my Lasik done until we were done nursing.
From what I have read, it seems like breastfeeding for school age kids is more about comfort for the kid than necessarily nutrition. Personally, by the time my kid is having to spend significant amounts of time away from me (which for me will be fairly quickly since I plan to return to work after 10 weeks) I would want them to have been weened off using that as a comfort mechanism, since it is no longer readily available to them. I guess I would just worry about them getting upset at school, wanting a boob, and not knowing how to cope. Not a mom yet, expecting my first in a month, so this is all just my hypothetical theories.
There are more, real health benefits than comfort. This year will be the first year that my girl gets a flu shot. She didn't need one in previous flu seasons because I got one, and the antibodies transfer to her through the milk. And there are health benefits that carry on later.
Also, they learn other coping mechanisms. I went back to work full-time when she was just 6 weeks old. She never took a pacifier for me (because I had the real thing), but her care givers could occasionally get her to take one, and of course bottles are fine, too, that young. Anyway, she hasn't had any trouble learning to cope either in my presence or absence. She's a tough little thing.
4 -
There are nut jobs out there who breastfeed 6year olds just like their are nut jobs out there who eat their placenta, doesn't mean it should be done. ( I recognize that those may be a necessity in impoverished third world countries. )14
-
There are nut jobs doing all sorts of things, but breastfeeding a six year old doesn't make someone a nut job per se.10
-
.2
-
peckchris3267 wrote: »There are nut jobs out there who breastfeed 6year olds just like their are nut jobs out there who eat their placenta, doesn't mean it should be done. ( I recognize that those may be a necessity in impoverished third world countries. )
Can you please provide reasonable debate/discussion or leave the thread. Yes, we know you disapprove. You have yet to give a valid reasoning and/or source to back up your opinions. Until you do that you are just parroting the same thing over and over.....16 -
Christine_72 wrote: »VeronicaA76 wrote: »Every child is different, every parent is different. So long as the child is happy and healthy, how long or even if, they are breastfed is no one's business.
I didn't mean to hit a sore spot, was just curious is all
"One" of the things that prompted this thread, was i have read so many times of mothers complaining about lack of sleep and walking around like zombies due to getting up for night feeds multiple times a night, only to then find out their kids arent newborns, but older toddlers. I was wondering if midwives are now pushing this to new mothers??
You didn't. What bothers me is when people that don't know someone or thier child insist that they know better. While breastmilk is healthiest for most children, if they are breastfed for 5 months or 5 years is irrelevant, so long as the child is happy & healthy.6 -
4legsRbetterthan2 wrote: »peckchris3267 wrote: »There are nut jobs out there who breastfeed 6year olds just like their are nut jobs out there who eat their placenta, doesn't mean it should be done. ( I recognize that those may be a necessity in impoverished third world countries. )
Can you please provide reasonable debate/discussion or leave the thread. Yes, we know you disapprove. You have yet to give a valid reasoning and/or source to back up your opinions. Until you do that you are just parroting the same thing over and over.....
You said that much better than I did.
He is basing a conclusion "mothers who practice extended nursing are selfish" which is really more of an opinion, on a premise of "there is no benefit to prolonged breastfeeding."
I have given references on his premise being false. He didn't address that and instead went for the ad hominem.7 -
VeronicaA76 wrote: »Christine_72 wrote: »VeronicaA76 wrote: »Every child is different, every parent is different. So long as the child is happy and healthy, how long or even if, they are breastfed is no one's business.
I didn't mean to hit a sore spot, was just curious is all
"One" of the things that prompted this thread, was i have read so many times of mothers complaining about lack of sleep and walking around like zombies due to getting up for night feeds multiple times a night, only to then find out their kids arent newborns, but older toddlers. I was wondering if midwives are now pushing this to new mothers??
You didn't. What bothers me is when people that don't know someone or thier child insist that they know better. While breastmilk is healthiest for most children, if they are breastfed for 5 months or 5 years is irrelevant, so long as the child is happy & healthy.
Exactly this.4 -
peckchris3267 wrote: »There are nut jobs out there who breastfeed 6year olds just like their are nut jobs out there who eat their placenta, doesn't mean it should be done. ( I recognize that those may be a necessity in impoverished third world countries. )
Do you even have kids?1 -
1
-
4legsRbetterthan2 wrote: »HealthyBodySickMind wrote: »
And for the record, we only quit breastfeeding a few months ago, and only then because I set her up to quit. Otherwise that child would have kept going right into preschool, not that there's anything wrong with that. The idea that breastfeeding that long is selfish on the part of the mother is absolutely laughable. It was selfish of me to cut her off, but I was so over it, and I had to wait to get my Lasik done until we were done nursing.
From what I have read, it seems like breastfeeding for school age kids is more about comfort for the kid than necessarily nutrition. Personally, by the time my kid is having to spend significant amounts of time away from me (which for me will be fairly quickly since I plan to return to work after 10 weeks) I would want them to have been weened off using that as a comfort mechanism, since it is no longer readily available to them. I guess I would just worry about them getting upset at school, wanting a boob, and not knowing how to cope. Not a mom yet, expecting my first in a month, so this is all just my hypothetical theories.
If you've left them with a sitter, had them stay with grandparents, etc?
They know how to cope with things/comfort themselves with other methods at times.1 -
I stopped breastfeeding my kids by the time they were 1 - more so due to my schedule. Yes they were eating a normal diet at that age . To say there are no health benefits doesn't make sense to me as there are greater benefits in breast milk than cows milk, apple juice or whatever else we give them . I have seen some 5 year olds breast feed but I have never seen a 10 year old breast feed. The 5 year olds are eating other solid food as well not just breastfeeding. For those that are against it I would like to know at what age it becomes socially unacceptable for you . If you are not against breastfeeding I don't get what the difference is between a 6 month breastfeeding and a 3 year old feeding if both mom and baby are healthy with it .3
-
I stopped breastfeeding my kids by the time they were 1 - more so due to my schedule. Yes they were eating a normal diet at that age . To say there are no health benefits doesn't make sense to me as there are greater benefits in breast milk than cows milk, apple juice or whatever else we give them . I have seen some 5 year olds breast feed but I have never seen a 10 year old breast feed. The 5 year olds are eating other solid food as well not just breastfeeding. For those that are against it I would like to know at what age it becomes socially unacceptable for you . If you are not against breastfeeding I don't get what the difference is between a 6 month breastfeeding and a 3 year old feeding if both mom and baby are healthy with it.
I know there was a mom breastfeeding her 8 year old (I can't remember what state) and the baby sitter reported her. The state took the kid away for a little while, but the judge ultimately determined it wasn't child abuse and returned the kid.
I found that case interesting. It is certainly unconventional, but I wouldn't think to qualify it as abuse. I think the debate was around it being sexual abuse; seems they thought the mom was getting some sort of sexual stimulation from the BFing. I think when the sitter reported it the kid had said something along the lines of "not wanting to BF anymore but the mother making him". So maybe that was the base of the case?
I am not really sure I fall into a specific "for or against" camp. I haven't done that much research into the psychology behind it, but I do know some has been done. I am a bit wary though, alot happens between 1,2,3 or 5 or whatever age you wean, so I am a little skeptical about adult behavior being assigned to breast feeding schedule. It just seems like there are wayyyyy to many variables for that to be reliable.
Just a few thoughts I have on it:
-I guess I just associate breastfeeding with babies, so once walking and talking commence that's kind of my differentiation between baby and toddler. So it seems odd to still be breastfeeding at that age.
-As you indicated in your post, I think most of my reaction is based on societal acceptance, and sexualization of boobs in our culture. I know for me it seems weird to think of someone putting a 3 year old to breast, but pumping and giving a 3 year old breast milk feels ok. I don't have a decent explanation for why that is besides it feels like the kid is too old to be at your boob. I am not saying it is right or wrong, just explaining my gut reaction to it.
-I do wonder how moms who breastfeed for years have the patience to keep dealing with it. I haven't had a kid yet, but my maternal instinct doesn't seem to be that strong. When I think of breastfeeding I honestly see it as an annoying, inconvenient necessity. I just don't have any "awww, baby bonding with me, yay" type reaction in me yet. Maybe it will come with the kid, or maybe it won't. My point with this is just that not all women have this positive draw to breast feeding, which it sounds like some, possibly most, women have. I would imagine its hard to guys to "get" that too.
7 -
4legsRbetterthan2 wrote: »I stopped breastfeeding my kids by the time they were 1 - more so due to my schedule. Yes they were eating a normal diet at that age . To say there are no health benefits doesn't make sense to me as there are greater benefits in breast milk than cows milk, apple juice or whatever else we give them . I have seen some 5 year olds breast feed but I have never seen a 10 year old breast feed. The 5 year olds are eating other solid food as well not just breastfeeding. For those that are against it I would like to know at what age it becomes socially unacceptable for you . If you are not against breastfeeding I don't get what the difference is between a 6 month breastfeeding and a 3 year old feeding if both mom and baby are healthy with it.
I know there was a mom breastfeeding her 8 year old (I can't remember what state) and the baby sitter reported her. The state took the kid away for a little while, but the judge ultimately determined it wasn't child abuse and returned the kid.
I found that case interesting. It is certainly unconventional, but I wouldn't think to qualify it as abuse. I think the debate was around it being sexual abuse; seems they thought the mom was getting some sort of sexual stimulation from the BFing. I think when the sitter reported it the kid had said something along the lines of "not wanting to BF anymore but the mother making him". So maybe that was the base of the case?
I am not really sure I fall into a specific "for or against" camp. I haven't done that much research into the psychology behind it, but I do know some has been done. I am a bit wary though, alot happens between 1,2,3 or 5 or whatever age you wean, so I am a little skeptical about adult behavior being assigned to breast feeding schedule. It just seems like there are wayyyyy to many variables for that to be reliable.
Just a few thoughts I have on it:
-I guess I just associate breastfeeding with babies, so once walking and talking commence that's kind of my differentiation between baby and toddler. So it seems odd to still be breastfeeding at that age.
-As you indicated in your post, I think most of my reaction is based on societal acceptance, and sexualization of boobs in our culture. I know for me it seems weird to think of someone putting a 3 year old to breast, but pumping and giving a 3 year old breast milk feels ok. I don't have a decent explanation for why that is besides it feels like the kid is too old to be at your boob. I am not saying it is right or wrong, just explaining my gut reaction to it.
-I do wonder how moms who breastfeed for years have the patience to keep dealing with it. I haven't had a kid yet, but my maternal instinct doesn't seem to be that strong. When I think of breastfeeding I honestly see it as an annoying, inconvenient necessity. I just don't have any "awww, baby bonding with me, yay" type reaction in me yet. Maybe it will come with the kid, or maybe it won't. My point with this is just that not all women have this positive draw to breast feeding, which it sounds like some, possibly most, women have. I would imagine its hard to guys to "get" that too.
Wait until your little bubba is born.4 -
GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »
If you've left them with a sitter, had them stay with grandparents, etc?
They know how to cope with things/comfort themselves with other methods at times.
true. guess I am falling into that trap of thinking in extremes.1 -
maryjaquiss wrote: »I do find it slightly odd that anyone would claim someone was breastfeeding a child for selfish reasons. It isn't fun!
I made the decision to stop breastfeeding my toddler a couple of months after his second birthday as it was driving me mad and he barely needed/wanted it any more. But full-term breastfeeding isn't a bad thing and is practised in plenty of cultures around the world.
This is an interesting article about it.
I really enjoyed that article. Thanks for sharing it.2 -
They took the kid away? Wow... Okay maybe if the parent is force feeding the child but I doubt that was it. Sheesh.4legsRbetterthan2 wrote: »I stopped breastfeeding my kids by the time they were 1 - more so due to my schedule. Yes they were eating a normal diet at that age . To say there are no health benefits doesn't make sense to me as there are greater benefits in breast milk than cows milk, apple juice or whatever else we give them . I have seen some 5 year olds breast feed but I have never seen a 10 year old breast feed. The 5 year olds are eating other solid food as well not just breastfeeding. For those that are against it I would like to know at what age it becomes socially unacceptable for you . If you are not against breastfeeding I don't get what the difference is between a 6 month breastfeeding and a 3 year old feeding if both mom and baby are healthy with it.
I know there was a mom breastfeeding her 8 year old (I can't remember what state) and the baby sitter reported her. The state took the kid away for a little while, but the judge ultimately determined it wasn't child abuse and returned the kid.
I found that case interesting. It is certainly unconventional, but I wouldn't think to qualify it as abuse. I think the debate was around it being sexual abuse; seems they thought the mom was getting some sort of sexual stimulation from the BFing. I think when the sitter reported it the kid had said something along the lines of "not wanting to BF anymore but the mother making him". So maybe that was the base of the case?
I am not really sure I fall into a specific "for or against" camp. I haven't done that much research into the psychology behind it, but I do know some has been done. I am a bit wary though, alot happens between 1,2,3 or 5 or whatever age you wean, so I am a little skeptical about adult behavior being assigned to breast feeding schedule. It just seems like there are wayyyyy to many variables for that to be reliable.
Just a few thoughts I have on it:
-I guess I just associate breastfeeding with babies, so once walking and talking commence that's kind of my differentiation between baby and toddler. So it seems odd to still be breastfeeding at that age.
-As you indicated in your post, I think most of my reaction is based on societal acceptance, and sexualization of boobs in our culture. I know for me it seems weird to think of someone putting a 3 year old to breast, but pumping and giving a 3 year old breast milk feels ok. I don't have a decent explanation for why that is besides it feels like the kid is too old to be at your boob. I am not saying it is right or wrong, just explaining my gut reaction to it.
-I do wonder how moms who breastfeed for years have the patience to keep dealing with it. I haven't had a kid yet, but my maternal instinct doesn't seem to be that strong. When I think of breastfeeding I honestly see it as an annoying, inconvenient necessity. I just don't have any "awww, baby bonding with me, yay" type reaction in me yet. Maybe it will come with the kid, or maybe it won't. My point with this is just that not all women have this positive draw to breast feeding, which it sounds like some, possibly most, women have. I would imagine its hard to guys to "get" that too.
Yet they don't take away children for making them drink another mammal's breast/udder milk.
I do wonder if the people who complain about extended breastfeeding aren't just a little territorial over the breasts in their life. Many North Americans do seem to have a "bit" of a boob fixation. Maybe they don't see it as as much fun if junior got it first. Or perhaps it isn't as much fun for mom when during the act they start to leak? But it does seem to generally be men who are more judgemental in this area.
8 -
They took the kid away? Wow... Okay maybe if the parent is force feeding the child but I doubt that was it. Sheesh.4legsRbetterthan2 wrote: »I stopped breastfeeding my kids by the time they were 1 - more so due to my schedule. Yes they were eating a normal diet at that age . To say there are no health benefits doesn't make sense to me as there are greater benefits in breast milk than cows milk, apple juice or whatever else we give them . I have seen some 5 year olds breast feed but I have never seen a 10 year old breast feed. The 5 year olds are eating other solid food as well not just breastfeeding. For those that are against it I would like to know at what age it becomes socially unacceptable for you . If you are not against breastfeeding I don't get what the difference is between a 6 month breastfeeding and a 3 year old feeding if both mom and baby are healthy with it.
I know there was a mom breastfeeding her 8 year old (I can't remember what state) and the baby sitter reported her. The state took the kid away for a little while, but the judge ultimately determined it wasn't child abuse and returned the kid.
I found that case interesting. It is certainly unconventional, but I wouldn't think to qualify it as abuse. I think the debate was around it being sexual abuse; seems they thought the mom was getting some sort of sexual stimulation from the BFing. I think when the sitter reported it the kid had said something along the lines of "not wanting to BF anymore but the mother making him". So maybe that was the base of the case?
I am not really sure I fall into a specific "for or against" camp. I haven't done that much research into the psychology behind it, but I do know some has been done. I am a bit wary though, alot happens between 1,2,3 or 5 or whatever age you wean, so I am a little skeptical about adult behavior being assigned to breast feeding schedule. It just seems like there are wayyyyy to many variables for that to be reliable.
Just a few thoughts I have on it:
-I guess I just associate breastfeeding with babies, so once walking and talking commence that's kind of my differentiation between baby and toddler. So it seems odd to still be breastfeeding at that age.
-As you indicated in your post, I think most of my reaction is based on societal acceptance, and sexualization of boobs in our culture. I know for me it seems weird to think of someone putting a 3 year old to breast, but pumping and giving a 3 year old breast milk feels ok. I don't have a decent explanation for why that is besides it feels like the kid is too old to be at your boob. I am not saying it is right or wrong, just explaining my gut reaction to it.
-I do wonder how moms who breastfeed for years have the patience to keep dealing with it. I haven't had a kid yet, but my maternal instinct doesn't seem to be that strong. When I think of breastfeeding I honestly see it as an annoying, inconvenient necessity. I just don't have any "awww, baby bonding with me, yay" type reaction in me yet. Maybe it will come with the kid, or maybe it won't. My point with this is just that not all women have this positive draw to breast feeding, which it sounds like some, possibly most, women have. I would imagine its hard to guys to "get" that too.
Yet they don't take away children for making them drink another mammal's breast/udder milk.
I do wonder if the people who complain about extended breastfeeding aren't just a little territorial over the breasts in their life. Many North Americans do seem to have a "bit" of a boob fixation. Maybe they don't see it as as much fun if junior got it first. Or perhaps it isn't as much fun for mom when during the act they start to leak? But it does seem to generally be men who are more judgemental in this area.
This is what amazes me. But it's usually par for the course.9 -
Just in case anyone wanted some more in depth, peer-reviewed info on extended breastfeeding, here is a really good article from Breastfeeding Review
Mortensen, K., & Tawia, S. (January 01, 2013). Sustained breastfeeding. Breastfeeding Review : Professional Publication of the Nursing Mothers' Association of Australia, 21, 1, 22-34.
web.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.sf.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=da769080-2065-4922-8d88-bf76b9b370b7%40sessionmgr101&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=107997259&db=rzh
Some highlights:
Immunological effects: "The data showed tht the production of secretory IgA antibodies continues throughout lactation and does not diminish with time."
Nutrition: "The long-term risk of obesity associated with artificial feeding is dose dependent, that is, a longer duration of breastfeeding is associated with a lower tendency to later obesity."
Cognitive development: "Cognitive development has been shown to be supported by continued breastfeeding. Rogan and Gladen (1993) tested children, some of whom were breastfed up to 2 years, for IQ and school grades. The results showed a dose-dependent relationship between higher score and duration of breastfeeding."
11 -
And from a more recent review:
"The disciplines of medicine and nursing have examined the biomedical benefits of breastfeeding beyond infancy. It has been well established that breastfeeding a child beyond 12 months provides no harm to the child as long as there is sufficient complementary nutritional intake (Riordan & Wambach 2010). Increasing evidence supports that breastfeeding beyond infancy confers long-term benefits for the mother or the child. Prior to weaning, children benefit from many direct immune-protective effects of breastmilk and the short-term benefits of breastfeeding a toddler are evident. However, there is growing research indicating some of the benefits of breastfeeding are dose-dependent and breastfeeding beyond infancy may confer additional longterm benefits for both mother and child (Ip et al. 2007). Increased breastfeeding duration is positively associated with a reduced risk of certain childhood cancers, obesity and diabetes. Longer duration of lifetime breastfeeding was also associated with a reduced risk of maternal type 2 diabetes and pre-menopausal breast and ovarian cancer risk (Ip et al. 2007). It is difficult to irrefutably establish the long-term effects of breastfeeding on children and mothers as researchers need to rely on comparative studies, however evidence does suggest there are many benefits of breastfeeding beyond infancy."
Brockway, M., & Venturato, L. (January 01, 2016). Breastfeeding beyond infancy: a concept analysis. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 72, 9, 2003-15.6
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.4K Introduce Yourself
- 43.5K Getting Started
- 259.7K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 388 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.7K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.2K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.2K MyFitnessPal Information
- 22 News and Announcements
- 918 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions